Batman: Gotham Ages Chapter 1

Dynamic Beginnings

Foreword: This has been a passion project of mine for the past three years and I’m very excited to finally reveal it! It was 2019 and I was reading what was at the time a brand-new Spider-Man story from writer Chip Zdarsky and artist Mark Bagley titled Spider-Man Life Story. The comics premise was Spider-Man aging in real time debuting back in the 1960’s leading up to what his age what would’ve been in the 2010’s while also providing a different take on key moments in the characters history in certain decades. A year later during the pandemic and being stuck at home I asked myself, “What if Batman had a similar story?” and that’s what this story is all about. I also wrote this as my ultimate tribute to Batman, his mythos, and his supporting cast. Lastly, I want to dedicate this story to the late great Kevin Conroy who we tragically lost in November 2022. He was not just my Batman, but a Batman to a whole generation of fans and without his take on the character I wouldn’t be writing this and my passion for superheroes would be nonexistent. His work from the iconic animated series, the Arkhamverse, and the Injustice series of games will always be iconic. To you Kevin, you are vengeance, you are the night, and you will always be…. Batman! Hope you all enjoy!

Based on characters created by Bob Kane with Bill Finger and DC Comics. This is a fan made passion project and is not affiliated with DC Comics. All rights to these characters and art are owned by their respective companies and creators.

Issue #1: Set in 1940, we open with a quick summary of Batman’s origin which is as follows after watching a local opera show Thomas, Martha and their son Bruce Wayne walked into an alleyway hoping to get a shortcut to their ride home. Unfortunately, a mugger by the name of Joe Chill was in that same alleyway and killed Thomas and Martha right in front of young Bruce. The mugger was going to kill Bruce, but he saw the look on Bruce’s eyes, which was full of hate and rage that it frightens him, and he ran off. After returning home he made a vow on his parents’ graves that he will wage war on crime and to prevent anyone from living through what happened to him. He spent years training his body, mind, and will to absolute perfection. After returning home to Gotham after so many years he learned that criminals are a superstitious and cowardly lot and the only way to beat them is to become something they can fear. One night in his parents’ study he saw a Bat crash through his window, and he had the idea to take on the guise of a Bat and thus Batman was born.

After that, we cut to Batman overlooking a grime and smog flooded Gotham City, which is still recovering from the Great Depression, and during this we are given a monologue from a 25-year-old Batman while leaping across rooftops and scouring for criminals, while donning his classic first appearance costume,  which is a lite grey suit with a black cape and cowl with wider ears, a bat symbol on his chest, a yellow utility belt, and purple gloves.

During this part, the reader learns about what the world is looking like during WW2 and other heroes popping up around the country like Superman, Shazam, Wonder Woman, The Seven Soldiers of Victory,

and of course, the Justice Society of America.

Also get Batman’s opinion and stance on Superman and the JSA. He does not know and understand Superman yet, so he does not fully trust him while the rest of the world is trying to figure out if he is with the allies or the axis. He believes the JSA are a bunch of government stooges willing to answer to any badge and Batman himself was asked to join but he declined because his first priority is Gotham and if the war comes to America he’ll still be in Gotham to ensure the axis power stay out of the city. We also learn that the only allies Batman has is police captain James Gordon and district attorney Harvey Dent, he notes that the city is corrupt but both Gordon and Dent are the best people to trust in his mission. After the monologue ends Alfred informs Batman that he will be late to attend Haly’s Circus with actress Julie Madison. Batman acknowledges this and heads to the Batmobile, which is just an ordinary red 1936 Cord 812, and changes to his civilian clothes.

Elsewhere at the circus we see the Flying Graysons, which composes of husband-and-wife Richard and Mary Grayson, practicing their routine and being a family, but the focus is on their 8-year-old son Richard “Dick” Grayson.

We see how skilled in acrobatics Dick is and his parents talk amongst themselves stating that he will be become a better trapeze artist then they can be. After practice Dick catches the owner, C.C. Haly having a discussion with a crook named Tony Zucco about protection money.

Mr. Haly declines and Zucco is furious about this, and he tells him his boss will not find this “funny” and Zucco leaves the circus property. Later that night we see the circus in bright lights and filled with an anxious and excited audience, but in a dark corner we see Zucco tampering with the trapeze wires. He left and shrugged the Graysons away Dick recognizes him, but he is quickly dismissed as he and his family prepare to take their positions. Mr. Haly gives Bruce Wayne a shout out for providing a sizable donation to the circus, spotlight is on him, and Julie and the audience applauds. Then Haly gets the audience excited and prepares them for the arrival of the Flying Graysons. Richard and Mary are up first, and their performance was breath taking and Mary is preparing Dick to jump and grab her arms, but before she could that the wires snap and John and Mary died while Dick and the audience watch helplessly as they fall.

