BATMAN #20

[ PUNCHING HOME A SALE ] 

When a strange visitor comes to Gotham City. You can't help but wonder who to pity. Should it be our pal Wayne? Or should it be Billy Zane? Or maybe someone that just loves some titty. No. Of course I do not mean the Writers: Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV; the Artists: Alex Maleev and Greg Capullo; or the Publisher: DC Comics, in April, 2013. I'm implying someone else.

Using GENERAL terms, answer the following 5 questions about this SECOND PART of 'Nowhere Man'.

• WHAT'S THE MAIN THRUST OF THIS TALE: Whilst under Clayfaces enthral, Bruce (Batman) Wayne has to fight his way back to salvation again, before he gets pooped out of Karlo's pants.
• ARE THE MAIN OBJECTIVES ACHIEVED: Yeah. Sort of. But only with a lot of luck, some help from Lucius Fox, plus the use of ultra-smart Bat-technology.
• ANYTHING ELSE HAPPEN: Batman's alter ego is revealed to Jim Gordon and the rest of the GCPD.
• HOW DOES THIS STORY END: With a walk down memory lane, prodded along with some virtual reality headsets.
• WHAT'S THE BACK-UP FEATURE ABOUT: Batman fights against time, to save himself plus Superman from a monster beyond the grave.

All in all, what is the most memorable SENTENCE OR CONVERSATION spoken in this issue?

Imagine that you've been digested for seven minutes by a man made of clay. And then, when you're eventually spat out, and are gasping for air, what do you say next?

Yes. That is correct. 'Breathing is overrated'. Bless you Bruce. That zinger made me laugh as soon as you said it. Ha!

What are the BEST bits about this issue?

(+) I never thought I hear myself saying this, but I loved the scene where Batman was spewed out of Clayfaces mouth. It was... errr... very moving. Ha!

(+) Greg Capullo's artwork is growing on me by the issue. Not only because of his bold yet clean renderings. Hell no. But because he shows a lot of versatility in his work, and tonally adapts very well to whatever arc is presented to him. Well done, Greg. For that I'll give you a virtual pat on the back, SLAP!

(+) I'm sitting on the fence where this back-up issue was concerned. I liked its sentiment. I wasn't keen on its execution. But all in all it was a fairly fine addition to this book.

(+) Something else that made me sit on the fence; is how Damien Wayne felt wedged into this tale, as if to give Bruce an excuse to reminisce by the end of it. Hmmm. Not sure. 50 / 50 I'd say. Too 'last minute' if you catch my drift.

What are the WORST bits about this issue?

(-) Personally speaking, I thought that this issue was awkwardly paced. It had this very strange stop start momentum behind it, brought about by Clayfaces long-winded and somewhat cumbersome musings. Please note: this isn't a major gripe. Yet it is a very noticeable gripe.     

(-) Up above I mentioned how I loved seeing the sight of Batman being vomited up by Clayface. But after this happened, I wasn't very enamoured by the 'Oh look. I've found a robot in the rubbish-bin' ploy. I mean, this was so groan-worthy; I was genuinely surprised that Scott Snyder would even include it into one of his earthy narratives.  Tut-Tut-Tut! Don't do it again Snyder. Ha!

Choose TWO CHARACTERS out of this comic book, and then compare them to two MUSICIANS.

CHER AS CLAYFACE: Is this comparison cruel? As I wouldn't want to offend a nice lady that's been operated on more than someone who's terminal ill. That wouldn't be nice. Ha!

BB KING AS LUCIUS FOX: If you think about it for a moment or two, both this singer and this inventor are both creative beings that are in a league of their own. And I don't mean the Justice League.  

What QUOTE would be appropriate to sum-up this story?

'Fighting for identity is something that is very much in my life' -- Ang Lee

What SONG, THEME-TUNE, or MELODY, would complement this tale, as well as add and extra dimension to it by default?

'FEEL SO GOOD' BY MUCK STICKY: No. I haven't chosen to compare this song to this story because the band has the word 'muck' in its name. That's only one of the reasons. The other one is all to do with identity, and the nature of identity. So, naaaa-na-nah-naaa-naaa!

ANYTHING Else?

Overall I did enjoy reading this instalment of 'Batman'. The art was top-notch. The story felt awkwardly paced. Plus by in large it wasn't a bad conclusion before next issues 'Batman: Year Zero'.

Hey! While I'm on the topic of 'zero', here, let me take a stab at what we might see in this very promising epic.

• Bruce Wayne kissing a girl and liking it.
• Alfred and Jim's wife, Barbara Gordon, having a love child together.
• Superman turning up and flashing his underwear at the Penguin.
• We find out that Gotham is built on a cheese mine.
• The Penguin kisses a goat and likes it.
• Jim Gordon dresses himself up as a masked-vigilante called 'Captain Cigarette'.
• The Mayor of Gotham dies of hair-dye.
• Batman gets pissed and dances butt naked through Crime Alley singing 'I'm just a boy who can't say no'.
• The Joker kisses a lesbian and turns her straight.

Yeah. That all sound's pretty plausible if you're on some sort of medication. If you think you can do better, go ahead, make my day.

GIVE IT, IT'S DUES: If This Comic Book Was a Type of Topsoil, It Would Be Acidic Soil Mixed In With Some Pungent Horse Manure. Heavy, but Good for the Vegetables.