Batman is forever.
Tom Taylor gives a proper introduction to the new Batman in this annual as we see some key moments in Bruce's life and finally find out who it is under the mask.
Rocca does well with the flashbacks and keeps up in the few present pages that are there.
SPOILERS FOLLOW..........
We are presented to the familiar Batman origin - about a boy and the death of his innocence. The pearls are there, Joe Chill is there but a new addition is Thomas saying sorry just before he dies.
Coming back to the present (in the flashback, duh), Batman aka Bruce investigates the corpse of Joe Chill,whose skull has been caved in with his bare hands.
Linking such deaths to the Francavilla crime family, Bruce pays a visit to Frankie Francavilla.
There is a great Sin City homage here and afterwards, Bruce learns of Thomas Wayne's connections to the Francavilla family.
In 1971 Gotham, Frankie was the victim of a shooting and it was Thomas Wayne, apparently an intern then, who saved his life and earned the gratitude of the Francavilla brothers.
It was at a party hosted by the brothers that helped him meet Martha (Kane?) and this high life continued until Bruce was born. Thomas cut all ties with the family after that.
Frankie ordered attacks on him but Jarvis Pennyworth was always at hand to rescue his master and deal severe beatings to the assailants.It is strongly hinted that this was why Chill was assigned to kill the Waynes.
Just then, the masked murderer arrives and confront Bruce. The masked man escapes but not before Bruce is able to track him to Crime Alley.
Expecting to find Jarvis, Bruce is shocked when he learns the murderer is none other than his father Thomas Wayne, who used his money and connections (Leslie Thompkins gets a cameo here) to fake his death so that Bruce could live his life free of the Francavilla family shadow.
Thomas was apparently using Miraclo, a one hour serum he stole from a colleague named Rex Mason (isn't that Element Man?), to gain his super-strength.
As Bruce leaves in disappointment, Thomas goes back and kills the last Francavilla.
Back in the present, we see Thomas is telling this to robo Lois and Hawkgirl in the batcave.
He tried to return to Bruce's life but Bruce wouldn't have it. So, he witnessed from afar as Bruce married, had a daughter and finally died a hero's death.
Still using Miraclo, Thomas decided to keep the mantle of the Bat alive.
So, this answers the question of who was under the cowl this time and while Tom does present him well, it lacks the bite of newness. I wondered whether he could give Dick Grayson the mantle (given he's yet to appear in Earth 2) or maybe Jean Paul Valley (that would explain the aggressive 'system' mindset ). Those would have been roads less traveled. Making Thomas Batman (a second time in the last 4 years) on Earth 2 does take away the chance to see a new player enter the field, and I would have liked to see one in which the mantle is passed on by generation and not to the past.
This has shades of what Azzarelo did in Flashpoint Batman mini, but the underlying meta-commentary is missing. The tragedy of a boy gave rise to the Bat while in Flashpoint, the tragedy of a parent gave rise to the duality of the Bat (symbolizing vengeance, by Thomas) and the Joke (symbolizing loss of purpose, by Martha) - two denial mechanics. Here, Thomas is motivated by redemption (no matter how much he says he has no one to dissapoint) and fatherhood rather than legacy, which may have been the case if Dick or Jean had entered the field.
Still, Taylor does make a compelling statement by making Thomas Wayne Batman here. This isn't an agent of vengeance - this is one who's on a path towards redemption. And maybe Batman needs to be that too.
SPOILERS END...........
Finally revealing who this Batman is, the plot can move forward (it didn't in this issue).
With great art by Rocha and a brilliant setup by Taylor, the future for Earth 2 may be bleak but the stories will continue to astonish.
So, I give it 8.0 out of 10
+We get some great interactions
+A major reveal is handled well
+Great art
-Plot doesn't move at all
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