Batman, Volume 4: Zero Year- Secret City (The New 52)

Zero Hour: It’s the New 52 equivalent of Year One. Many of the back stories of the characters of the DC Universe changed after Flashpoint. This DC event tries to explain those changes by staying true to the timeless legends we’ve grown up with while trying to be new and trendy for the next generation. Many long time readers hate these reboots. I for one am often in that boat. But, I’ve really liked the New 52’s Batman titles, so I decided to give this a try.

  In this volume, the main course of events occurs 6 years prior to the storylines that began in the very first issue of New 52’s Batman #1. Here, Bruce Wayne’s been declared legally dead, having disappeared 7 years earlier to go on his pilgrimage, training to become a master detective. Now he’s back in Gotham and operating as a vigilante while wearing rubber masks and plain clothes. Upon his return to his home, Wayne finds a that a gang of red hooded thugs have taken over, conscripting the citizens of Gotham into the Red Hood’s army whether they want to join or not.

   

  If you are familiar with the Red Hood’s origin, you’ll know that the Hood is what will become the Joker. Writer Scott Snyder does a fantastic job building from Alan Moore’s the Killing Joke to tie the origins of Batman and the Clown Prince of Crime ever so closer together. Snyder also does a fair job expounding on the manipulative exploits of Edward Nygma, AKA the Riddler, casting him as a rogue financial analyst for the corrupt heads of Wayne Enterprises.

While we see Bruce Wayne taking steps to becoming Batman, we also see a lot of rough edges. For example, Wayne flips off the Red Hood, definitely something the ice cold Dark Knight wouldn’t have stooped too. In another scene during Wayne’s first adventure as the Bat, a foe says that his will “gore him like a bull” to which the Caped Crusader jumps on top of the criminal and proceeds to yell out “Yee-ha!” It’s a funny moment but not characteristically Batman.

There’s still more of the Zero Hour story left to tell. I’m expecting to find it in the next volume of this title. But I would not be surprised to find it played out in the pages of Detective Comics or Batman: The Dark Knight. I’ll have to research more as to where to find the next chapter…

(Goes to Amazon)

(Returns) Okay got my answer. The next chapter to the Batman: Zero Year story is already out in Batman, Volume 5: Dark City. I guess somebody checked it out at the library. So, I may not have to wait very long.

Overall, this first volume was very good. The Red Hood was done superbly as was Riddler. It’s the rough edges on Bruce Wayne/ Batman that’s a little hard to adapt to. But, in previous volumes, Batman is his usual bad-ass self. So, I am sure that it’s going to take some spit and polish to get Bruce Wayne into proper crime-fighting shape.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.