Comics Reviews: Batman 436, Batman 437, Detective 603

Batman #436 – “Different Roads” – Marv Wolfman/Pat Broderick/John Beatty

This is the first part of the Year Three storyline, which tells how Batman first started working with the original Robin, Dick Grayson. The story starts in the present, with Batman watching a yacht belonging to a mobster named Jacobi. Various mob bosses have been killed lately, but nobody knows who’s behind the hits or why they’re doing it. Batman had a tip that Jacobi might be next on the hit list and that turns out to be true, as assassins in a disguised news helicopter shoot up Jacobi’s boat. Batman tries to board the chopper via Batline, but gets shaken off and the killers get away. At the municipal courthouse, a parole hearing is taking place for another mobster, Anthony Zucco, who’s spent the last twelve years in prison. One of the board (Nicholas) argues that Zucco has repaid his debt to society and should be paroled, but the board has a witness lined up to speak about why Zucco shouldn’t get out. At Wayne Manor, Dick Grayson drops by to see Bruce because he’s worried about Batman’s state of mind since Jason Todd (Dick’s successor as Robin) died. When he sees that all traces and mementos of Jason have been removed from the house and the Batcave, Dick gets even more worried. At the hearing, the witness tells the story of Zucco’s childhood, when his father was killed by mobsters and Zucco was sent to an orphanage. A nun tried to teach him love and forgiveness, but all Zucco could feel was hate. After getting revenge on his father’s killers, Zucco vowed never to let anyone push him around nd became a mob boss in his own right. The witness (who is obviously Alfred) goes on to tell the parole board how Zucco tried to extort money from Haley’s Circus and killed the star attractions, the Flying Graysons, when Haley refused. The Graysons were Dick’s parents and he was orphaned like Zucco, but Dick chose to let go of his hate, simply wanting to stop Zucco from harming any other families. (We see that Bruce Wayne was a spectator at the circus that night, as was a very young Tim Drake, who’s destined to become the next Robin.) At the Batcave, Dick gets tired of waiting and changes to Nightwing so he can find Batman to talk to him in person. Batman is at an old mansion that’s been turned into a coke processing plant. He busts in to warn the gangsters that they’re the next target of the mysterious hit squad, but before he can evacuate the place, a helicopter shows up and blasts the place with a rocket launcher.

Batman #437 – “Changes Made” – Marv Wolfman/Pat Broderick/John Beatty

This continues from the above issue, with Nightwing following Batman’s trail through busted-up bars and pulped thugs, worrying more all the time about Batman’s cold behaviour. Dick gets to the rubble of the blown-up mansion and helps Batman dig himself out. (Apparently, he hid in a supply tunnel.) Nightwing tries to ask Batman why he’s acting like such a dick, but Batman just ignores him and leaves. At Wayne Manor, Alfred worries because he could tell the parole board was leaning towards releasing Zucco. He thinks back to how Dick first came to live at the manor, and how Bruce revealed his identity as Batman when he found out Dick didn’t want to kill Zucco, just to prevent him from tearing apart any more families. Batman and Robin trained together, learning intellectual skills as well as physical ones (including how to use those new-fangled computers). Dick shows up and talks to Alfred about how Batman is going over the edge, refusing to acknowledge Jason’s death and using more brutal methods than usual, which is the opposite of what he taught Dick to do. Elsewhere, a conclave of mobsters meets to discuss the recent killings and agrees to band together to go after whoever’s targeting them. Batman interrupts the meeting with another suggestion. We see Zucco talking to one of the parole board (who he seems to be blackmailing) and it sounds like he’s the one behind all the hits, paving the way for him to take over as soon as he’s released. Dick goes looking for Batman, while Alfred contemplates killing Zucco.

Detective #603 – “When Demons Clash” – Alan Grant/Norm Breyfogle/Steve Mitchell

Last issue, a guy named Tenzin used Tibetan magic to create a demon (Mahakala) to take care of a loan shark named Kellogg and his thugs. But the demon ended up being far more powerful than Tenzin thought and since it’s filled with his hatred and anger towards Kellogg, it can’t be dispelled until it kills them. Batman went to Jason Blood (aka the Demon Etrigan) for help, but he refused, not wanting to unleash Etrigan from inside him. Jason’s friend Randu went with Batman and they found Mahakala just as he was about to waste Kellogg and his men, who got themselves arrested as a way of staying out of the demon’s clutches. Mahakala tears through the cops and chases Kellogg and his thugs onto a construction site, where Batman slams the demon with a wrecking ball. They assume the demon is dead, but it gets up again and comes after Kellogg. Jason Blood can sense Mahakala’s presence across town and finally gives in, transforming into Etrigan and heading to the battle. After watching the fight for a while, Etrigan jumps in and incinerates Mahakala with his hellfire. But Etrigan senses Kellogg’s evil nature and wants to take his soul too. Batman tries to stop him and they end up fighting, but after looking into Batman’s soul Etrigan sees a kindred spirit (because of Batman’s relentless need to punish criminals) and leaves, turning back into the tormented Jason Blood.