Batman Eternal Issue 8: Who is Jason Bard

Written by: Gary M. Kenny, CC2K Comics Editor

Batman Eternal is DC’s new weekly comic shaking up the Batman universe. In issue 1 Jim Gordon got set up. He fired a gun at a subway system’s electric grid transmitter, causing it to short circuit, and making a speeding train crash and kill all it’s passengers. What Jim Gordon doesn’t know is that he was set up by Carmine Falcone aka the Roman. Also, in issue 1, we met (New 52) Jason Bard, a cop from Detroit who was asked to come work in Gotham by Jim Gordon. Speed past 7 issues and now Mr. Jason Bard is one of the only cops still working with the Batman.

Batman Eternal #8

Story: Scott Synder & James Tynion IV
Artist: Guillem March

Jason Bard (post New 52) was a cop who’s Mother was killed by his Father (kind of like the origin of the Flash). However, his Mom never kept a photo of his Dad so, Jason became a cop searching for revenge. He dated Barbara Gordon for a small period of time (also engaged at one point) but that romance ended after the Killing Joke graphic novel. He was a cop for Gotham for many years until he got injured fighting Killer Moth and forced to leave the GCPD, he then started his own Private Eye business working undercover for many of DC’s heroes.

Jason Bard (New 52) is a cop from Detroit. Hired by then Commissioner Gordon, on his first day in Gotham, Jason read the Miranda Rights to Jim Gordon for the crime of first degree murder. Though he was reluctant to do so. Knowing that Jason came all this way just to work with/for Jim Gordon, Bard has been slowly making the “right” connections of the force in hopes of clearing Jim Gordon’s name and working with Batman to save Gotham.

Batman Eternal #8 sees our hero make an attempt to talk to the new Commissioner Major Jack Forbes. Forbes has been gunning for Batman his whole career (Jim Gordon is Forbes’s rival, so he’s anti everything Gordon stood for). Secretly working with Carmine Falcone, Forbes has the entire GCPD fighting a war with Batman while letting Falcone and his gang run the streets. This issue sets some major story elements. Batman learns that he can’t trust the GCPD on paper but there are some officers who agree and have his back (Jason Bard & Harvey Bullock). Vicky Vale (New 52) wants to work with cop she trusts, she’s hoping Jason Bard will trust her. Stephanie Brown (New 52) knows that both her Mom and Dad (the Cluemaster) are out to kill her for what she knows (Spoiler). She has now, no one to turn to. Lastly, we find out that regardless how many criminals Batman lassos up, none of the GCPD are allowed to charge them with any crime. Making Batman’s work ultimately useless.

Batman Eternal is a fun weekly tale with lots of characters. Synder and Tynion has layed out a story and have allowed various other writers to script it (that’s why it’s weekly published). There is one plot but many story lines and multiple point of views. I believe this is a comic that helps set up what the Gotham TV show (minus the Batman) will look like. We get to the nitty gritty parts of Gotham’s Police Dept., criminal world, and main society. Though a war on Batman is a story line that has been done (to death) these past 30 years, it’s also one that’s always enjoyable, especially now that it’s on a weekly basis. You can jump on at any point because they keep referencing past issues. It’s a great place for beginners to get hooked onto Batman.

3.0 out of 5.0