Batman #38

THE ORIGIN OF BRUCE WAYNE

Written by Tom King
Penciled by Travis Moore
Cover by Tim Sale
Published Jan 3, 2018

   Bruce Wayne is summoned to the home of Matthew Warner, a young socialite who lost his parents in a similar way. His butler calls him “Master Bruce”, an inside joke his dad used to make. The boy is despondent and Bruce is determined to solve his case.

"Well you're not gonna believe this, but I have some experience in this area.."

   Meanwhile at the jail, Victor Zsasz makes two new cuts on his arm. Later Batman and Commisioner Gordon walk the crime scene. The Warners were cut up in the serial killer’s familiar fashion. When Batman goes to the jail to interview him, he doesn’t get much. But after checking the tape, the killer was in the prison the entire time.

Well Jim, looks like you're wrong. Again.

   Batman reviews the letter Zsasz used to make the cuts and in it is a hidden message. Being the ever thinking detective, he cracks the code and heads to an address finding two more butchered bodies. When he goes back to the jail, he asks again but realizes there’s no way Zsasz could be responsible. Bruce goes back to the Warner’s house and reassures Matthew his parents’ killers will be brought to justice.

Ugh.. Gross.

   Later another two bodies show up. This time with their hands in a clock pattern, bats sees evidence of Two Face. That night in bed, Bruce can’t sleep. And as he explains to a still sleeping Catwoman that it can’t be Two Face, she’s clearly not moved. Like... literally. So when he cross references a few addresses he finds the Mr. Taylor the Butler. And the butler makes a run for it.

So just curious, which character in this story just has a couple lions hanging around?

   After some time in the Lion’s cage, he confesses. Bruce goes back to Matthew to tell him, but later over dinner and talking with Selina and Alfred, something still doesn’t add up right. It just seems childish to blame the murders on first Zsasz, then Two Face. He takes off and finds the boy at the graveyard etching Thomas and Martha’s names into their headstone. When he looks back at Batman, he has their names engraved into his cheeks. All of it was a ruse to further enforce his obsession with Bruce Wayne.

Hey kid. There's something on your face...

   That night, Bruce returns home to Selina and Matthew heads to Arkham Asylum. He’s obviously emotional after having to endure the sadness of living his parent’s murders again while the boy smiles in the mental institution. And with that, this incredibly sad story comes to an end.
   While Tom King has almost flawlessly mastered the art of one shots, the real story to me is how he can literally top the previous single story books every time he writes another. This one was again no exception. I kinda get a vibe we might see old Matthew Warner again sometime down the line. Another nut the dark knight rounded up. Another job done.  I give this one a 9/10.

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