A week passes and we see Dick is taken in by Bruce and he is still grieving his parents and having a difficult time connecting with Bruce, because he always at night “tending business”, even the reader knows that Bruce is being active as Batman to find Zucco. But unknown to him Dick is also doing his own investigating to find him. While Batman is trying to find him, he monologues and talks about what happened to Dick is too much like what happened to his parents and he will stop at nothing to bring him in. After interrogating some thugs Batman was able to locate Zuccos last known location and when he got there, he found him dead, with a twisted smile on his face. He examines the body and makes a call to Gordon. Batman hears a creak and sees a shadow; he turns and sees the culprit run off and Batman chases him and once he got him, it turns out to be a woman, dressed like a cat. Batman remarks and saying “You’re the Cat thief I heard about” she corrects him saying it is Catwoman, she is wearing her classic purple costume with the green cape.

She makes a similar comment but adds that she did not realize how handsome he is. Batman is not in the mood for this flirtatious behavior and demands why she was at the scene of Zuccos death. (Cuts to a flashback told by Catwoman). She states she was there to steal some cash and Zucco was still alive and while she was snooping around she heard the door open and overhears a conversation between Zucco and his “boss” and tells him how disappointed he is in him. Stating that killing the Graysons was a stupid move and now the whole city and Batman are putting all eyes on their operation. Zucco apologizes and explains why he did it. Reason behind it is because he wants to make his boss more intimidating and he does not take no for an answer. His boss forgives him and after that she heard Zucco laughing uncontrollably and died with a smile on his face. After hearing he asked her if she got a name. Catwoman said yes and its “Joker” Batman heard rumors of the name before but never encountered him. Catwoman also mentions that he and his goons are planning to kill police commissioner Loeb and Harvey Dent. After being told this Batman warns Gordon of the attack he tells Batman he will be in Loeb’s office with Dent and Batman informs him that he’s on his way, and as turns back Catwoman vanishes, and he thinks to himself that he will get her another day. During all this Dick watches from the streets and follows Batman. At Loebs office we see Loeb and Dent watched over by Gordon and several police officers guarding him, Loeb tells Gordon to calm down and it leads to the two of them arguing which leads to a cop laughing hysterically and reveals to be the Joker (classic look) in disguise and the officers around them are his goons.

He has Gordon and Dent down on the ground and is holding them hostage while he has Loeb in his grasp, and he begs to live and offers to do anything. Joker caught that and hands him a cup of acid and tells him “you can have a drink” and shoves the acid in his throat and laughs while doing it. He places the cup on Loeb’s desk on the edge with some acid still left. He gets his goons to bring Dent over to him. Harvey is not as cowardly as Loeb is and he tells him he will not go down without a fight. Joker acknowledges this and tells him that he has other plans for him, and he chuckles sinisterly. Batman crashes through the window to fight the Jokers goons and during the fight Dick catches up and stays hidden watching the ensuing battle and is amazed at the Batmans work. After the fight. Joker is holding Dent hostage at gunpoint and tells him he will kill him if Batman makes a move. Batman demands to know why he is doing all this and Joker tells him that he wants to create chaos and to do that is remove all the important heads that run Gotham and once the dust settles he will have control over everything. Batman asks about the Graysons and Joker says that was a mistake, but he remarks that the look on their faces when they fell must have been hilarious. Dick charges at the Joker surprising everyone and knocks Dent out his grasp, but his shoulder hits Loeb’s desk and the acid spilled on Harvey’s face. Joker shoves Dick out of the way and points the gun at him. After Batman is realizing all the pain and hurt this man has caused, he charges furiously at the Joker beating him to a pulp, punching him over and over again and before he can finish it, he sees Dick watching him horrified.

Batman stops himself and handcuffs him. Gordon is tending Dent and both Gordon and Batman are shocked and saddened to what happened to Harvey. He tells Gordon he will take Dick home. Batman takes him to the Batcave, which is just a normal cave with planes and cars under construction, and no computers or anything high tech.

Dick is amazed, and Batman tells him you showed courage and determination he has never seen in a child and asks do you want to honor your parents’ memory. Dick being unsure of what he means, and he asks who he is. Batman unmasked himself and Alfred is there watching and remarks “So master Grayson will be staying a little longer?” Closing epilogue, we see Batman overlooking on a building with the bat signal lighting the sky, while donning a new grey and blue costume, but alongside him is Dick Grayson donning the costumed identity of Robin the Boy-Wonder and both will be ushering in a new era for Gotham as the Dynamic Duo.

Elsewhere we cut to a hospital room with Harvey Dent having half his face covered in bandages and a nurse unwrapping it and is horrified and Harvey demands a mirror and after seeing that has his face is scarred, he goes insane, breaks out of the hospital and takes on the persona of Two-Face.

Transition to an isolation prison cell where we see the Joker in a straitjacket laughing uncontrollably, because he realized no matter what horrible thing he does, Batman will not kill him, and Joker remarks that “this will be fun”.