Gotham City is a busy place, with a lot going down each and every week. In this monthly column, Joshua Lapin-Bertone helps you stay on top of it all by letting you know what you should be paying attention to within the Bat-Family…and why.
After 32 issues and almost three years Batman #157 marks the end of Chip Zdarsky’s run on the Dark Knight’s flagship title, and what a run it was. We saw the return of the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh, the Joker’s secret backstory, a surprisingly tragic Robin death and so much more.
My personal favorite was Batman traveling through the multiverse and meeting other versions of himself.
“The Dying City,” the final arc of Zdarsky’s run, really went all out. Jim Gordon was arrested for murder, the Court of Owls almost went global, an old villain returned in a new role and Wayne family secrets were revealed. By the way, did anyone catch Batman safely stopping a plane crash in the heart of Gotham? I don’t know if that was intentional, but it brings things full circle to 2016’s Batman #1.
As we prepare for the next chapter in the Dark Knight’s war on crime, I can’t help but look back at the journey we took with Zdarsky. It was an incredible period in Batman’s life, and the Dark Knight certainly grew as a hero. This is evident in the epilogue for Batman #157 and three conversations that Bruce has.
First, he tracks down William Pureford, a physician that might be his brother. Pureford’s mother had an affair with Thomas Wayne and William grew up believing he might be a Wayne. The Court of Owls even manipulated William into suing for a share of Wayne Enterprises. When Bruce finally meets William, he’s surprised to see he never cared about any of that.
“My mom never said a bad word about your dad,” says William. “Said he was one of the best surgeons she’d ever seen. So, it broke her heart when she saw what you’d become. I didn’t want your money, but I wanted you to feel like you could lose it. Lose the company you never built.”
Bruce regained his fortune in Batman #149, and since then he’s been steering Wayne Enterprises into funding more community programs to help the city. While Wayne Enterprises always used its fortune for good, Bruce’s recent actions have upped the ante, forgoing profits and innovations in favor of lifting up the struggling population.
William’s words help to remind Bruce of the responsibility he has with his fortune, and how he needs to use it to do better. In the end, a DNA test proves that William Pureford isn’t Bruce’s brother, but the doctor’s words have a strong impact. Seeing William strongly reject the Wayne legacy shakes Bruce, forcing him to confront his past mistakes.
His next conversation is with Leslie Tompkins, an old family friend who helps bring him down to Earth.
“How do you move on from the past?” Bruce asks Leslie. “So much of my life revolves around not moving on, about always holding tight to the memory of my parents’ death. How do I forgive my father for his mistakes? How do I forgive myself? For Failsafe and Jason?”
This shines a light on one of the main themes of Zdarsky’s run—coming to terms with mistakes. That’s why William Pureford’s talk with Bruce shook him. While William had no knowledge of Failsafe, the events of Gotham War, or any Batman’s mistakes, the words still forced Bruce to reflect, and he didn’t like what he saw. Don’t forget, in another memorable Zdarsky story, Bruce recently watched a clone of himself grow old and die. An emotional event like that is bound to make someone look inward.
Leslie, who is no stranger to mistakes of her own, puts things in perspective. She reminds Bruce that it’s all part of being human. In a world of gods and monsters, Batman has tried to be more than human. He’s tried to prepare for everything as if he were a supercomputer, but that sort of thinking leads to things like Zur-En-Arrh and Failsafe (not to mention Brother Eye and War Games). Batman’s biggest mistakes happen when he tries to strive for perfection, forgetting he’s human.
That’s why Failsafe ultimately failed. He was a Batman without humanity, and a Batman without humanity is not Batman. As Bruce tries to do the impossible, it’s easy to lose sight that he’s only human. Leslie’s simple message was a great way to bring him back down to Earth.
Batman’s third and final conversation is with Jim Gordon, someone who is struggling to atone for mistakes of his own. Gordon recently had an extramarital affair with the mayor’s wife and killed Mayor Chris Nakano while he was brainwashed by the Riddler.
“I need to prove myself again,” he tells Batman. “If I’m left on my own, my mind keeps going back to… Dammit, Batman. That night, it won’t stop haunting me.”
Leslie’s message has clearly reached Batman, because he repeats the mantra to Jim.
“Mistakes were made,” he calmly says. “Mistakes will always be made. Both of us are human, Jim. Flawed. There’s no way around that. All we can try to do is to be good men.”
It’s important to take a moment and really appreciate Batman’s message here. This is not something Batman would have said a few years ago. The Dark Knight acknowledging that he’ll make mistakes in the future? That’s something he never would have accepted. But acceptance of your imperfection is part of being human.
Plus, there’s something poetic about the run ending with a conversation between Batman and Jim Gordon. After all, the first Batman story in 1939’s Detective Comics #27 begins with a conversation between Bruce and Jim. Once again, we’ve gone full circle. Batman #157 isn’t the finale of the Batman saga, but it almost works as one. Chip Zdarsky’s run was a pivotal chapter in Batman’s life and I’ll be revisiting it often.
Ultra subscribers can read all of Chip Zdarsky’s Batman run on DC UNIVERSE INFINITE. (Look for Batman #157 to be added in early March.)
Joshua Lapin-Bertone writes about TV, movies and comics for DC.com, is a regular contributor to the Couch Club and writes our monthly Batman column, "Gotham Gazette." Follow him on Bluesky at @joshualapinbertone and on X at @TBUJosh.
NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Joshua Lapin-Bertone and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.
