Justice League: The Darkseid War: Batman #1

Batman, still sitting in the Mobius Chair, heads back to Gotham to take fighting crime to a whole new level. In case you missed it, during Darkseid War, Batman became the next person to take over the Mobius Chair, which grants all the knowledge to the person sitting on it. What does the world's greatest detective do when he has all that knowledge? He heads back to his own turf to keeps the streets clean, of course.

Something this issue seems to struggle with and it may just be the effects of the Mobius Chair, it's really hard to tell, is that there are many times this doesn't feel like Batman. He does things that feel a bit illogical, especially in the instance where he heads to the prison and reveals himself as Bruce Wayne to Joe Chill. Sure, Joe's memories get erased, but it's just such a bizarre moment that doesn't feel like Batman.

Regardless, that doesn't mean what's happening isn't emotionally compelling nor interesting. It does bring a lot to the character, as Joe Chill created Batman by gunning down his parents when Bruce was a child and all this power means Batman can do almost anything. We get to see that not everything Batman does is something the chair agrees with. When you disobey the chair, you start bleeding a bunch. It puts Bruce in an immense amount of pain and even stranger, he can't even get out of the chair.

What writer Peter Tomasi delivers is a Batman with ultimate power who doesn't let it corrupt him. Sure, he's sending criminals that disobey him to Antarctica, but he is still holding onto his morals, not killing or doing anything entirely crazy. He's still delivering justice in a more efficient way, which is a real cool concept and nice companion piece to Darkseid War.

Fernando Pasarin does pencils for this book, with Matt Ryan on inks, and Gabe Eltaeb on colors. Parasin packs a lot of detail into each panel, including the backgrounds to create a living, breathing Gotham, even if it's just some bills posted on a brick wall or trash in the streets. It's enhancing the scene around the characters. Eltaeb continues to deliver some fine color work on this issue as well, along with all the other books he's working on at DC.

DARKSEID WAR: BATMAN was interesting, to say the least. It really delves into the mind of Bruce Wayne and what he'd do with absolute knowledge. There are some moments that are a little bit of a head scratcher and un-Batman-like, but it's hard to make a final judgement on that because we don't know what the Mobius Chair does to the people sitting in it. Overall, this is a nice addition to one of the best Justice League stories in years.

The Joe Chill part felt kinda pointless, but on the whole this issue was pretty good

I really hope they don't jump the shark with The Joker.

I haven't read the issue yet, but I really have a bad feeling that Batman is being written out of character. His stance on toying with memories I think is pretty clear from Identity Crisis, and (I may be wrong on this), but I don't think tends to lose his humanity so easily. It's what defines him, with the fear being only a tool. The closest I can think of where he does lose it is in a Superman/Batman issue where he gets Superman's powers, but even then it showed him as driven and obsessed, not explicitly lacking in his humanity.

@muyjingo: I respectfully disagree. Batman is intoxicated with "Power"(Knowlege). I think its a bit unreasonable for anyone to expect him to act otherwise. I personally liked the issue. Here u see him slip and give into his own personal desires for a moment, by going to torment Joe Chill in prison. However he caught himself(also my opinion) and just wiped his mind and left. I feel he will do something simmilar with the joker.

Disagreement is just an opportunity for a good debate, so let's get into it :)

My point was that he has been intoxicated with power before, and he hasn't lost himself as he seems to be doing here.

The Joe Chill thing seems especially out of character, not only because of his own experiences during Identity Crisis, but because he faced his demons regarding Joe Chill some time ago.

Although, maybe not, since they never bothered to clarify what is canon and what is not.

I think Batman's respect for people, for life and for free will are core to his being. I don't think he would be so easily compromised by having this power at his fingertips. I understanding using that power to satisfy some personal issues, but toying with memories is so very out of character IMO.

Honestly, I doubt that will even be addressed because this seems like fanservice more than anything to me, but I will wait to see how it plays out.

At first I was skeptical about Batman being the god of knowledge, but if this is the part of Batman's character that will be explored, I support that. Too often people focus on the 'cool' side of Batman and not the obsessive naive side of his morals.

