When DC launched Rebirth in 2016 with the return of Wally West’s Flash, it marked the end of the New 52. Whatever way one looks at it, the New 52 wasn’t a complete long-term success. While it benefited from enjoying a few solidly good titles like Synder’s Batman, Johns’s Justice League, and Lemire’s Animal Man, it had more than its fair share of mediocre titles. But another problem with the New 52 era was the lack of a real theme – Pandora, Darkseid, and Forever Evil were epic storylines, but it all lacked a theme and a general goal. Rebirth was a fresh start, one which aimed to tidy up the baggage of the New 52. But it did create a theme – a mystery of a kind. From The Darkseid War to the opening Rebirth story, we have seen a glimpse of a god, an almighty character looking down on everything. This god – who may so happen to be floating, blue, and eternally nude – will soon have a huge role to play in the DC Universe. And so too will the world which he once inhabited. While DC edged closer towards the Doomsday Clock, the adventures of Batman and The Flash suddenly revolve around a familiar badge – or button as you Americans call it.
The Button was a four-part crossover story in Batman (vol 3) 21-22, and the Flash (vol 5) 21-22. Written by Tom King and Joshua Williamson, with art by Howard Porter and Jason Fabok, the Button is the follow-up story to DCU: Rebirth, the one-off that launched the new era. Released in 2017, this has been reprinted in a glorious deluxe edition.
At the conclusion of DCU: Rebirth, Batman found a very familiar badge in the Bat-Cave. This badge – yellow with a smiley face and a stroke of blood on it – belonged to the Comedian, the famed first victim in Alan Moore’s Watchmen. Tying the Watchmen world to DC has been a long-time coming; even those with a half-a-brain will have instantly realised who the floating blue god really is (but for fun, DC continued to disguise the obvious). The Button begins in Batman (vol 3) 21, an opening part with a pretty casual and laidback style. Most of the story features Batman – in his cave – toying with the Comedian’s badge while watching the ice hockey. Batman watching sports is certainly unusual, and it is a symptom of the unique storytelling of Tom King, the writer of the main Dark Knight who portrayed a more human vigilante behind the black cowl. There is much to say about King’s epic run and his characterisation of the Dark Knight, but I shall resist the temptation. While Batman sits in silence, he places the badge next to the mask of the Psycho Pirate. That villain – so close to the events of the original Crisis (on Infinite Earths) and the mask has been charged by mutliversal energy and upon the two items contacting, a release of energy occurs. Just as the Dark Knight calls upon Barry Allen’s presence, the first threat of The Button appears in Flash. Enter Eobard Thawne! Also known as the Reverse Flash. Or Professor Zoom. Whatever you prefer, he is the arch-nemesis of Barry Allen, and it’s here when the mind of the reader starts to go back to a modern classic. 2011 may have been the year that launched the underwhelming New 52, but it was a year that also delivered Flashpoint. That drama – with its multiversal drama mixed with personal battles and relationships – was a fantastic story whereby the DC Universe was nearly destroyed by Barry Allen’s attempt to go back in time and rescue his mother from her final fate at the hands of Thawne. It was a story of great tragedy and drama. With King returning Thawne to the scene, we are happily reminded of that story. Although the rest of Batman (vol 3) 21 may be a fight scene between Batman and Thawne, to put it so plainly is an insult. The Flash tells Batman he’ll arrive in the cave in one minute. Throughout the fight scene, that countdown of sixty seconds is powerful, with each panel and each punch Thawne throws at Batman representing the passing of an agonising second. A minute may not be long, but Batman must endure. Tom King, as ever the most creative of storytellers, uses this to great effect and makes the fight scene incredibly interesting. He also adds some intensity to it when Thawne rips up the note Batman received from the Thomas Wayne of the Flashpoint world. But in the end, the Flash is late, and the Dark Knight cannot endure any longer. But with Batman beaten, Thawne picks up the Comedian’s badge. He suddenly vanishes into blue light, appearing seconds later coated in blazing flames. He stands, with the words ‘I saw God’ as the final he will ever speak. With that fantastic ending to the first part, the Flash finds a bloody Batman and a vaporised Thawne on the ground. Never has an opening part to a modern comic book been so creative and tense.
A harbinger of the oncoming god is the spread of insanity in the DC Universe. That ice hockey game Batman was watching had some importance, for one of the players went mad during it. At the beginning of The Flash (vol 5) 21, we briefly witness the tragedy of Johnny Thunder. The former JSA hero with his Thunderbolt, Johnny was already in a nursing home, but now his screams of the past signal a fundamental change on the way. King and Joshua Williamson – the writer of the Flash title – create this air of suspense and oncoming drama. The death of Thawne is a moment which really puts events into perspective, but the Flash cannot work out what really killed his arch-nemesis. But when Batman returns to consciousness, he talks about how the Button and the Psycho Pirate’s mask gave him a hallucination – a vision of the Flashpoint Batman and his world. With such an exciting revelation, Barry Allen goes to the JLA Watchtower to wheel out the Cosmic Treadmill. This fantastic Gardner Fox creation from the 1960s makes a wonderful comeback as Batman and The Flash head to the Flashpoint universe. This is why writers like King and Williamson stand out as great writers in the usually grim and gritty world of modern comic books. They respect the history of the DC Universe, accepting its silliness, but not milking it and ripping into it for fun. There is a real sense of thrill and adventure as Batman and the Flash travel through the Speed Force, witnessing other alternative realities which readers may be familiar with. It may be a bit fan-servicey, but it is certainly good fun. And when the duo arrives in the Flashpoint universe, it feels as if we are returning back to a place we would never expect to see again. And that is why the ending of The Flash (vol 5) 21 – with Bruce Wayne’s Batman meeting Thomas Wayne’s Dark Knight – is such a brilliant ending, promising much.
