I have to admit I’m not a Neil Gaiman follower. I like the occasional offering but for the most part I find what he does to be too flowery for my taste. That’s why it was such a surprise when I read part one of Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader. It was easily one of the best Batman stories I had read in a long time as well as one of the only decent stories to deal with the apparent “death” of Bruce Wayne. Not only was it a story that gave weight to Bruce Wayne’s “death” but Gaiman also managed to add real mystery and surprise to the story.
That’s why I found it so disappointing that the second part of Whatever Happened To The Caped Crusader, while mostly solid, ended in a clichéd way that’s really below a writer of Gaiman’s stature. It’s not that I was expecting Gaiman to give the readers any solid answers as to where Bruce Wayne is or what the deal is with the cave we may or may not have seen him in. What I was hoping for was a wrap up to his story that didn’t try so hard to be metaphysical and fantastic. It feels like Gaiman was so wrapped up in making this some statement on Batman as an icon he kind of lost his way.
The funeral aspect of What Ever Happened to the Caped Crusader is what makes this story so fascinating. The funeral is a fantasy, a figment of Bruce Wayne’s imagination that allows him to look back at all the people involved in his life from day one. Whether telling stories that aren’t quite true or recounting a death of Batman that is clearly flight of the imagination it’s always clear that this is Bruce’s mind at work. Part of that is the ethereal voice of Bruce Wayne that narrates the goings on. Bruce is watching the funeral and he knows it isn’t right but doesn’t know why. He’s also having a continuing conversation with some woman that seems to know what’s going on even if Bruce doesn’t.
Gaiman’s writing is spot on when it comes to the various guests at the funeral recounting their stories of Batman. He manages to draw out stories from these characters that totally make sense within their history. Gaiman doesn’t go off on some weird tangent or try to pull out a story that doesn’t belong but instead gives us what would be a believable story within the minds of say The Joker, Ra's Al Ghul, Clayface etc. That’s really when the story comes alive and Gaiman is really at his best. Even when Batman walks through a “door” into his own consciousness, which is represented by the image of his mother, the script crackles with dialog and interesting revelations.
Bruce has no idea if he laid dying somewhere and having these dreams or if he’s seeing his life flash before his eyes right before his actual death. Gaiman never gives that tidbit up choosing to keep the focus on Batman saying goodbye to all that he’s known and facing whatever the future has for him. There’s even a particularly touching section where Batman says goodbye to what he has known the same way he used to say goodbye to things before going to sleep as a child. This is the stuff where Gaiman really shows how good he is at writing comics.
The problem comes literally in the last two pages of the issue where Gaiman tries to tie the whole thing up in a little bow. I’m not sure if this was forced on him by Dan Didio and the other DC editors in order to give a back door for the return of Bruce Wayne or to kick off the story that leads to his coming back but it utterly fails. I won’t reveal the ending to you but trust me it leaves you looking like a dog shown a card trick because of how cliché and easy it is. Outside of that Gaiman’s writing on What Ever Happened to the Caped Crusader is absolutely first rate.
The other thing that elevates this story to a new level is the artwork. Legendary artist Andy Kubert (son of Joe Kubert) pours his career long love for the Dark Knight into this story in a beautiful way. Besides the actual art being amazing Kubert throws in so many little nuances and subtle touches that you really have to focus on each panel to find them. Kubert also gives every character his own powerful emotions, such as when the Joker becomes melancholy over his idea of the death of Batman. Kubert absolutely personifies how a two dimensional medium can leap off the page and come to life. Jack Kirby would be proud.
Overall What Ever Happened to the Caped Crusader is a solid tribute to a fallen icon that could have been a brilliant one. Art wise this will be one of those stories people look back on for years as a touchstone to the legacy of the Dark Knight. Writing wise it will be that issue that was so close to being legendary but fell short of the mark in the final seconds when greatness was in its grasp.
