REVIEW 'Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader #2'

I previously reviewed the first part of this amazing story, “Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader” by Neil Gaiman. Now it’s turn for the second and final part. This issue is more sentimental than the first one that served as an introduction of what was going on: an incorporeal Batman is apparently dead and watching his own funeral along with a mysterious, yet unseen woman. Several characters from the whole Batman publication history are giving their own account of how he lived and died, in spite of their stories contradicting themselves. The Joker, Robin, Mad Hatter, among others. After Superman’s story, Batman realizes the mysterious woman was his own mother all along, or at least a representation of her.

This issue starts as a parade of different short stories depicting many “deaths” of Batman. Each one very different in nature but with an important similarity: Batman always dies fighting. Batman never gives up. This theme is not giving up is key for this story and for Batman in general. It’s great to see Neil Gaiman honoring the legacy of the character this beautifully.

Batman realizes his war ends only with his death. That’s the only way his story can possibly end since he would never “retire and play golf.” This is a reference of “Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow” in which we see a retired Superman in the end. Of course, this is not to underestimate the heroic compromise of Supes, because we know no matter what, he would be there for anybody; but the thing with Batman is that he can’t live a normal life and have a family. His life is his battle, and the former can’t be without the latter. Gaiman understands this well, making it the theme of the whole story.

In the end Batman wonders if he is to going to go to the afterlife, something he hardly believes in (a nice touch to still get a very logical Batman even in the circumstances he is in). Martha tells him there is no heaven nor hell for the Batman for the only final reward for him is getting to become Batman again. Batman says goodbye to his friends, enemies and memorabilia (i.e. the giant cent and the mechanical dinosaur) which are depicted in pages of a comic book he’s holding and, finally, he reincarnates into his own self. He is Bruce Wayne, a baby who was just born in the hospital and is in the arms of his beloved mother, so the cycle starts again.

Gaiman worked carefully to make this story the roundest possible as the character deserves it in his hypothetical final issue. Batman dying and ultimately reincarnating into Bruce Wayne again to be Batman eventually makes this story the proof Batman’s quest never ends – not even after his death, because he can’t actually die. He’ll keep on fighting and fighting even after we are all gone.

“Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader” is written and drawn by Neil Gaiman and Andy Kubert; colored by Alex Sinclair; inked by Scott Williams; lettered by Jared K. Fletcher; edited by Mike Marts; and published by DC Comics. Cover art by Andy Kubert and Alex Ross. Batman and all the related characters previously mentioned are trademarks of DC Comics, so as are the comic book panels showed in this post for review purposes.