Warning! Spoilers for Detective Comics 2021 Annual #1
It has been revealed that the Waynes’ tragic murder wasn’t the first time the family experienced crime in Gotham City. As a child, Bruce and his parents were familiar with the danger of the city lifestyle, as seen in Detective Comics.
Throughout the years, Bruce’s journey to become Batman has been consistently expanded, with events predating his parents’ murder at the hands of Joe Chill in Crime Alley. As some retconned events can feel more authentic to the DC Universe than others, there seems to be a line that shouldn’t be crossed regarding the catalyst for Bruce’s transformation into the Dark Knight. However, readers will soon have a glimpse at Bruce’s recollection of his father Thomas, who inspired the kind of man he would eventually become. Before Chill murdered Thomas and Martha Wayne, they crossed paths with another deranged criminal in Detective Comics 2021 Annual #1, written by Mariko Tamaki and Matthew Rosenberg, with art by David Lapham.
In a new preview for Detective Comics 2021 Annual #1, the Waynes have their first experience with violent crime in Gotham City. While young Bruce Wayne is warned by his parents that he could get a stomach ache from the ice cream sundae he’s eating, they are moments away from meeting a psychotic criminal known as “the Meager Man.” Jumping out of a window on the second story of a building, the man lunges at the Waynes with a knife. Thomas prepares to defend his family, when a sharp piece of glass from the window above conveniently falls on the man’s arm holding the knife, slicing off his limb. The memory of the bizarre incident seems to leave an impression on Bruce’s view of his father, with the example he set to protect those he cared about.
DETECTIVE COMICS ANNUAL #1
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"We don’t choose who we save, Bruce. You treat the patient who needs your help."—Thomas Wayne
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"Shadows of the Bat" begins here! In the prelude to January’s epic new Detective Comics event, Mayor Nakano has signed off on the construction of a new Arkham Tower in the heart of Gotham City, and the Bat-Family is torn. Batman has long seen Arkham as a necessary, if flawed, cog in the gears of Gotham City—a temporary solution to larger problems that in many ways mirrors his approach as Batman. Nightwing, however, who grew up watching Arkham mutate into a villain factory, believes a different approach is needed. But Bruce and Dick will need to see eye to eye on more than just Arkham Tower, as a new villain known as THE MEAGER MAN wreaks havoc in the streets and becomes the embodiment of Gotham’s broken system!
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Written by MARIKO TAMAKI and MATTHEW ROSENBERG
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Art by DAVID LAPHAM
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Cover by VIKTOR BOGDANOVIC
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$5.99 US | 48 PAGES
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Variant by JASON FABOK
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$6.99 US (Card stock)
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ON SALE 11/30/21
As a prelude to the 12-issue limited series Shadows of the Bat, the traumatic encounter will have significance in future installments of Detective Comics. Shadows of the Bat is set to release in January 2022, spinning off Fear State and promising to delve more deeply into Bruce’s past. Following the demolition of Arkham Asylum, a rebuilt facility known as “Arkham Tower” will mark a new era. At this point, Batman and Nightwing disagree on whether a rebuilt Arkham is the right future for Gotham’s criminally insane. Bruce’s memory of the Meager Man might influence his current take on the situation.
The strange crime feels reminiscent of an over-the-top slasher film, relying on folklore and action instead of story. Joe Chill might have been responsible for the Waynes’ deaths, but he only used a gun. Arguably, the Meager Man and his severed arm should have left more of a lasting impression on Bruce, especially influencing how he views violence. Detective Comics 2021 Annual #1 releases on November 30.
