By Mark Rodriguez
Bruce Wayne is serving jury duty on a case involving Batman taking down Mr. Freeze for murdering women based on them being found with their body temperature being lowered. Bruce is the only one to determine that Mr. Freeze is not guilty based on the fact that police found no evidence of freezing until after Batman did an autopsy. It seems someone planted evidence for Batman to find, and he was too distraught over Catwoman leaving him at the altar to notice. Now that Bruce has realized his mistake, how can he prove it to the other jurors without revealing information that only Batman would know?
The story opens with Bruce noticing the juror Missy wearing a cross and asks if she believes in God. She does and asks the same of Bruce, to which he says he used to. His father was Christian and raised him in his faith until the tragedy happened. From there Bruce set aside his beliefs and left Gotham to search for something else. He never found what he was looking for and he returned home waiting for something to find him.
Bruce says they all came here because they're citizens of Gotham and care enough to not throw their summons away and serve as jurors.They all know Gotham is a place of monsters and demons. But then there's Batman, beating down all these monsters and rescuing people. Missy asks if she this means she considers Batman as god. Bruce says in terms of someone infallible and responsible for life and death, he once thought Batman was god.
Bruce asks how many people in the jury are here today because of Batman, because without him they'd be dead, and they all raise their hands. Bruce says he thought so, and since everyone places their faith in Batman, they think he must be right and Freeze must be guilty. Batman is their god, the World's Greatest Detective, and who are they to question him.
Bruce asks if they have read the Book of Job. He describes that God tore Job's life apart, burned his farm and children. When Job asks why, God says he created the world's mountains and miracles, who is he to question him? Bruce sits down and the jurors ask if he's OK. Bruce says he was hurt recently.
Bruce says he has put his faith in Batman for everything, but then something unexpected happened. He found happiness. But when that was also taken away, Batman did nothing for him. He explains that Batman is no god. God blesses your soul with his grace, Batman punches people in the face.
Bruce explains Batman is a man, just like any one of them, but in a costume, and he can make mistakes like anyone else. Even Freeze admitted that Batman wasn't himself, he was making mistakes. If they condemn Freeze based on Batman's mistakes, they are also condemning Batman for his mistakes. He asks the jury to save Batman like he has saved him.
Bruce and Alfred talk, and the vote was non guilty. It's also explained that Bruce bribed his way into the jury to be able to convince the other jurors of the right verdict. Bruce sets out to fight crime again, but he asks Alfred to give him his original suit. He can't bear to wear the same outfit he was wearing when Catwoman left him. Bruce says he is lost, and he needs to remember who he is.
My opinions
I did hear the news about Batman bringing back the classic look with the tights, and I guess this was a pretty good reason to do it if any. I assume for some people it does hurt to wear the clothes they wore the day of a big break up, especially if it's something the ex once bought you, so for Bruce that logic applies to his outfit. I'm not sure how that will translate into all the other books Batman appears in, namely Justice League, but I'm sure once the Totality story is over, he'll be wearing his trunks in the next big story.
As for this issue, well the whole thing was basically just Bruce making his big argument to defend Mr. Freeze, basically comparing Gotham's faith in Batman to people's faith in God, and making them realize that Batman is just another regular human guy in a costume that makes mistakes like everybody else. This issue was full of splash pages here and there as the argument was drawn out to reach that conclusion. I can't complain too much because I did like the pages of when Batman entered Gotham City with cool pictures of his confrontations with the Joker, the Penguin, Scarecrow, Riddler, Two-Face and Mr. Freeze, especially since they all looked in their classic forms. Finally modern day DC comics acknowledge that everyone wasn't wearing the same modern day outfits back in the day.
But even so, the whole issue was basically Bruce's argument to prove Batman was wrong and Freeze was innocent. While the jury did agree to vote non-guilty... I'm pretty sure in real life everyone would have just voted guilty anyways since even if Freeze was innocent, he would sooner or later, go back to his frozen crimes.
It reminds me of an elseworlds tale where Joker was put on death row, but since he wasn't guilty of that one particular murder, Batman went through hell and back to clear his name, when he could have just let the state kill him.
I was honestly surprised they went the religious route with this, comparing Batman to God and bringing up the story of Job. I don't mind it, but I do wonder if there are some out there that would rather leave the church out of their Batman comic books.
The only thing that bugs me, because this story pretty much seems like it's over, is the loose end of who tainted the evidence to make Batman go after Mr. Freeze? This three part story could have fit into a single 30 minute episode of the old Batman The Animated Series, and I bet you the last five minutes would have ended in Batman swooping down on whoever was the culprit between framing Mr. Freeze. I don't want to jump to conclusions but I'm pretty sure the next issue starts with a whole new tale but if I'm wrong I'll gladly eat my words.
Overall, interesting story and concept, and a good way to show a slightly unhinged and heartbroken Batman, with the consequences of his action viewed through the eyes of the common citizen, but yeah, this could have been crammed into a single cartoon episode.
