In the month of September in the year of 2011, DC Comics released a revamped version of the caped crusader known as Batman in the title known as Batman. The New 52 publication was created by the creative team consisting of writer Scott Snyder, pencils by Greg Capullo, and inker Jonathan Glapion. Now it's time to digest everything that has happened in the mythology of The New 52 in Batman's perspective.
The Court of Owls
After being ambushed in Arkham Asylum, Bruce Wayne aka Batman is looking for a brighter and more sophisticated future for Gotham City as he announces at his ceremony, meeting political figures such as Gotham City mayoral candidate Lincoln March. Meanwhile, Batman starts investigating on a brutal murder case that involves a man named Sam Strigs being viciously killed with knives resembling an Athenian Owl, alongside with a subliminal message that warns Bruce Wayne of his upcoming death. Also, another revelation occurs when the murder suspect is possibly Batman's long time sidekick, Dick Grayson aka Nightwing. After an autopsy on the body of Sam Strigs, a connection to the nursery rhyme known as
The Court of Owls is seen within the victim's wisdom tooth. During a meeting with Lincoln March, Bruce Wayne is attacked and kicked out of the window by an assassin dressed like an owl known as a Talon. Batman then begins to interrogate gang member to see what they know about the "owls". Batman then investigates an apartment in which the "owls" build their nest in. Artifacts relating to The Court of Owls are then found within the apartment, dating back to the early 1800s and even newer ones. After looking into another building, the building is then detonated by a Talon. Barely escaping, Batman then investigates the sewers to investigate the disappearance of his great, great-grandfather, Alan Wayne. Batman is then kidnapped by a Talon and regains consciousness in a labyrinth. The labyrinth is governed by The Court of Owls. Batman then experiences several disturbing hallucinations which results in him fighting The Talon. Continuing from the early revelation, it is notified that The Talon is indeed Dick Grayson's great-grandfather and that Grayson himself was supposed to be a talon. Meanwhile, a legion of talons are released within the city of Gotham by the Court of Owls, hoping to take back their "kingdom".
The City of Owls
Continuing from the ground-breaking story arc
The Court of Owls, the talons are released into Gotham City. At night, Bruce Wayne is encountered by a numerous amount of talons as they attempt to kill him in Wayne Manor. Information on who the talons plan assassinating involve a list of public figures in Gotham City, including Jim Gordon, Jeremiah Arkham, Lucius Fox, Lincoln March, Victor Fries, and Oswald Cobblepot. This then results in Alfred sending a distress call to all allies of Batman (aka the Bat-Family), to fend off the invasion of the assassins and to protect Gotham City. After a savage brawl between Batman and the Talons in the Batcave, Batman heads out to Gotham City to protect targets of the court including Lincoln March. Batman then finds a wounded Lincoln March who is now dead from a knife to the chest by a Talon and gives Batman a letter to give to Bruce Wayne. The super-villain known as Mister Freeze then escapes Arkham Asylum and relocates to The Iceberg Casino to regain his weapons/resources to gain vengeance on Batman for taking Nora away. Freeze then attacks Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne in an attempt to regain Nora until Batman reveals that she is not Nora Fries, she is Nora Fields and was born in 1943 and was the first person to be put in a cryogenic stasis. Mister Freeze is then stopped by Batman. Batman then interrogates the wife of Joseph Powers in an attempt to find out more information on The Court of Owls. Batman then visits a "Blackout" zone that involves an abandoned house. Inside the house, Batman finds members of the Court of Owls at a dinner table. Batman then follows Lincoln March's note and visits The Willowwood Home for Children. There, he finds Lincoln March in a severe condition, in which he reveals he's not Lincoln March but Thomas Wayne Jr. and is also a member of the Court of Owls. He then dons an armor-like owl costume and calls himself Bruce Wayne's brother. As they brawl, the fight is then taken up towards in the skies. After an explosion that was set by Batman on March's armor detonates. They then both fall into a building in which March plants explosives, detonating the entire tower, including the death of March. As the rest of the Talons are then captured, it is still a mystery if Lincoln March was actually Bruce's brother.
