Review: Batman: Superheavy [2015] Scott Snyder | Greg Capullo

BATMAN: SUPERHEAVY [2015]

Batman #41 Follows this year’s FCBD book Divergence, where James Gordon assumes the mantle of Batman with the checks and balances of working within law enforcement. The opening issue sees him taking on an energy creature who is controlled by someone else. We also see James Gordon both within and out of the mechanical bat suit. The beginning and end pages sees a bearded man sitting on a park bench as someone refers to him as Bruce Wayne. Writer Scott Snyder gives us Bruce Wayne’s return in the form of an Eddie and the Cruisers movie. I underestimated this issue as it builds towards the 50^th issue which comes out at the same time as the new Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice film. 

Batman #42 James Gordon takes on the leader of the local Chinese Triad who can use the city as a weapon. Batman uses his new Bat-Truck to stop him while discovering the mastermind who gave him his powers is a villain named Mr. Bloom. He uses seeds that give off massive amounts of radiation to kill his victims while giving them temporary superpowers. Gordon discovers Julia Perry worked with the Batman and afterwards he visits Bruce Wayne. 

Batman #43 Gordon visits Bruce and asks for help with Batman tech however Bruce refuses because he is not that person anymore. We discover how Bruce came back from Endgame however Batman died. Alfred shows Clark Kent Batman’s final invention which could store him whole again. Gordon takes down Bloom however gets trapped in a furnace.

The issue was solicited as the origin of villain Bloom. However not only do we not get the origin of Bloom but there is a price increase from $3.99 to $4.99. The issue is a flashblack of how Batman may be continuing the cycle of violence instead of ending it. Beginning with a dead body that fell from the sky we discover the trail leading to the Penguin to Bruce Wayne to Mr. Bloom. Ultimately the boy who fell from the sky was desperate because no one would listen but Mr. Bloom. The art by Jock is amazing however the story is nothing up a filler issue to give Greg Capullo a time to get ahead of the story and to complete the massive Batman #50.

Batman #45 Gordon escapes from the furnace and is rescued by the Batman suit which is on autopilot. Geri Powers fires Gordon and is ready to announce it as Bloom strikes.

Batman Annual #4 Sees Bruce returning home following Batman: Endgame and Arkham Manor with Alfred and Julia Madison. Awaiting at home is Geri Powers who returned the Wayne Manor back to Bruce after all the inmates were transferred. The last three inmates were Clayface, Mr. Freeze, and the Riddler. However the three inmates were secretly waiting in the Manor for Bruce Wayne. They want to make him pay for funding Batman and cause another trauma by killing Alfred, Geri, and Julia. However Bruce gains the upper hand by using the Manor against them. At first the story was written as if the three villains knew the identity of Batman but they were after revenge on Bruce for creating him.