Jim Gordon really laid it to Batman during that rooftop confrontation. Batman didn't want to admit that he was power hungry and working towards something that he knew would not happen due to his actions.

I thought it was a really good issue. He's still "Batman", but he's different, he was acting different the moment he sat on the chair, so his actions in this issue should be no surprise. That being said, I liked very much his proactive approach to criminals, he placed them in situation where they would be "punished" w/o him acting as judge/executioner. I especially liked the scene on Paradise Island lol. I hope the other one-shots were as entertaining and enjoyable as this.

Other issue was a 2 star for me. I hope the other ones are better.

@muyjingo: they better write batman being corrupted by it and needs help from the others to get him out of that chair.

the difference between the mobius chair and batman having supes power is that with the mobius chair, he has knowledge AND power to play judge, jury, and executioner.

Supes power only gave him power, so he can still doubt whether his actions are right or wrong. If he is judging others correctly.

In his God state right now, he knows that he is always "right"

If he manages to overcome all that despite all those conditions, this book will just be a bat-service book.

@rajabuta: That's an interesting way to look at it. Is that just your take away, or is that explicitly stated in the book?

@muyjingo: mostly my take away, considering the power of the chair and all.

The mobius chair pretty much gives every knowledge that exists to the potato couch on it.

The doubt that he can be wrong is what keeps batman grounded, what keeps him human.

Take that away, and you have someone who knows that he is always "right"

That is corruption material right there. I see the Joe Chill incident as a hint to that.

In the end I want to see the other league members wrestling him out of that chair with bats screaming at the top of his lungs "I'M RIGHT! YOU KNOW I'M RIGHT! IT HAD TO BE DONE!!" xD

@rajabuta: Isn't that contradictory though? If the chair grants absolute knowledge, to see and know everything....then he is right to think that he can't be wrong? I can see that affecting his demeanor, affecting his foundations etc...I don't see it resulting in him compromising his morals or his humanity.

Really, the book should focus on him dealing with being overwhelmed, but I guess that wouldn't be as entertaining, not going and tormenting someone responsible for something he moved past already.

@muyjingo: true, he won't be wrong. He'll always be "right".

But who gave him the right to do such things?

Who gave him the right to temper with someone else's memory?

he wouldn't need anyone's permission, because to him, he will always be "right"

This is basically like the question "if you can go the past and kill hitler, would you do it?"

but without the repercussions of messing up the present.

@rajabuta: Yeah, but none of that makes sense. He knows that it is wrong to tamper with memory, and the chair would reinforce this, so it doesn't make sense that he would do it. To me, it's just bad writing, but lets agree to disagree.

Worst part is though, now they've made Bats into a hypocrite.

@muyjingo: baby steps. From being a hypocrite to a full on Dictatorship xD

PS: about it being wrong, I don't think the chair takes into account morality. So wiping memories wouldn't be wrong.

being right morally, and being "right" does not always go hand in hand.

especially if you know everything.

Does anyone know if this is set before or after current events in the JL member's solo titles?

@muyjingo: I dont agree with your comments about he has been through this before. Maybe in the Old universe, but this is a diffrent batman. This is the first time this batman has encountered this kind of situation. I still think its logical with what he did. He is Human afterall.

Hub City Review has an alternate take on this issue.

@muyjingo: there is no doubt that identity crisis isn't canon. There's no way that story could work in the new continuity. It requires ralph, and sue dibney, and a Justice League team that has been expanded way more than the original 7 and the few new recruits after Throne of Atlantis. Doctor Light is also a completely different character.

No, all there is is doubt. I wish it was as simple as you say, but it isn't. Numerous events and stories from the PC universe (not just in the Batman books either) have been referenced as having happened, even when that doesn't seem to make any kind of sense or even be possible.

I agree though, it seems like IC is probably pretty unlikely to have happened, given Doctor Light being such a different character.

I hate this kind of thing... guy gets new badass power and does nothing but good but everyone hating on him about it and of course... they'll be right.

Reminds me of phoenix force X-men.

The chair is def messing with Batman's mind