Written by Joshua Williamson
Penciled by Jason Fabok
Cover by Jason Fabok
Published May 3, 2017
Cover by Jason Fabok
Published May 3, 2017
In an alternate reality caused by the Flash trying to save his mother, Bruce Wayne's father Thomas is Batman. He's fighting a war against Wonder Woman and Aquaman and was recently told by Flash that he was supposed to die in that alleyway - not Bruce. That gave him the hope that one day he'd see his son again. Now the two apparent rogue Justice League members have joined forces to come for him. They attack Wayne Manor, and just as Thomas plans a suicide bombing to kill them all, Flash and Bruce walk from the well into Thomas's Batcave. There father and son gaze upon each other though from different timelines.
Thomas thinks it's a trick but Flash explains that it isn't. The timeline was repaired but someone else - possibly the Reverse Flash kept the flashpoint going. This world they're now in should no longer be here but is being held in place by someone. He tells them he aims to fix in but Thomas says there's no time. Aquaman and Wonder Woman's forces are upon them. Thomas tells them he'll hold them off while Bruce and Flash fix the treadmill home but Bruce says he's coming with them. Bruce has so many question about the letter his father wrote him and his father tells him there will be time for answers later. And so fists it is. Twin Batmen from different realities fight trident and sword carrying adversaries while Flash works quickly to rebuild the machine.
He completes it quickly. Thomas asks Bruce if he remembers what he told him so long ago in these caves. Bruce tells him barely - he was whispering because he didn't want to scare the bats. Flash tells them it's time to go. As the timeline begins to shatter, Bruce tells his father his letter was the greatest gift he could give him. If he could tell him anything one day, it was that he - Thomas Wayne is a grandfather. Flash tells him they have to go now and Bruce begs his father to return with them. Thomas throws them towards the treadmill. Flash promised he would save him. Thomas tells his son that the moment he saw him as a baby, he knew that every choice he ever made was right. With time for one last thing - he tells his son to not be Batman. Give it up and let the bat die with Thomas. Bruce screams that he can save him and as they vanish, Thomas says that they already have.
Thomas throws the trigger against the cave wall. A few more panels reminisce about when Bruce fell into the well only to be saved by his father. And as the cave crumbles into light, he reveals what he told his son. Sometimes they fall, "but Wayne's never stay down... We rise" and he leaps into the light. Bruce yells to Barry they must find a way back there but he tells him time is crumbling. Someone stole time from them to hurt them. As he's explaining to them, Reverse Flash passes them up. Barry explains that this Thwane is from the past. He tells him if he keeps going, he's gong to die but Reverse Flash keeps going. He knows who the power of the button belongs to and they've never seen something like him. With that we're left to be continued.
After really not paying a lot of attention to DC through the years, I finally now realize how much of a mistake that truly was. Marvel will always be MY publisher. The characters they have are sown into my existence. But these stories - Tom King's touch.. it really is something amazing. This book continues building an amazing picture of Batman and it keeps getting better and better. Were they this good before? Were they better before? Worse? I don't know. It really all started for me with this book. As far as this issue, and really this series as a whole so far, I give it a 10/10 and I think it can only get better - if that's really possible.
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Until next time, thanks so much for reading.
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