Jake & Leon #534: Crumbled Fortress

For the purposes of the archives we’re talking about this infamous page from Batman: Fortress #1

I know I’m a bit late on this but I was on hiatus when it dropped, so this is a bit of unfinished business. The Jake & Leon response is:

Gee, I hope there isn’t some dying security guard or cleaning person who tried to stop them.

I do understand the needing to prioritize. It’s the reason Bruce gives for not even dropping some tear gas pellets you know he has in his utility belt as he zooms by that bugs me. How does he know some security guard or cleaning person isn’t trapped in the middle of that nonsense if they’re even alive? What if insurance doesn’t cover enough to restock, repair the building, and open up in a reasonable amount of time? Is this a big chain store, a franchise that the franchisee has to put their money into or some dude opening their own store with a dream of owning his or her own business? The original line wasn’t about letting go employees but this lone store owner wondering how he’ll feed his family. On the next page he stops a mugging/potential rape situation, but at least call Gordon to warn him this riot going on. Or someone else in the Bat-Family. Again, it’s not that he’s prioritizing but the reason he gives. Some of those TVs were Wayne Technologies merchandise so have him promise to replace the stolen products or even do a charity drive later…give us some evidence he cares about small businessmen. This isn’t some protest; they’re freaking out because the lights don’t work.

Also, what’s the point of stealing a TV during a blackout? You can’t use it and the way they’re acting you’d think they wouldn’t have power again. At least No Man’s Land made sense. We had a power blackout last year. We didn’t go rob a store in blind panic. This is just another reason to leave Gotham City and that’s on modern Bat-Writers who have decided to give Batman’s enemies such high body counts you wonder why anyone stays.

Well, my first week back to BW means I wasn’t able to commit to this week’s de-cluttering project over at The Clutter Reports. My poor scheduling is part of the life clutter I’m dealing with. As for what’s coming this week, chapter 1 of TekWar for Chapter By Chapter, and depending on what news comes out this week maybe some of the commentaries I planed to write LAST week. Have a good week, everyone!