Review: Batman Eternal Vol. 3

Quick Summary

Pros: The main plotline is entertaining and exciting. Both Catwoman and Spoiler get solid story arcs. The book’s conclusion is unexpected in the best way possible.

Cons: Most of the book’s subplots are lackluster. The majority of the art in this collection is not good.

Overall: The conclusion of the Batman Eternal series manages to live up to its own hype. It has plenty of excitement throughout and a multitude of entertaining storylines to go with this excitement. However, there are a few places where it is only average at best and the art could be a lot better. Overall, this isn’t the greatest comic of all time, but it does offer a fun ride and a satisfying conclusion for fans who have read the entire series so far.

Story

In the conclusion to the Batman Eternal series, readers are thrown into the final stage of the Batman Eternal mystery. Unlike the other two volumes, this one features a much heavier focus on Batman solving the book’s main mystery and less of a focus on the individualized adventures of his allies. While this does mean that the volume’s subplots are rather lackluster, it also allows the main story to be more tightly controlled. This, in turn, allows for a better and more epic conclusion as the twists abound and the entire mystery is revealed.

(spoilers start here)

Volume 3 starts out with a bang as Batman drives the Batmobile through buildings in order to escape a trap laid out for him by the new police commissioner, Jason Bard. Despite the grandiose introduction, this portion of the story is actually a character piece looking into Bard’s history. Readers learn the justification behind his recent actions, yet are reaffirmed, by Batman himself, that what he is doing is still wrong. This allows his character to become somewhat more sympathetic while not quite redeeming him, an impressive and satisfying balancing act to see played out.

From here, most of the story follows Batman in his attempts to discover the identity of the mastermind behind this entire event. He jumps from villain to villain following clues that allow him to live up to his title as the “World’s Greatest Detective”. Since actual detective work is not something fans get to see much from modern day Batman, this was a real treat. It also allowed for a quick showcase of a number of different villains, ranging from Killer Croc and Bane to Riddler and Ra’s al Ghul.

The portions of the story not dedicated to Batman are minimal and not necessarily that great. Unlike previous volumes in this series, where side characters had fully fleshed out and realized plotlines, this volume minimizes most secondary character’s roles. For the most part, this is good because the majority of these stories are quite lackluster anyway. Characters like Batwing, Red Hood, Batgirl, and even Harper fared much better in previous volumes

The only side storylines that manage to impress are those involving Catwoman and Spoiler. Both of these characters manage to overcome the odds using their intelligence while also reaffirming their commitment to heroism. They also both undergo significant character development; Catwoman develops from a common criminal into a literal kingpin while Spoiler develops from a scared girl into a confident crimefighter.

However, the real pièce de résistance of this entire series is saved for the conclusion of this book. Here Cluemaster, a rather minor criminal, is revealed as the mastermind behind everything Batman has faced recently. He taunts the Dark Knight, stating that Batman’s ego caused him to look to Gotham’s biggest players for the mystery’s solution, allowing Cluemaster to work unmolested. It is a unique and completely unexpected twist that also works well with everything the book had done so far.

This is then immediately followed by an even more unique and unexpected twist as Lincoln March kills Cluemaster and reveals himself as the book’s true mastermind. By hitting readers with this revelation while they are still reeling from the Cluemaster reveal, the writers created a finale that is dynamic and unforgettable. In addition, this ending also helps tie up loose ends from the end of Batman Vol. 2: The City of Owls (Review) and gives more meaning to both stories. I thoroughly enjoyed how this book ended and thought it was a fantastic way to end a long and tantalizing mystery.

The book’s only major problem comes with the logical gaps in characters’ decision making process that are allowed in order to make the story more intense or dramatic. For example, Batman decides to put Hush directly in the center of the Batcave, allowing his dramatic escape later in the book. Then, after Hush escapes, Alfred waits until the last possible moment to stop him, despite showing he had the ability to do so at any time. Small problems like these have persisted throughout the series so by now readers may be used to it, but it certainly has an effect on the overall quality of this work.

(spoilers end here)

Art

The artwork throughout Batman Eternal Vol. 3 is probably the worst in the series. Problems in the previous volumes, like inconsistencies and lackluster issues, return and are only made worse here. This is unfortunate because, with a solid story, the artwork actually becomes one of the biggest flaws in this volume.

The only redeeming quality here is that the last few issues of the book look significantly better. The quality in these issues is on par with what was being done back in Vol. 1 (Review), which is a good thing. However these issues make up such a small portion of the entire book that their positive contributions become just a drop in the bucket. If the entire volume looked like this then this would be a different, and much better, work entirely.

Continuity

Batman Eternal Vol. 3 is the continuation of a series that mostly serves as a companion to Scott Snyder’s Batman series. The events in this collection are a direct continuation of the events of Batman Eternal Vol. 2 (Review).

The series ends here but changes in the status quo and new characters affect the story in Batman Vol. 7: Endgame.

This volume also references the stories from other comic books, all of which are detailed below:

• Batgirl’s new costume design comes from her actions in Batgirl Vol. 1: Batgirl of Burnside.
• A few references are made to Forever Evil: Arkham War. Bane and Croc’s fight and Scarecrows tactical position are both stories from this arc.
• Maggie Sawyer’s statement that she no longer has “anything warm and redheaded to go home to” is a reference to the end of Batwoman Vol. 5: Webs.
• The death of Mr. Freeze’s mother is shown in Batman Vol. 2: The City of Owls (Review).
• Ra’s Al Ghul’s current condition can be explained by his last encounter with Batman in Batman And Robin Vol. 6: The Hunt For Robin.
• Batman thinks Doctor Darrk is dead because of the events of Detective Comics #411.
• Lord Death Man brings up the time when Batman sent him into space; this happened at the beginning of Batman Incorporated.
• Ra’s Al Ghul’s use of Lord Death Man was last referenced at the end of Talon Vol. 2: Fall of the Owls.
• The setup Joker’s Daughter builds is an homage to Batman: The Killing Joke, which Batgirl later references.
• The ending of the story is somewhat of a continuation of the events in Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls (Review) and Batman Vol. 2: The City of Owls (Review).

 

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