They're the Archaeologists of the Unknown - seekers of truth in a world swirling with unexplained mysteries. And when Jakita Wagner, Elijah Snow and the Drummer travel to Gotham City, they mean business.
Get ready for the crossover that leads into the relaunch of the year's most anticipated returning series! BATMAN/PLANETARY: NIGHT ON EARTH, by the critically acclaimed PLANETARY team of Warren Ellis (TRANSMETROPOLITAN, GLOBAL FREQUENCY) and John Cassaday (PLANETARY, Captain America, DESPERADOES), is a 48-page Prestige Format Special that brings together two of comics' hottest properties for multiverse-spanning bonanza!
Wagner, Snow and the Drummer track an amoral killer with a personal distortion field to Gotham City, prepared for battle. What they weren't prepared for was the Dark Knight! Of course, Batman doesn't exist on the same Earth as Planetary, which means the killer distortion field has worked in some very strange ways! Now the device is pulling, twisting and shifting the heroes through The Bleed, to untold versions of Gotham City…and Batman!
Planetary arrives at their office in Gotham City, where they are greeted by the office staff Dick Grayson and the pale green haired Jasper. Dick briefly flirts with Jakita (much to her displeasure) before heading into the office. Elijah and Jakta state the terrible condition of Gotham while Drummer changes the TV to what appears to be alien porn. Grayson and Jasper inform Snow, Jakita and The Drummer they were called to investigate a man named John Black who has been killing people, his father was in the superhuman creating Science City Zero and that Black may have gained some reality altering abilities that leaves up to three victims merged. Snow states that he saw something similar in 1986 a time when many universes collapsed to one.
Planetary then goes to Crime Alley as Snow didn't like the way Jasper was hugging himself when he saw pictures of the bodies and because Crime Alley was the last spotted place of John Black as Black's victims appear to be the poor. In the Alley Jakita sees John Black who tells them to stay back as they approach Black then glows making a big bubble that covered Crime Alley and remade that part of their universe. John runs and the three notice the buildings are different Drummer using his powers, saying all the information in their area changed radically Snow looks up to see Batman somebody Planetary has no idea who he is.
Batman asks Jakita while looking at one of Black's victims if they know anything, Jakita tells Batman that they will deal with him, but Batman wants to deal with him personally. Jacinta then punches Batman throwing him some distance introducing herself to Batman while she bends pipes into weapons. Batman then opens long Batarangs to which Jakita asks if he is single. Snow and Drummer chase Black into down the alley he trips then glows again as another bubble nears them.
Batman and Jakita continue to battle while the bubble hits them making the world brightly colored and changing Batman into a colorful and somewhat campy individual who is now apparently a deputized officer who tells Jakita to move aside while captures John Black when she doesn't Batman sprays her with a canister that is a Bat-Female-Villain-Repellent and runs past her. Snow and Drummer see him approach Elijah tells The Drummer to help up John Black while he deals with Batman.
Snow then looks back as Black then glows again changing the universe further he turns around to see a physically imposing and intimidating Batman (Similar to the Batman in The Dark Knight Returns). Batman grabs Snow by the neck telling Jakita he knows she is behind him and if she moves closer he knows nine ways to deal with her six of them kill all of them cripple Snow who is still in the Batman's grips. Batman then has his tank like Batmobile hit Black he was escaping. Snow asks Batman who he is and Batman responds Snow amused at Batman's name then calls himself Mr. Freeze he then uses his cooling powers to cause a brain freeze in Batman disabling him at the moment. Snow tells Jakita that Batman does not perceive the shifts in reality since he is a presence in so many realities just not theirs.
Batman recovers telling refusing to let the Planetary take Black into custody he throws explosive Batarangs at Snow and Jakita running to Black knocking down Drummer as Black changes the universe again changing Batman again into a blue-drabbed individual (one similar to the seventies) he walks over and handcuffs Black. As Black rants on Planetary asks Batman if he understands Jakita explains to Batman that they are part of a multiverse saying that Black's parents were part of a concentration camp that created superhumans giving Black his powers and explaining that the whole situation drove Black insane. Jakita says that the Planetary will deal with them, Batman asks what happened to Black's parents and snow says they were killed Batman hesitates for a second before saying Black still has to be brought to justice.
Black changes the multiverse further transforming Batman into someone holding a gun to his head (resembling the Batman the way he was first drawn in 1939) he says Crime must never pay. Drummer recovered gets information from the technology that something important happened to Batman as they see him as a young boy orphaned in Crime Alley he changes again into some new form.
His transformation leaves Snow and Jakita shocked. Batman asks John Black what his name is he asks Black what happened to his parents and Black says they were shot. Batman asks what Planetary's intentions Elijah says that the people who changed Black are the real criminals and that he may have information that could lead to their capture. Batman uncuffs Black. John Black asks Batman how he copes without his parents and Batman responds by telling him to remember the times they made him feel safe and that's how you hold on.
Batman tells Jakita that Black must still pay for his crimes, Jakita says he will and Planetary will compensate for the victim's families. Black alters reality again as it changes Batman disappears while he is he says he trusts them to do the right thing if they don't he will find them. Jakita smirks and says she beat him up something Batman shrugs off. As he disappeared Jakita tells Elijah she really did beat him up and Snow jokes that Jakita likes Batman, He then says Gotham is insane.
Notes:
- Ranked #70 in Wizard Magazine's list of "100 Best Single Issue Comics Since You Were Born".
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