Review: Batman #45

Some of the promise of writer Scott Snyder’s post-Endgame ground shaking is really starting to manifest with Batman #45

In a classic, MacGyver-esque no-win scenario the issue starts out on a dramatic, frenetic pace. To escape certain death Jim Gordon has to pull off a miracle from within a cremation furnace, only to once again face certain death at the hands of the hired goons who put him there. But, when you’re Batman you can always count on a Deus ex Machina to bail you out.

Gordon’s Batman team and a newly automated Batsuit make quick work of the imminent peril, but that doesn’t mean he’s out of the fire.

When Snyder set up this Batman replacement program, we all wondered where the friction would fit in between the police force and Powers Inc. because – let’s face it – we all knew it was going to happen. Snyder publicly stated that Powers   wouldn’t be an OCP-type malevolent force, a la Robocop. So when would the conflict happen?

Well, that moment is now. Due to Jim Gordon’s unauthorized pursuit of new baddie Mr. Bloom it’s been decided that Gordon is out as Batman. The incident with the Devil Pigs became a PR black eye for Powers and it’s become a matter of economics to keep the Batman project afloat. So that the company can pursue its actual research in science and technology, they’re going to need public support. To do that they’re going to have to show potential investors that Batman won’t be so reckless with their money.

Sadly, ironically, the fate of Batman comes down to a matter of money.

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The best laid plans of Powers go awry, however, when the public presentation used to facilitate Jim Gordon’s ‘resignation’ is thrown into chaos. The enigmatic Mr. Bloom has decided to flex his muscle with a deadly attack on Gotham’s wealthiest and most influential, who were in attendance.

Now it’s up to Jim to prove why he’s Batman and why the need for Batman goes beyond money.

Overall, this comic does a good job of showing readers that there is, in fact, potential to the post-Endgame reimagining of The Dark Knight, and not just another Knightfall place holder for the sake of sensationalism. I certainly hope Snyder continues on that path.

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