Death of the Family
After the recent event of the iconic villain, The Joker, shaving off his face in the pages of
Detective Comics, The Joker returns to Gotham making his first stop at the Gotham City Police Department. The Joker then causes a blackout in the building, snapping the necks of many police officers in the Gotham City Police Department. Until Batman arrives, Joker is nowhere to be seen. Many members of the Bat-Family are alerted about The Joker's controversial return including Batgirl. The Joker then leaves a message on live television as he holds a hostage that is dressed like him, leaving the message that Mayor Hady will die at midnight. The Joker then kills the hostage. Batman then states that this conflict is between him and The Joker. Commissioner Gordon and other GCPD officers are sent to protect Mayor Hady. Plans change as members of the GCPD are killed by a toxin, leaving Jim Gordon, Batman, and Mayor Hady as the only survivors. The Joker and Batman then confront each other at A.C.E. Chemicals, where The Joker first became the man that he is. The Joker is seen dressed as his classic counterpart, The Red Hood. It is Harley Quinn who reveals herself in the Red Hood costume, not The Joker. Harley then knocks Batman into a pit that is soon to be filled with an acidic chemical and notifies Batman that The Joker is not the same anymore. Meanwhile, The Joker kidnaps Alfred from Wayne Manor. Batman then escapes and warns every Bat-Family member to be on high-alert, as they can be The Joker's next victim. The Joker then leaves Bruce Wayne a tape that reveals he has kidnapped Alfred for a reason and begins to torture him. On the tape, says "Gordon", symbolizing that Jim Gordon will be the next victim. Batman then takes Gordon to a bunker to keep him safe from The Joker. After touching a photo of The Joker, Jim Gordon start bleeding severely. Batman then confronts Joker on a bridge near the reservoir, where they had their first battle. The Joker then blows up the bridge that Dick Grayson was approaching. The Joker then traps Batman and claims he knows who Batman and the Bat-Family is. When the GCPD arrive, The Joker's henchmen easily flank them by firing rocket launchers. Batman then becomes free but is then infected with a toxin and loses consciousness. Batman then has a severe nightmare and wakes up with a meeting with the Bat-Family about The Joker. He then explains the reason why he kept so much info away from them is because he feared that they would let their emotions get the best of them. It is revealed that many Arkham Asylum guards and officers allied themselves with Joker because of fear and that The Joker threatened to kill them and their families. In Arkham Asylum, the cells are filled with guards dressed up as The Joker and Batman dancing with one another in misery. Batman is then ambushed by many inmates dressed in armor with horses. Batman then manages to escape the large crowd of inmates. Batman then encounters and ensues in a short fight with Mister Freeze. Batman then takes down Clayface and Scarecrow. Finally, Batman enters a room with The Joker, The Penguin, The Riddler, Two-Face, and people dressed as The Justice League being tortured. It is then seen on several screens that members of the Bat-Family were apprehended. Batman is then locked in an electric chair. The Joker then betrays Two-Face, The Riddler, and The Penguin by locking them up. Batman is then brought to a dinner table that is occupied by the Bat-Family with bags over there heads. All of a sudden, a schizophrenic Alfred appears. It is then revealed that the Bat-Family had their faces shaved off just like The Joker's. The Joker then sets the room on fire until Batman pulls a rope unleashing water into the room. This results in Batman finding out that the members of the Bat-Family did not have their faces shaved off and that they're fine. A toxin in the room in then unleashed, infecting all the Bat-Family members. Batman then pursues The Joker. When Batman is about to tell The Joker who he really is, The Joker becomes frightened and falls off of the waterfall. Meanwhile, the Bat-Family members are fighting back the toxin. They are then all cured the next morning as Bruce Wayne visits The Joker in Arkham Asylum. The Joker's face is fixed and his mouth is sealed. In the Batcave, the isotope for the Joker Toxin is then revealed to be Dubnium aka Hahnium, with the element symbol being "Ha".
Batman #18-20
As the Gotham City civilian known as Harper Row is trying to become a vigilante/hero just like Batman, Batman sets out dealing crime trying to cope with the death of his son, Damian Wayne. Batman then warns Harper that death is a major possibility in the hero business. Meanwhile, Batman starts having flashbacks with him and Damian fighting crime together. When Bruce and Lucius Fox participate in a meeting, Clayface catches Bruce off-guard (since Bruce thought he was actually Lucius). Bruce then uses several gadgets to try and hold off Clayface until he is thrown into a waster disposal which is where he finds the real Lucius Fox. Just as they're about to become disposed they find a thrown-out Batman suit (resembling the Batman Beyond suit) and use it to escape. Clayface then poses as Bruce Wayne and starts a crime spree throughout Gotham, becoming wanted by the GCPD. Batman then takes down Clayface by using hydrogen fluoride and electrocuting him, then placing him in a panic chamber. Clayface then rants about Bruce Wayne's ego and how he doesn't care for the death of his own son, which angers Batman. In the Batcave, Alfred and Bruce then watch memories with Damian Wayne, shedding tears.
Next stop...
So is that enough digest to fill up your appetite for the Zero Year(Yeah, bad joke, I know)? Be sure to like and comment down below to share your thought and what you will be expecting to see in the Zero Year!