Batman And Robin #24

Gotham City's crime families are gathering and organizing a strategy to wipe out the "Freaks" of the city. "Freaks" like The Joker, Two-Face, etc. Discussing whether or not to take them out in one fellow swoop or one by one with surgical precision. One of the key members among the group of crime families is Erin McKillin, sole surviving member of the McKillin Clan (an Irish crime family), who we see is a very big part of Harvey Dent and his transition into Two-Face. And has been operating the family business from the shadows more specifically, Ireland.

In some flashback panels we see that Erin has murdered Gilda Dent, Harvey's wife, stabbing her in the chest with a knife. Harvey Dent is coming to after being unconscious and discovers his now deceased wife on the floor and that he is tied up upon the top of his desk. We aren't given the fine details as to what exactly Harvey had done to McKillin, if it was beyond Dent's simply doing his job as Gotham's District Attorney, or if there is more to this story that will be revealed later. We are however, shown the creation of Two-Face. In a series of simple yet powerful panels by writer Peter J Tomasi and artist Patrick Gleason, we see Erin McKillin take the bottle of acid and pour into onto half of Harvey's face, and to quote her, "Now Gotham can finally see what a two-faced son a bitch you really are!". Her final words were that she felt a piece of her had died, and it was only fair that a piece of Harvey did as well.

It is based on this history that the crime families of Gotham decide to use Erin to lure Two-Face out, and then scratch the "freak" off their list. Only to be apprehended by Batman at the end. 

Speaking of Batman, we see him through out the issue with Alfred dealing with the empty grave situation. Two empty graves that once held the bodies of Talia al Ghul and Damian Wayne, until Ra's al Ghul apparently retrieved their bodies. Ra's al Ghul, whom Batman vows to make priority one after he deals with Gotham's crime families and what they have planned.

What do I think of all this?

Even with the making of Two-Face, I would say this was a starter issue for a much bigger story that could make for an interesting read when most of the New 52 universe will be focusing on Year One. Clearly there is more to the Harvey Dent/Erin McKillin situation, meaning more than a simple "Harvey took down her family". Possibly Dent was playing both sides and had a relationship with Erin. Or maybe it is simply just that, Harvey did his job and they just switched up the who's and how's in the origin of Two-Face. It will be nice to read as it adds to the new history of not only Harvey Dent, but with the crime family involvement, the new history of Gotham City.

To me at times, comic books are like wrestling. They can be totally predictable at times but the unfolding of the story is epic, and then both seem predictable and your left shocked with what actually unfolds. I say this, as Ra's al Ghul being the person to retrieve the bodies of Talia and Damian immediately makes myself, and I am sure many others, think that the Lazarus Pits are gonna be cooking, and people will be returning. Given Little D's popularity before his shocking death in Batman Incorporated #8, his return seems "predictable" but a story that I can't wait to see unfold. The same applies to Talia, and with both, there is room for "shock". I must also add that having this happen in "Batman And Robin" kind of hints at that also in a way. However, Carrie Kelley is around so perhaps she'll take the mantle, at least until Damian returns from the dead....and then his old self.

Stay Nerdy!