The Thomas Wayne incarnation of Batman is easily one of the best aspects of the 2011 Flashpoint story. Even grittier and darker than the usual Dark Knight, this is a Batman borderline dependent on alcohol. With no moral difficulty on the killing front, Thomas Wayne was created by witnessing the murder of his son and his wife’s deep spiral into insanity. It’s a world with nothing good for Thomas Wayne – until Barry Allen came along. The relationship between Thomas and Barry evolved during the story, but it was a genuine friendship of curiosity and eventual closeness. One reason why Flashpoint was fantastic was because of Barry’s personal proximity to Bruce, and how that element made him a perfect match for Thomas Wayne. In Batman (vol 3) 22, the son comes face-to-face with his father. Naturally, it is a huge shock at first, and the two don’t get a prolonged opportunity to speak. This meeting takes place seconds before the Flashpoint world’s destruction. Wayne Manor is nearly raided by Wonder Woman’s Amazonian warriors, but before the Flash can rebuild the Cosmic Treadmill and return to the regular world, we get some beautifully brief moments of Thomas and Bruce speaking. They have little time, and King writes these scenes incredibly powerful. You get the feeling that this issue will have a large impact on the inner thinking of Batman in the years to follow, especially as Thomas’s word of advice is that Bruce should retire as Batman and live a life of happiness, not of vengeance. It’s because of Thomas’s presence that we see a side to Bruce we rarely see – one more emotional and brash as he desperately wishes that Thomas could return with them to their reality. King is a brilliant capturer of character, and his dialogue just naturally follows. The meeting may be short, but the way it captivates the reader cannot be underestimated.
With the ending of Batman (vol 3) 22 and the start of the Flash (vol 5) 22, the story goes full circle. In the Speed Force, the Flash and Batman meet the Reverse Flash of the past, grasping hold of the badge as its godly energy transports it to a mysterious realm. While there isn’t exactly much to the chase in the Speed Force, we do get to witness more detail of Zoom’s fate. It isn’t a moment of shock, but I suppose it gives another teaser for who the ‘enemy’ is, for those somehow unaware.
The big surprise of the final part is that – just as Wally West returned from the Speed Force in DCU: Rebirth, The Button returns Jay Garrick to the DC Universe. Although I wasn’t aware he was missing, it is good to see that the DC Multiverse still heavily depends on all the incarnations of the Flash, regardless of era. But Jay’s return is brief – Barry has no memory of him, and this means he remains trapped in the Speed Force for the foreseeable future. This fourth is easily the most standard of the four issues, with few surprises or great moments. It exists simply to wrap events up. Williamson ends the story in a reflective mood, with Batman thinking about what his father of another reality said to him. Thomas’s words genuinely leave an impact on Batman. Williamson and King – as ever artists with creativity and drama – simply feature Bruce Wayne looking out of the window at the Gotham night sky, noticing the signal in the sky, but not following its lead. It’s refreshing to see a despondent Dark Knight who is beginning to see how pointless his mission may be. But The Button ends with the badge once again. That badge is now in the grasp of the god, and we are left with a quote – “We are all puppets, Laurie. I’m just a puppet who can see the strings.” The words of Alan Moore will cause a shake-up in the DC Universe…
The Button moves at a rapid pace. Aided by some masterful storytelling techniques deployed by King and Williamson, it may move quickly, but those moments of emotion and drama are delivered with such long-lasting effects. Readers must read Flashpoint before diving into this in order to enjoy the great scenes featuring Thomas Wayne. It would be easy to write off The Button as a teaser to the Doomsday Clock, the 12-issue miniseries which completes the link between the DC Universe and Watchmen. But The Button is much more than that. The writers are excellent writers of dialogue and character, and there are pages here which stand as crucial moments here in the lives of the two main characters. The plot feels like an adventure, and although the big mystery of the badge may remain, The Button is a good romp. It has the propensity to be both very funny and very sad at different stages. With its memorable moments, The Button is much more than a simple teaser event.
Art in modern comic books is usually pretty ugly and messy stuff. But for the Batman (vol 3) issues, Jason Fabok provides some of the best comic book of the 2010s. With its detailed yet fine inks and dramatic storytelling, Fabok creates a world of drama and memorability. The storytelling is impactful, and his designs of the characters are iconic. For the Flash (vol 5) issues, we have Howard Porter. He was never a favourite of mine, especially during the JLA title with Grant Morrison. His art style has radically changed since then. Perhaps it isn’t as ugly or over-the-top as it once was, but it is difficult to call it attractive. There is some impressive storytelling, but the finishes aren’t as clean or impactful as those of Fabok’s. All-in-all, despite the artistic differences, there is nothing terrible or completely shoddy here.
VERDICT
Overall, The Button is a fantastic four-part story featuring some great moments and characters. Batman and the Flash make for two iconic protagonists, and there are some pages of real weightiness and impact. Although DC clearly found it increasingly difficult to hide the truth of Doctor Manhattan for any longer, the blue god’s mystery is still wonderful. Without a doubt, the scenes featuring Thomas Wayne are the best – these moments conjure up mystical questions about the future of the Dark Knight and what may (or may not) happen next. All-in-all, a fun four-parter.
Next Week: Starman: A Starry Knight (Starman (vol 2) 47-53). Written by James Robinson and David S. Goyer, with art by Steve Yeowell, Wade Von Grawbadger, Keith Champagne, and Peter Snejbjerg.
Comments