Batman: Eternal is the big new Batman story that may rewrite some things in Gotham. It kicked off last week with a story featuring yet another attempt to discredit Jim Gordon, as getting rid of Gotham’s honest cop is usually the first step to a criminal takeover.
I wasn’t much interested in that story, as that plot concept has been used a number of times, including in The Dark Knight Rises,but since this series will also feature the return of fan-favorite Stephanie Brown, I wanted to stick with it.
I’ve received a review copy of issue #2, due out Wednesday, and now I’m excited.
SPOILERS BELOW. BE WARNED*
REALLY BIG SPOILERS…
Not only does this issue feature the return of Vicki Vale and a familiar mobster villain, it’s also brought back this guy:
The supernatural being known as The Spectre with human Jim Corrigan as host, probably best seen in the definitive John Ostrander/Tom Mandrake series, which is out of print now but still available used. And a new collection is scheduled for release in May.
The Spectre isn’t someone I’d expected in this series at all, and his appearance tells me the creators are mining all of Gotham’s unique history and supporting characters. It also says this is more than your basic mystery and we’ll likely see something supernatural behind it all.
And, yes, it’s nice to see Vicki Vale back as well.
Batman Eternal #2, written by Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV and drawn by Jason Fabok, releases this Wednesday, April 16.
Well shoot. And here I was, planning on not picking this series up. But THE SPECTRE?!?!? THE Jim Corrigan/Spectre!!!!! Yeah, I need this in my life!