Fear State: The end may be nigh for DC’s Batman, but these villains are just getting started

Batman: Fear State shows how DC Fear State could happen. 

Batman: Fear State has lived up to the expectations of a Dark Knight crossover. The Scarecrow’s hold on Gotham seemed solidified. We knew that he’d eventually lose his grip, but Jonathan Crane showed readers why he’s not to be underestimated. The situation got so bad that Miracle Molly (a newcomer in Gotham City) had to save him. She also knew Scarecrow’s plan before Bruce did.

Molly found out that he was going to use the Mind Machine to give Peacekeeper 01 all of Gotham City’s fears and traumas. That plan was interrupted in Batman No. 116.

Peacekeeper 01 mentions the Future State

Before Scarecrow could complete his experiment, he is shot by Peacekeeper 01. The good news is that this released Crane’s hold on Miracle Molly. The bad news is that it expanded Peacekeeper’s mind.

He tells Batman that he saw what Gotham City could be. Not a Fear State, but a Future State. He even reveals that he was going to keep Scarecrow around on a leash. This happens in the DC Future State: Harley Quinn No. 2. That means, unless Peacekeeper 01 is stopped, Gotham’s future could end up looking like a George Orwell novel.

Poison Ivy grabs Gotham

Meanwhile, Simon Saint’s henchmen attack Poison Ivy at her sanctuary Eden. In the previous issue, Saint decided that Gotham needed to be destroyed and that Ivy would be the one to do it. Before any of them could make a move, though, Ghost-Maker takes them all out with ease – and without killing. He may have left him alive, but he said he’d make sure they’d live their lives in agony.

Despite no one being harmed, Ivy is still furious. She had tried to live on her own in peace, but people still came after her. As a result, Ivy begins to follow through with her plan to destroy Gotham with her hold on the bedrock of the city. Before she can sink the city, Harley and the Gardener show up. With them was Poison Ivy’s other half.

The future of Batman

Batman: Fear State concludes in the next issue. It was reported earlier that the Dark Knight would be leaving Gotham after this series. The next issue will hopefully explain how and why this happens. It’s looking as if Batman’s insecurities may be the reason he departs.

The last couple of years have been trying for the Dark Knight. After Alfred died, Batman seemed to lose a step. He’s second guessing himself and not anticipating things that he normally would. His break may be down to the fact that he feels Gotham City would be better off with a new protector. We’ll have to wait until Batman No. 117 to see what happens next.

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