Batman: Second Chances

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is probably the best yarn in this book. It is a very simple story about Batman pursuing a serial killer who targets young women. No supervillains, no kooky schemes, no Robin. It is a somber and subtle affair that you might not expect from Jim Starlin, the creator of Marvel's Thanos. This collection might be worth it for this story alone.

The story of this issue doesn't have an actual title. Instead, the tagline on the cover is used as such. Hypocritical Humour: In-universe, Frankie "disposing" of Robin remarks how people have no respect for the environment, throwing garbage into the river so often. I'm proud of you," Bruce tells him, unsure whether or not he is saying the right thing. "It's okay."

Customer reviews

I dislike 402 and 403 pretty heavily. This two-parter follows an insane Batman impersonator who kills criminals. This is an okay premise, but I don't like what it brings out in our hero. Bruce and Jason (Robin) both voice a desire to see petty criminals die for their transgressions and Batman comes off as a violent thug as opposed to an idealistic crusader. While I can appreciate that there are many approaches to depicting the Dark Knight, this isn't "my Batman." Also, at one point Jason references a previous instance where Batman kills somebody. Where did this happen in Post-Crisis continuity, especially this early on? I could have used a footnote on this one. Jason did everything from cooking, chores, work, and took care of Alfred. Cass wasn't there anymore. Like Tim, she moved out of Gotham. Jason couldn't blame her, the house was dark, cold, and empty. Before the operation can begin, gunmen burst into the room and kidnap Harvey. Batman and Robin pursue the thugs, who take separate vehicles, but neither of them manage to save Harvey. (Batman reacts to Robin's failure rather coolly, to which Robin is a bit resentful.) Later they consider where the vehicles were going and who they were registered to, and conclude that either Rupert Thorne or the Penguin was behind the kidnapping. Robin goes after Thorne while Batman goes after Penguin. Firstly, Tommy Carma. He believed he was the real Batman and basically was after he found the Batcave and stole the Batmobile! During the wide shot of Two-Face hanging from the ledge before losing his grip, his left hand opens fully. Doing so, however, would mean dropping his coin. However, it is still in his hand the next time his left hand is shown.

The issues are interrupted by Year One which makes things a bit funny in regard to Jason’s timeline. Might as Well Not Be in Prison at All: Batman clearly thinks the Penguin is still a threat even when behind bars; while Cobblepot has nothing to do with the kidnapping, he never claims he couldn't have. In my excitement for James Gunn's upcoming DCU, I've decided to become more involved in my reading of DC Comics. And what a better place to start than the original jumping on point, Post-Crisis?After a month, Bruce left for a Justice League mission. Alfred and Jason begged him not to go. Bruce at this point barely slept and being in the field would definitely kill him. Their pleas fell on deaf ears and Bruce went anyway. Beyond that, the comics offer an interesting combination of classic silliness and more modern seriousness. On the one hand we have Two-Face, still committing numbered crimes and flipping coins; on the other hand we have stories like Starlin's "Victims" which could have come straight out of O'Neil's dark-and-gritty Question series. Overall, the stories are surprisingly well written and mature for the time period (and still good today). Red Herring: A plot point. This, as Bruce realizes in hindsight, was the clue telling them all along who'd really orchestrated the kidnapping. Two-Face being Two-Face, he compulsively left two red herring clues rather than just one. If Bruce's objectivity hadn't been compromised by his old friendship with Harvey, he would've seen it from the start. Jason raised a hand to his mouth to muffle the sob, but it still rang out through the cave. His vision was blurring from tears.