Batman: Volume 9: Bloom [The New 52] by Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Danny Miki, Yamick Paquette and Fco Plascencia (graphic novel review).
You would think that after volume 8, this post-Batman era would be drawing to an end. Volume 9: Bloom reprints Batman #46-50 and Detective Comics #27—not the old one, but it can’t be a coincidence they used the same numbering.
It’s rather interesting that Gotham City wanted and implemented a Batman plan, adapted to different cities across the USA. Jim Gordon, in his ex-Batman armour, is also struggling against Mr. Bloom. Finally, Bruce Wayne realises he has to act. Despite Alfred Pennyworth wanting this new version of Bruce to live a different life and wiping the tech that would restore his earlier memories, Wayne remembers that he would always have back-ups. So, we have a Batman rebirth situation, but the end of Bloom seemed awfully quick, with things getting back to normal. Whatever can cause hair to grow back so quickly should be marketed on DC Earth.
A common problem with defeating villains is the reliance on brute force rather than outmanoeuvring them. I know the new readership might not resemble how we were when young, but showing that brute force is the only solution could be a poor example in real life as a winning strategy.
Notice how I’m avoiding spoilers. However, one I can’t avoid is that Bruce Wayne has a cloning program, so a new 27-year-old Batman is released to keep him in his prime in this New 52 reality. That sounds fine to a point, but nearly a dozen of them? As far as I’ve seen, there’s only one of each of the other members of the Justice League, and you’d wonder how they haven’t noticed an apparently ageless Batman in their midst, recovering from near-fatal injuries. Even Superman doesn’t know. The same goes for Bruce Wayne, as he has to spend time as himself in Gotham’s social life and certainly as a businessman. What happens to the old clones? Is there a Wayne Nursing Home? So why would Pennyworth want to stop the memory-wiped Bruce Wayne from discovering this when all he would need to do is release another clone, and both identities would be preserved?
Quite where this is going in the last volume remains to be seen.
GF Willmetts
August 2024
(pub: DC Comics, 2016. page graphic novel softcover. Price: varies. ISBN: 978-1-40126-922-71
check out website: www.dc.com
