Batman is tormented by an old enemy in haunting new DC series

Batman: Fear State continues with more bad news for the Dark Knight and the Bat-Family.

Batman: Fear State is a DC Comics event that focuses on the Dark Knight and the Bat-Family. In Fear State Alpha, we saw how Scarecrow and Simon Saint got together and what the Fear State Experiment is. On the heroes’ side, Oracle was shut out of her connection, Batman was presumed dead (even though he wasn’t actually dead), and Poison Ivy was split between two of her selves. The newest issue of Batman didn’t leave much hope for the heroes as things keep getting worse.

There is some good news though. Batman was able to escape the Scarecrow’s clutches and get the fear toxin out of his system. Unfortunately, he doesn’t know how long he was with Scarecrow and how much the villain knows. Way back in Batman No. 106, Bruce Wayne’s mask seemed to have been taken off and replaced. If that’s true, it means Scarecrow knows Bruce’s secret identity.

Furthermore, Bruce revealed that he can still feel Scarecrow in the back of his head. That could be the reason why he ultimately leaves Gotham. If there’s one thing that Bruce is afraid of, it’s the world knowing he’s the Dark Knight.

Batman: Fear State and Simon Saint

The heroes aren’t the only ones with problems. Simon Saint’s Peacekeeper 01 can’t be found. He’s also dealing with Scarecrow’s fear toxin. He escapes only to see everyone in Gotham is dead. Then, he sees the citizens of Gotham as creepy entities looking to eat him. He yells out, “I’m going to be the hero of Gotham City” and charges up the weapon in his arm. He may end up going on a killing spree.

Simon Saint wanted to use his Peacekeeper as a way to stop Scarecrow when he went off on his own. Now, he has to deal with a crazy and scared Peacekeeper on top of everything else. Lucky for Simon, he has a backup plan. That backup plan comes in the form of another person ready and willing to be experimented on. And so, Simon brings out his next android soldier, Peacekeeper X. And this guy is a true believer with big time upgrades.

The citizens of Gotham

While all of this is going on between the heroes and villains, the people in Gotham remain in the middle of it, forced to be the main subjects of Scarecrow’s experiment. There was a part of the issue where we see people in Gotham boarding up their homes as the streets were clear. There were people outside during Joker War and City of Bane. The difference here is Oracle (or Anti-Oracle as Barbara Gordon called them) told people the air and water is poisoned and to stay at home.

Don’t be shocked if this ends with the Fear State Experiment working. Some people may feel tired of being afraid now but this feeling won’t last. The tragedies that happen in Gotham City are always extreme and different. And let’s not forget that The Joker is teasing something major coming (see Joker No. 4 for that).

We’ll have to wait and see what happens next as Batman: Fear State continues.

What do you think? Do you have any thoughts on what will happen next in Batman: Fear State? Let us know in the comments below.