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The Last Knight On Earth #3 Goes Back To Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's Batman #1

Today sees the publication of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's final Batman story, Batman: The Last Night On Earth #3. A long time coming, as well as doing elaborate takes on the classic knock-knock joke, it has done a lot to tie in with the team's past Batman work as well as Snyder's more recent Justice League stories. Just as in the League stories, humanity, egged on by Lex Luthor, voted for Doom against a remote sense of Justice and stormed the Hall Of Justice. It also takes on the technology from Batman that hat Bruce Wayne plot to clone himself and fill himself with the memories of Batman every time he died, duplicating for centuries. But it also goes back to their first issue of Batman together. Now, fans will remember from Scott and Greg's Batman run, narrated by Bruce Wayne in Batman #1…

Every Saturday, the Gotham Gazette includes a small life-style piece called 'Gotham Is.' In the column, random Gothamites are asked to complete the sentence 'Gotham is…' using three words or less. The Gazette has been running the 'Gotham is' column for years, ever since I was a boy.

Here are some of the words used to describe Gotham the past few weeks: 'Damned.' 'Cursed.' 'Bedlam.' 'Murderous.' Gotham is 'villainous.' Gotham is 'a losing game.' Gotham is 'hopeless.' Once in a while, someone names one of the city's villains as their answer to the 'Gotham is' question. Usually, it's some kid, a teenager going for shock value. But now and then someone actually tries to make the argument that the city is best reflected in its villains.

For example. 'Gotham is Two-Face,' meaning Gotham is a city at odds with itself. Or 'Gotham is Killer Croc.' Meaning the city is a little more than a cannibalistic monster. I've seen a few 'Mr. Freezes.' Two 'Black Masks.' Lately I've seen a couple new names appear, too. But for me, Gotham's criminals…whether old…or new…will never define this city. Because in the end, they're simple and cowardly, ruled by predictable desires.

Granted, now and then, one of them will do something that catches even me off-guard…something particularly depraved…or twisted…

Of course, one of the most common answers to 'Gotham is' question is 'Batman.' Gotham is 'Batman.' Gotham is 'Batman's city.' Gotham is 'the Bat.' All answers I'm partial to, myself. Still, I like to think a vote for Batman is a broader confirmation–a vote for all of Gotham's heroes. A vote for the GCPD. Honest, tireless men like Commissioner Jim Gordon.

Lately, I've been asking myself the 'Gotham Is' question a lot…what is Gotham City to me, Bruce Wayne? In a single word…home? Family? Purpose? But the truth–the REAL truth–is–I couldn't answer the question. But then I remembered something, friends. I remembered something my father, Thomas Wayne, used to say to me before bed sometimes, back when I was a boy and I'd had a bad day…when I'd fallen down a hole in the ground or skinned my knee.

At the end of a day like that, he'd pat my head and he'd say, 'Bruce, tomorrow is one dream away.' That was his phrase. Sentimental, I know. But still, it worked for me.

Now, as most of you know, my father died when I was just a boy. He was gunned down, along with my mother in Crime Alley across town.

And as you can imagine, the days following his death were the worst of my life. Days of anger and fear and sadness. Still, that phrase, my father's phrase–tomorrow is one dream away–it kept coming back to me…and deep down I knew, much as it hurt right then, things would get better. Now, why am I telling you this? Well, friends, my point is this–when circumstances are challenging, or frightening, asking ourselves what our city 'is' is pointless.

Because all we will see, when we look around at the buildings and streets, will be our fears, our own frustrations. Our own demons.

But if we stop looking to the present and the past, and instead we look to the future…if we ask ourselves what can be–what will be–tomorrow…then we're asking the right question. Because to hope, to dream, to predict is to shape the city yourself, rather than to be shaped by it.

So, putting my money where my mouth is…next month, Wayne Enterprises will begin investing–aggressively and immediately–in Gotham's future.

Working with various domestic design firms, we've already set in motion an initiative to rebuild some of Gotham's most derelict industrial neighborhoods. From there, we plan on moving boldly to expand and modernize Gotham's public transit system.

I cannot tell you how excited, how hopeful I am about these plans. Much more will be revealed in the coming days, but for now, I ask you to do this…Look past what Gotham is…and imagine with me, just for a moment…Gotham as it will be.

Thank you..Now what I ask of you, friends, is to invest with me. Invest in Gotham's future. Because I promise you, if we can all do that, together…a better, brighter Gotham is one dream away.

It was revisited in their final issue of the series together, Batman #51. Credited to Gotham Gazette's 'Gotham Is…' columnist, writing to Batman:

Gotham…Gotham is a black page. Gotham is a black page you write on in white font…to find your way down, down, down. It's the first line…of the last story…you'll ever write. Gotham is…a shriek in the night. Gotham is…a fist at the window. Gotham is…'dangerously comfortable…until it's just dangerous.

Gotham is skies of dark gray bricks. Gotham is boats made of bone. Gotham is waiting for the shoe to drop. Gotham is waiting for the axe to fall. Or the bang. Gotham is sitting with your back to the wall. Your hand on your gun. Waiting for the doors to swing open…Gotham isssssssss…..

Gotham is…constantly surprising. I can only hope you're reading this, BATMAN. In case you don't know, this column asks the people of the city to send in letters with their answer to one question: Gotham is…what? These letters, they come in every week, and then the column's official writer talks about how the times are reflected in them. It's one of the oldest columns at the paper, and better writers than me have worked on it.

But what I like about it is that as much as it's written by a single person, it's really created by the people who send in letters–everyone out there.

And when I started here? The letters coming in were pretty dark, pretty hopeless. Tonight, I've been listing old ones here. But lately, in the past few years, the letters have been lighter than before. Even when the city hasn't been. I was trying to show how much has changed. But I realize now that might be hard for you to see. Because, BATMAN, you always see us at our worst. At our ugliest. You forgive us and tell us we can do better. And more and more lately, we believe you.

I hope you can see that–if not in this column, then in the faces of the people you protect. Even if JUST for one moment. Even if just for tonight. I hope you look around the city and get to see us not at our worst, but at our best…and take a quiet night to yourself.

A night off.

And so really, in the end, the answer to the question the column poses is simple.

It's what we say to you, and what you say to us. Gotham…is you. Always.

And in their final Batman comic book together, it gets a mention from Omega who has, it has been teased, his or her origin in the Batfamily…

Gotham is a lie. But it won't be anymore.

It's a great capstone…

BATMAN LAST KNIGHT ON EARTH #3 (OF 3) (MR)
(W) Scott Snyder (A) Jonathan Glapion (A/CA) Greg Capullo
Gotham City has been remade. Omega reigns supreme. Can Batman finally accomplish what no other hero has and free the world from his dark reflection's shadow? Or is it too late for the recreated Caped Crusader?In Shops: Dec 18, 2019
SRP: $5.99

Batman: The Last Knight On Earth #3 is published today from DC Comics. I bought mine from Piranha Comics in Kingston-Upon-Thames. Piranha Comics is a small south London comic store chain with a small south-east store in Kingston-Upon Thames's market centre, which runs Magic The Gathering nights on Fridays, and a larger south-west store in Bromley, which also runs Magic nights and has an extensive back issue collection and online store. If you are in the neighbourhood, check them out.

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