Summary
- Batman has been captured by the Orgham family, who aim to erase his legacy from the minds of Gotham’s citizens. Azrael, a former Batman, has returned to protect the city in his absence.
- Azrael’s previous stint as Batman ended in violence and tragedy, with his mental state deteriorating over time. His return raises questions about his ability to fill Batman’s shoes and whether he can redeem himself.
- Bruce Wayne’s reaction to Azrael’s return and how he handles the situation after escaping the Orgham family remains to be seen. With no other options available, Gotham must wait and see if Azrael can prove himself as the new Batman or if history will repeat itself.
Warning! Contains Spoilers For Detective Comics #1076!
Batman has been captured by the sinister Orgham family and his legacy is slowly being erased from the minds of Gotham’s citizens. With no one else to protect Gotham, Jean-Paul Valley, better known as Azreal has returned to his iconic Batsuit. The last time Jean-Paul acted as Batman, he went on a murderous rampage, and it’s not clear if his second attempt will fare any better.
A lot has been happening in Gotham recently, with a mysterious old family called the Orgham returning to the city. After the destruction of Arkham Asylum, the Orgham family wants to make sure they are remembered, and they intend to do this by erasing Batman’s legacy.
To achieve this, they’ve captured Bruce Wayne and infected him with an Azmer demon, a being they control, which bends the victim to their will. While Batman tries to resist, he is ultimately their captive, scheduled for execution. This leaves Gotham City without a Batman; now, it seems Azrael is returning to his Batman armor to protect Gotham City in Bruce’s place.
Azrael Is About To Get A Second Shot At Being The Caped Crusader
After Bruce Wayne’s back was broken by Bane, he was unable to act as Batman, and needed a replacement. Not wanting to burden Dick Grayson with the weight of the cowl, Bruce turned to a relatively new member of the Bat-Family, Jean-Paul Valley. Jean-Paul acted as the vigilante Azrael for a while, but eventually took up the job of Batman at Bruce’s request. At first, he was a perfectly fine Batman, but over time, Azrael’s state of mind deteriorated, and he became progressively more violent. This ultimately culminated when Azrael allowed Abattoir, a serial killer who targeted his own family members, to fall to his death.
While Azrael felt justice was served, because the Abattoir had kidnapped a family member, that family member went unfound, eventually dying from starvation – all because Azrael was unaware Abattoir was the only one who knew where they were. Azrael causing the death of an innocent was the main factor in Batman returning to take the mantle back from him. However, Azrael didn’t hand it over willingly; he became increasingly more erratic, before attempting to kill Bruce Wayne and Robin himself. Now, it seems Azrael is getting a second chance to replace Batman. With Bruce off the streets, Azreal has returned to fill the void.
Azrael Was A Much More Brutal Batman Than Bruce
Whether Azrael will do a better job as Batman than he did last time remains to be seen. All fans know right now is Bruce Wayne is captured and set to be executed and Gotham needs a Batman. Beyond the short-term, how Bruce might react to the return of Azreal is something to consider after he escapes the clutches of the Orgham family and the demon Azmer. With no other member of the Bat-Family available to step up, the only choice is to wait and see if Azrael is able to earn his redemption as the new Batman, or if his return will go horribly awry once more.
