Chapter By Chapter (usually) features me reading one chapter of the selected book at a time and reviewing it as if I were reviewing an episode of a TV show or an issue of a comic. There will be spoilers if you haven’t read to the point I have, and if you’ve read further I ask that you don’t spoil anything further into the book. Think of it as read-along book club.

PART 2: KNIGHTQUEST

Today’s chapter is only about 5 pages, and that’s on a technicality in the paperback version. I imagine it was closer to four in the hardcover edition, if there was one. I’m a bit low on time this week so that works out well for me this time.

Last chapter had us losing a teammate, Jean Paul continuing to lose his mind, and Bruce continuing to lose his health. And yet he refuses to give up trying to find the truth of whether or not Shondra is a willing participant in his brother’s schemes. This brings up another point I’ve come to disagree with others on, the idea that Bruce is obsessed with crime. Driven, yes. However, as I’ve gone over before the idea that this is obsession isn’t accurate. He wants to keep others from becoming like him. He uses Batman as a positive outlet while the whole “bat” theming is just a psychological edge on the bad guys. It’s the villains who let their obsessions get the better of them, and that’s the case with Jean Paul Valley more than Bruce Wayne. Then again, Bruce is trying to find a positive outlet for his trauma to better the lives of others while Jean Paul is the victim of brainwashing by a society of extremists. He was trained to be obsessed with no positive outlet. This is why he will fail at being Batman, but right now we still have a missing doctor with healing powers to find before she kills the world leaders.

We still manage to get two segments in this book. One shows Alfred returning to Wayne Manor for what might be the last time…or until he finally returns sometime after this storyline. I linked to my review of that story last time. I’m not sure the part with the jerk cabbie was all that necessary when the point was giving us a brief glimpse into Alfred’s dealing with what he’s doing. And yet he still cares about Bruce enough to talk not-Batman into protecting him anyway. Here we get an idea of what Jean Paul is and isn’t doing right as Batman. Like so many readers, and sadly creators, Jean Paul is focused on the surface stuff. He has to be asked to take off the mask and to not speak in his own version of the Batman voice. He has to be reminded that even though Bruce quit being Batman he’s still in danger and Batman helps people in danger.

It’s quite possible that under Alfred’s influence Jean Paul might overcome The System and become a proper Batman, but Alfred will clean the ignored Manor one last time and leave the story. In the end that might be for the best because this is supposed to be an examination of Bruce vs Jean Paul when it comes to approaching being Batman, and Alfred would not let their own personalities speak for themselves long term.

Meanwhile Bruce’s new strategy is…interesting. He causes trouble but tips well. The latter is possibly Bruce’s conscience about how he has to treat these people to keep up the act, but apparently it isn’t enough. Sir Hemingford is trying to get Asp’s attention without making it look TOO obvious…but trying to set an old painting in the hotel lobby to do so seems a bit much. Sure enough the hotel detective slaps the cuffs on him. There’s not a lot to say about that. It’s possible that next time we’ll see how well the plan works, but this short chapter is all I have time for this week.

That means next time we’ll see how Asp responds. This chapter was short but does give us a bit more insight into how Jean Paul is taking to his role and what is being lost by Alfred leaving…and yet that may be a good thing for the story. Alfred could have eventually ended the situation since he’s the one who brought Valley in to being with and that means we wouldn’t have the theme they were going for: should the Batman become a killer, is he really a vicious dark avenger, or is that what some 90s fans wanted and why that would be a bad thing. We’ll see where that goes in the next chapter.