Hello Fan-Service
It has been WAY too long since I posted any reviews. Pressures of my senior year at college meant I had to cut out certain past times and sadly that included these reviews. However, now that summer is upon us, I am once again free to start reviewing again. I'd go back and review all the comics I've picked up in the intervening time, but if I did that I'd never get caught up, so let's just start with what I picked up last week and go from there. This is Batman #20
In the last issue we learned that Basil Carlo's DNA has deteriorated to the point where his own genetic code is forever lost. This comes with the unfortunate side effect of him being able to fully become another person, right down to their DNA, all he need do is touch them, as he did with Bruce Wayne at the end of the issue.
Today's piece opens with a vert nice splash page of Clayface tossing Bruce Wayne into the Bat-Signal. I'll admit, I am a sucker for that sort of imagery, cliche though it may seem. The two fight for a bit in the Batman Inc. Armory. Another nice bit I like is how Bruce doesn't directly engage Clayface so as not to out himself, but doesn't act over-the-top cowardly, very reminiscent of the DC Animated Universe Batman. Eventually Clayface overwhelms Bruce and tosses him into the Death Star's trash compactor from A New Hope where Lucius Fox is already trapped.
For whatever reason, this incarnation of Fox seems to be unaware of Bruce Wayne's double life as Batman. (Thank you very much reboot) Due to his now enhanced ability to mimic people, Clayface has used Fox's to voice to disable the override on the trash compactor's controls with leaves only one option for getting out, and that option, my friends, is Fan-Service. Fox finds an experimental suit that he'd thrown out and has Bruce put it on in order to aid in their escape, and that suit just so happens to be the Batman Beyond suit.
After that nice bit of fan-service, we pick up where the last issue started, with Clayface, in the guise of Bruce Wayne running amok in Gotham. Batman ambushes him in a building in a suit that shoots hydrogen flouride, which I guess is Clayface's only weakness. They have a fairly decent brawl, Clayface using the forms of various Bat-Villiams to taunt The Dark Knight. Despite his best efforts, Clayface overwhelms Batman just as Jim Gordon and the GCPD arrive. Clayface absorbs Batman's DNA and reveals to all that he is, in fact, Bruce Wayne.
Then Deus Ex Machina happesn as Clayface is trapped inside a big tube, and Batman reveals that he was wearing a special mask with Bruce Wayne's DNA to fool Clayface and protect his identity. Confusing, but I'll buy it. Also, the aforementioned big tube will only open for the DNA of Basil Karlo, the one man who Clayface does NOT have the genetic code for. Okay, I'll admit, this is clever, but does this mean we'll be keeping Clayface in the big tube here in the building forever? Anywho, all seems to have ended well, until Clayface begins to express his hatred for Wayne, and assumes the form of Damian, Pissing off Bruce nearly to the point of breaking his cover.
Back in the Batcave, the Bruce and Alfred discuss the tragedy of Clayface, but the conversation quickly turns to Damian. Bruce tells Alfred that while he's not going to lose himself like he did after the death of Jason Todd, he's not quite ready to let Damian go yet. Using their virtual reality Geordi Laforge visors, the two watch home movies of Damian being trained by Bruce, who insists that his son call him Batman instead of father.
What Works:
This was a very well written and well drawn issue with a lot to like. It's nice to see some of the lower tier Batman villians get the spotlight, something I don't think we've seen enough of in the New 52. I've always liked Clayface, he's an interesting character, and one of the few villains from Batman the Animated Series, my personal introduction to the Batman franchise, who I found to genuinely terrifying. Capullo's chaotic artwork is perfect for a character like Clayface, especially when he's constantly shifting. Bruce is written very well, both as Bruce and as Batman, and is once again reminiscent of the Animated Series Batman. The Batman Beyond costume was welcome fan-service, but I did admittedly scratch my head at Fox just throwing it out. He claims that we "wouldn't be ready for another 40 years," setting up its eventual use in the Batman Beyond, but you'd think that instead of just tossing it, he'd put it in the vaults down at the R & D labs or something. The ending between Batman and Alfred was an especially nice touch. The scene, though brief felt both heart warming and heart wrenching, and really showed Bruce at his most human.
What Doesn't:
The resolution felt a bit out rushed and a bit implausible. First there's the DNA mask that Bruce was wearing. I always find it goofy the lengths Superheroes will go to protect their identity. I actually saw Spiderman do this exact same thing back in the 70's. It was silly then, and it's silly now. Also, I mentioned this, but what exactly does Bruce plan on doing with Clayface locked up in a tube in his building? I don't know, the whole thing seems screwy to me.
Overall:
4/5
Upon reading the last issue, I saw two ways that this arc could go. It could either have been another big epic story arc like the previous two we've had, which admittedly would not have been a bad idea. An epic story arc revolving around Clayface has a great deal of potential. But in the end, I'm glad they went with the latter option, a shorther story arc to act as a sort of breather from the big time story arcs. While I enjoyed the previous issue more so than this one, overall I liked this two-parter.
