Comics Review: FLASHPOINT- BATMAN: KNIGHT OF VENGEANCE # 3 (of 3)

Written by Brian Azzarello Pencils by Eduardo Risso Published by DC Comics In stores now! **BEWARE - - THERE BE SPOILERS AHEAD!** And so this brilliant tale of a very different Batman comes to an end after merely three issues and, to be honest, that's my only real criticism of this book. The world of Thomas Wayne Batman is every bit as deep, compelling, and utterly tragic as the regular Batman is- in many ways, even more so- therefore it's a real shame to have to say goodbye to this fascinating interpretation so shortly after falling in love with it. This final chapter deals with the fallout from last issue's stunning twist. As we learned in Flashpoint # 1, in this bizarre alternate reality, Bruce Wayne was killed that fateful night in Crime Alley, yet both his parents survived. Thomas Wayne became a grizzled, darker Batman and this tie-in series (which is vastly superior to the main event in many ways) has revolved around his attempts to stop the Joker once and for all. However, as that jaw-dropping reveal on the last page of issue 2 showed us, in this world Martha Wayne is the Joker, having lost her sanity as a result of not being able to overcome her grief over Bruce's death. The ensuing confrontation between Thomas and his estranged wife is superbly staged by artist Eduardo Risso, and writer Brian Azzarello squeezes so much emotion out of their interactions that it's practically bursting from the pages. The only downside is that part of the resolution relies on the reader having knowledge of the main Flashpoint story. Seeming as this book is so strong, and will no doubt sell by the bucket load once collected, it seems unnecessary to anchor it so heavily to the main event just for the sake of doing so. This story is strong enough to stand on its own, and it really should have been left to do so. This alternate version of Gotham has proven to be both rich and staggeringly complex- being pulled out of it just as we're getting to learn the ins and outs of the world seems grossly unfair. DC- take note- if Batman Beyond can justify having its own ongoing series, then Thomas Wayne Batman certainly deserves one.