Next Batman: Second Son Digital Series Discussion and Spoilers

[sifighter]

We got to see Jace Fox as Batman in the pages of various future state series, and while Infinite Frontier is starting next week today is the start of the Digital first series telling the origins of Jace becoming Batman. Now I understand that issues will be physically be collected in April, but I would like to talk now about what we can read today then wait that long, but of course if you want to wait for April and come back feel free to.

Alright so what is Jace's backstory? Well we don't get to into it but we do get into Jace's job before coming back to Gotham and its basically private military vigilante if that makes sense. He's clearly trained to be a black-ops mercenary, trying to break in and apprehend a shady businessmen with ties to mysterious crimes, Jace thinks its trafficking but the target tells him hes way off after Jace gets into a brawl when the op gets busted. It is honestly interesting because it feels like Ridley is trying to tie into the old Jace stories where he had a problem with Wayne when he was lead to believe that Bruce was a slumlord, tying into his hatred of those who are rich and abuse their power.

So the Op goes south and Jace has to punch his way out as he surprisingly does not use guns, I'm assuming so that he has some shared traits with Bruce's Batman. He gets away but not without a death threat put on his head so I'm assuming his rich target will be on him later, and may tie into things later.

Now I think the ending is interesting because not only does it get to him coming back to Gotham but I think it speaks to the difference between him and Bruce but that it also speaks volumes about his relationship with his dad.

spoilers:

Lucius sent Grifter to pick up Jace, and Grifter pretty much tells him that he better not fight him and come along with him to Gotham as his parents called him back post Joker War. I think its interesting in two ways, first its funny to think that someone who will become a Batman did not choose to come to Gotham but was forced back to Gotham. Second, I think its telling that Lucius instead of sending Family or going himself to speak with Jace he instead sent an armed dangerous superhuman vigilante to drag him back. That is kind of messed up.

end of spoilers

Overall I think its a good start to our Next Batman Origins and getting an idea of in the present how he handles himself and likely had training to be Batman.

[DragonPiece]

I get that they crop these digital first book to make it seem like we are getting more for our buck, but I really wish they’d let us read the pages in a normal format. I don’t mind it’s just a few pages, I just had this weird cropping DC does.

As for the actual story, it was good. I’m surprised we are already moving away from Tim’s days away from Gotham in just the first chapter. Fun seeing grifter so involved in the fox family also.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

I read it and liked it. It would be funny if his call sign was "Vulture".

[Restingvoice]

Oh that explains why he's in Gotham

[9th.]

Didn't know this was out, I gotta check it out

[sifighter]

Issue #2 is out digitally today and if I were to describe it, it’s a reunion issue. After last weeks issue there is no fight to bring Jace home, he just comes home and it’s a lot of dealing with his family, with a little Batwing action to break it up.

Basically he’s got issues with his entire family except Tiffany, though in fairness Tamara was upset with him for something he said so that might have been on him. In fact in an interesting turn of events Jace doesn’t think he should have come home at all but not based on what his family did but because he still feels guilt over what he did and how it hurt the family, which of course we still do not know what it is he did. But yeah this was basically establishing his family relationship, which Ridley did say would be a big part of his writing this series.