“Batman: Eternal” is a fantastic series that will shake the Caped Crusader to the core. (Artwork property of DC Comics)
By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
Batman is celebrating his 75th birthday this year!
In honor of this special occasion, DC Comics released a weekly maxi-series called Batman: Eternal!
Longtime Batman scribe Scott Snyder (“Night of the Owls”& “Death of the Family”) is spearheading the project with a massive group of creators including fellow writers James Tynion IV, Ray Fawkes, Kyle Higgins and Tim Seeley as co-writers. In addition to the all-star group of writers, a diverse group of artists such as Jason Fabok, Guillem March, Trevor McCarthy and Dustin Nguyen are handling the art duties.
Here is the story…so far!
Warning! Spoilers are ahead….
Selina Kyle transformed herself from cat burglar to Queenpin of Crime as a result of “Batman: Eternal” (Artwork property of DC Comics)
Catwoman the Kingpin: In a preview of this massive event, Batman #28 featured Selina Kyle as Gotham’s head of the underworld. The Queen of Cats also broke her alliance with the Caped Crusader. Perhaps, this man drove them apart…
Carmine Falcone: One of Gotham’s infamous gangsters, The Roman, returned to Gotham City with a plan to exterminate the costumed criminals and give power back to the crime lords. He began a nefarious plot to remove several crucial players from the chessboard.
James Gordon was arrested in the second issue of “Batman: Eternal.” (Artwork property of DC Comics)
James Gordon-Murderer: Falcone started his plot by getting rid of Batman’s trusted confidant in the Gotham City Police Department. The Roman framed Gordon by doctoring footage by making him a murder. Gordon constantly protested his innocence and both Batgirl and new cop Jason Bard are determined to prove that the incarcerated commissioner is telling the truth.
Capes- Enemies of the GCPD: With Gordon in jail, Falcone convinced Gotham’s corrupted mayor Sebastian Hady to give Jack Forbes the keys to the department. Forbes abuses this privilege and declares war on the Caped Crusader and his allies (which both Bard and Maggie Sawyer protest).
A Bitter Family Reunion: On his own journey to find out how Falcone got back to Gotham, the Caped Crusader ran into an unnamed assassin out for revenge. In turned out that the woman was Julia Pennyworth, Alfred’s long-lost daughter. Julia blames her father for abandoning her as a child for the Waynes.
After a near three-year-absence from the “Batman” titles, Stephanie Brown made her “New 52” debut in the pages of “Batman: Eternal” (Artwork property of DC Comics)
Spoil the Cluemaster: Stephanie Brown made her New 52 debut as she discovered that her father was the villainous Cluemaster. Furious with the discovery, she ran away from home and hoped to stop her father from participating in the upcoming gang war.
Elsewhere: Professor Pyg began a one-man crime wave that accumulated to holding Falcone as a hostage; Batgirl encountered Scorpiana for the first time; The Penguin’s hold on the underworld began to crack; Deacon Blackfire haunted Arkham; The Joker’s Daughter surprised Batwing and took him off the grid; Harper Row assisted Red Robin against a swarm of nanobots.
What’s next? The Trial of Jim Gordon; Jason Bard tries to stop the gang war; Gordon’s past comes back to haunt him in Blackgate; Penguin delivers his final stand; Red Robin and Harper Row team up again; Killer Croc enters the picture!
Why buy this story: Batman: Eternal is the ultimate love letter to the Caped Crusader. By bringing long-lost characters back to Gotham City (Deacon Blackfire, Jason Bard, Julia Pennyworth and the Roman), it showed the creative team’s love for the Batman lore. In addition, this story will leave readers at the edge of their seats! I cannot wait to read the rest of the story. A
