Batman #45 Review

Writer: Scott Snyder / Artist: Greg Capullo / DC Comics So, one thing I’m noticing about “legacy” titles, books where another character takes over an existing hero’s mantle, is the change in how the original hero is treated. I would leave Ms. Marvel out of this hypothesis (Kamala Khan stands on her own, but Carol Danvers’ appearance was huge bonus for the series), but it seems like lately, when a hero is replaced, that hero isn’t just thrown to the side in favor of establishing the new one. Jason Aaron’s Thor, for instance, went out of its way to make the journey as much about the Odinson finding his worthiness as it is about Jane Foster. Same goes for Captain America, keeping Steve Rogers on in an operational capacity. I’m finding this to be no less the case for Scott Snyder’s Batgordon run on Batman so far. Issue #45 continues the Superheavy saga and Jim Gordon’s ongoing war against the murderous, enigmatic Mr. Bloom. Batman finds himself in a tricky situation that tests his limitations as a superhero and what his cop instincts lend to his new “promotion.” Half of what’s always made Batman cool over the years is that he does what he does with style and theatrical flare. Gordon has always been an old school flatfoot who, to quote his line in The Dark Knight, “does the best he can with what he has.” Snyder keeps the action fun while also offering some commentary on whether or not the concept of Batman works as a police entity.

Meanwhile, there’s plenty of exposition devoted…