Batman #687 - DC

This series is now being brought to us by the fantastic team of Judd Winick and Ed Benes. This issue also features 2 fantastic covers by Tony S Daniel and JG Jones. Both are equally impressive. I'll include the other when I get it. This issue picks up immediately after the Battle for the Cowl mini-series. Dick has just decided to take up the mantle. However, we do get a little back-story also. We delve a little bit into Dick and Bruce's relationship. We also see how Dick is trying to do some 'drive-by crime fighting'. Showing up in the Batmobile, but not actually getting out in costume. The problem is, it's just not instilling the same shock and awe that his presence did. There's a very touching scene where Superman and Wonder Woman return Batman's cape and cowl to Alfred and Dick. They ask Alfred is he's doing all right, to which he replies, "Am I all right? . . . . No, sir. I am not! . . . . My son has died." And then later, Alfred and Dick are talking about the funeral that the other 'suits' want to have for him. But Dick refuses them. "Batman is not dead . . . what I mean is, the world cannot know he's dead. Most don't even know he was human. Vampire, demon, ghost. We all know the myths. But that's all we have left of him, the fear he instilled. That is his legacy. And we need to honor that. We need to honor him. To acknowledge his passing flies in the face of everything he fought for. Everything he was. The criminals, the monsters . . . they need to think he's still out there. Batman lives! Always!" We also see the decision by Dick to move the base of operations to the Wayne Foundation Building, instead of the cave. "That was him. This will be me. We'll build it here. If I'm going to be Batman . . it has to be me in there. Not me just playing the part. I can't replace him, I won't. I have to honor the role, but . . it has to be mine." And then . . two weeks later, the things that change are always the same. The Scarecrow has launched an attack on Gotham by taking the Bay Bridge, and 3000 commuters hostage. Of course the police try to attack in Haz-Mat suits . . to no avail. And in the end . . on the final page . . it's Batman who shows up to save the day. I thought this was a fantastic first issue. Plus, we got 30 pages of art instead of the usual 21. That helped relieve the $3.99 price tag. It made it all worth it. And, in the end, I'm feeling much more confident that Dick has the stones to pull this off. As it says on the final page . . 'Just the beginning . . . . '