“Bright New Yesterday”
Written by Scott Synder. Drawn by Greg Capullo & Jonathan Glapion.
“Tomorrow”
Written by Scott Synder & James T. Tynion IV. Drawn by Andy Clarke.
DISCLAIMER: Second-time reader to New 52 Batman.
Due to lack of researching the gang he infiltrated, Bruce Wayne almost gets himself killed. He escapes to his sewer lair. There, he speaks to Alfred. Among all the gadgets Bruce has, what’s missing in the Wayne-lair? Bat-stuff. Bruce hasn’t adopted the Bat-motif.
About the Red Hood Gang: their leader wears a ammo shell-like top and loves historically re-enacting the roles of a previous incarnation. During their bank robbery, Bruce, in disguise as Red Hood 5, bashes an innocent’s skull with his gun and leaves innocent on the floor and bloody. While Bruce had the right idea, I hope his exact method was a deliberate mistake of his and not the writer trying to make Bruce look tough.
In another scene on the rooftop, Lieutenant Gordon stops by and tells Bruce that he doesn’t tolerate vigilantes. As seen in the backup feature and probably past issues, he loosens his antipathy. Also, Bruce tests out his boomerang with nifty timer feature. I’m guessing the boomerang’s purpose is to provide tension. If the boomerang returns to its thrower, Gordon might have been convinced that Bruce Wayne may be a vigilante or supports one. Again, that’s my guess.
Because the boomerang vaguely started unnecessary tension, that sequence with the countdown paralleling the rooftop conversation is the weakest part of the issue.
Back-up story: we get a look at the civilian life of the “Robins:” hyper-analytical Tim Drake, anti-heroic Jason Todd, and classic do-gooder Dick Grayson. These vignettes are framed by Jim and Barbara Gordon standing near the Bat-signal. Naturally, Damian gets Batman & Robin #0 all to himself.
This issue is a competently-told and drawn breather episode between the first year of New 52 Batman and the upcoming Joker arc. The Red Hood Gang will return in 2013, but will anyone remember them by then?
Previous issue: Batman #12.
Preview Batman #0 at Blue Raven Comics.