[Editor’s note: This review may contain spoilers!]
Writer: Tom King
Pencils: Tony S. Daniel
Summary
An entire year has passed since the events the unfolded in Wayne Manor! Thanks to Booster Gold, an adult Bruce Wayne sees his parents murdered by a psychotic Catwoman–who was pursued by a gun toting Batman! Can Booster Gold reset this timeline to it’s right course once and for all?
Positives
This was a great “what if” type story that King has done here. In a world were Bruce Wayne’s parents lived, we find an adult Bruce happy and enjoying life–even with so much chaos around him. King does a wonderful job of showing us the heavy sacrifice that Bruce made in being Batman by showing us a world without Batman, or at least Bruce Wayne’s version. Gotham City is a madhouse, the Justice League is dead, and Catwoman was a murdering psycho. I think the worst change in the timeline however was Dick Grayson. In this alternate timeline Dick was Batman, and he was a very vengeful one at that. This Batman killed heroes on sight, mostly due to them being infected by some type of Joker virus. This was a Batman completely free from Bruce’s training, influence, or belief in justice.
Negatives
My one complaint about the book was also the savior at the same time–Booster Gold! After being caught in the manor with Catwoman a revenge driven Bruce Wayne chains Booster deep in the caves below Wayne Manor. Bruce himself has made a plan–to go back in time one year before his parents murder and stop Booster and Catwoman from ever entering the manor in the first place. It’s seems like a sound plan, until Bruce realizes he actually needs Booster’s voice to activate the time portal device. Chained deep in the cave for over a year, Booster comes across as a little more crazier than usual. My complaint about Booster is the fact that although he’s been through so much, he literally seems to take none of it seriously. Throughout the book he casually jokes about the situation, however my complaint turns to a positive when it seems that Booster had somewhat of a plan the entire time. Notice I said “somewhat”. Still however I enjoyed King’s spin on things at the end, and I really didn’t expect such an outcome. It’s very obvious that by the end of the book Booster Gold will never be the same and I hope that this experience shakes him to a little mature more as a hero overall.
Verdict
Batman #47 was a great read. It shows a world where honestly if Thomas and Martha wouldn’t have made the ultimate sacrifice, the world and Gotham would’ve been way worst for it. I also think King meant for this book to be a baptism of fire for Booster as well. He never intended his meddling with time to go this far, and I think the experience will stick with him for a very long time. Batman and Catwoman look at Booster as if he’s crazy while he’s retelling the events of the alternate timeline to them–but of course it’s pointless. Let’s just hope Booster sticks with a more simpler and less dangerous wedding gift next time besides time travel.