Bruce Wayne is serving jury duty on a case involving Batman taking down Mr. Freeze for murdering women based on them being found with their body temperature being lowered. Bruce is the only one to determine that Mr. Freeze is not guilty based on the fact that police found no evidence of freezing until after Batman did an autopsy. It seems someone planted evidence for Batman to find, and he was too distraught over Catwoman leaving him at the altar to notice. Now that Bruce has realized his mistake, how can he prove it to the other jurors without revealing information that only Batman would know?
The story opens with Bruce noticing the juror Missy wearing a cross and asks if she believes in God. She does and asks the same of Bruce, to which he says he used to. His father was Christian and raised him in his faith until the tragedy happened. From there Bruce set aside his beliefs and left Gotham to search for something else. He never found what he was looking for and he returned home waiting for something to find him.
Bruce says they all came here because they're citizens of Gotham and care enough to not throw their summons away and serve as jurors.They all know Gotham is a place of monsters and demons. But then there's Batman, beating down all these monsters and rescuing people. Missy asks if she this means she considers Batman as god. Bruce says in terms of someone infallible and responsible for life and death, he once thought Batman was god.
Bruce asks how many people in the jury are here today because of Batman, because without him they'd be dead, and they all raise their hands. Bruce says he thought so, and since everyone places their faith in Batman, they think he must be right and Freeze must be guilty. Batman is their god, the World's Greatest Detective, and who are they to question him.
Bruce asks if they have read the Book of Job. He describes that God tore Job's life apart, burned his farm and children. When Job asks why, God says he created the world's mountains and miracles, who is he to question him? Bruce sits down and the jurors ask if he's OK. Bruce says he was hurt recently.
Bruce says he has put his faith in Batman for everything, but then something unexpected happened. He found happiness. But when that was also taken away, Batman did nothing for him. He explains that Batman is no god. God blesses your soul with his grace, Batman punches people in the face.
Bruce explains Batman is a man, just like any one of them, but in a costume, and he can make mistakes like anyone else. Even Freeze admitted that Batman wasn't himself, he was making mistakes. If they condemn Freeze based on Batman's mistakes, they are also condemning Batman for his mistakes. He asks the jury to save Batman like he has saved him.
Bruce and Alfred talk, and the vote was non guilty. It's also explained that Bruce bribed his way into the jury to be able to convince the other jurors of the right verdict. Bruce sets out to fight crime again, but he asks Alfred to give him his original suit. He can't bear to wear the same outfit he was wearing when Catwoman left him. Bruce says he is lost, and he needs to remember who he is.
My opinions
I did hear the news about Batman bringing back the classic look with the tights, and I guess this was a pretty good reason to do it if any. I assume for some people it does hurt to wear the clothes they wore the day of a big break up, especially if it's something the ex once bought you, so for Bruce that logic applies to his outfit. I'm not sure how that will translate into all the other books Batman appears in, namely Justice League, but I'm sure once the Totality story is over, he'll be wearing his trunks in the next big story.
As for this issue, well the whole thing was basically just Bruce making his big argument to defend Mr. Freeze, basically comparing Gotham's faith in Batman to people's faith in God, and making them realize that Batman is just another regular human guy in a costume that makes mistakes like everybody else. This issue was full of splash pages here and there as the argument was drawn out to reach that conclusion. I can't complain too much because I did like the pages of when Batman entered Gotham City with cool pictures of his confrontations with the Joker, the Penguin, Scarecrow, Riddler, Two-Face and Mr. Freeze, especially since they all looked in their classic forms. Finally modern day DC comics acknowledge that everyone wasn't wearing the same modern day outfits back in the day.
But even so, the whole issue was basically Bruce's argument to prove Batman was wrong and Freeze was innocent. While the jury did agree to vote non-guilty... I'm pretty sure in real life everyone would have just voted guilty anyways since even if Freeze was innocent, he would sooner or later, go back to his frozen crimes.
It reminds me of an elseworlds tale where Joker was put on death row, but since he wasn't guilty of that one particular murder, Batman went through hell and back to clear his name, when he could have just let the state kill him.
I was honestly surprised they went the religious route with this, comparing Batman to God and bringing up the story of Job. I don't mind it, but I do wonder if there are some out there that would rather leave the church out of their Batman comic books.
The only thing that bugs me, because this story pretty much seems like it's over, is the loose end of who tainted the evidence to make Batman go after Mr. Freeze? This three part story could have fit into a single 30 minute episode of the old Batman The Animated Series, and I bet you the last five minutes would have ended in Batman swooping down on whoever was the culprit between framing Mr. Freeze. I don't want to jump to conclusions but I'm pretty sure the next issue starts with a whole new tale but if I'm wrong I'll gladly eat my words.
Overall, interesting story and concept, and a good way to show a slightly unhinged and heartbroken Batman, with the consequences of his action viewed through the eyes of the common citizen, but yeah, this could have been crammed into a single cartoon episode.
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