batman: the wrath

batman: the wrath
mike barr & tony bedard
graphics/superheroes
dc comics
published 1984

The Dark Knight is a man propelled by purpose, driven by a mission of justice.  He has honed his mind and body as the perfect weapon against evil.  But what if there was a man with all the same skills working against him?  The Wrath's contempt for law enforcement rivals Batman's hatred of criminals.  However, unlike the Caped Crusader, he hunts his prey with deadly force.  Setting his sights on Commissioner Gordon, the Wrath will stop at nothing to kill every cop in his way.  It's up to Batman to stop his mirror image before he can accomplish his goal.  On this case, Batman is literally his own worst enemy!

I love the old Batman comics.  Don't get me wrong, I really love the New 52 Scott Snyder Batman, but there is something so charming and sweet about the early Batman stuff.  I don't know what it is, maybe he was more human?  Had more emotion?  More empathy?  He showed surprise and regret.  Something.

There's a 24 year gap between The Wrath and The Wrath Child, the two stories that encompass this book.  Which is good because at the end of The Wrath you don't have any idea why he was after Jim or killing cops or who he was.  The Wrath Child wraps everything up for us and brings some closure to the story arc while also giving Robin/Nightwing a part in the story that he didn't have before.

A quick, but satisfying read.