Warning! Spoilers ahead for Batman #140!Sorry Gordon, but a new police commissioner is coming to the DC Universe, and he spells trouble for Gotham. Vandal Savage may be trapped in the boundaries of Batman’s city, but that doesn’t mean he’s sitting on the sidelines. Savage is already making powerful friends who want to give him one of the city’s most powerful positions.
In Batman #140’s backup story “The Savage Garden of Gotham” by Chip Zdarsky and Mike Hawthorne, Vandal Savage is invited to a meeting with Gotham’s elite. While discussing how the elite can reclaim their influence after the events of “Gotham War”, Savage kills a burglar to show the pampered elite what power is.
Savage’s act of murder impresses a man named Leonid Kull. He mentions he belongs to a secret society interested in controlling Gotham. Kull offers to provide funding and other assets to make sure Savage takes the role most suited to his particular skills: Gotham City Police Commissioner.
Vandal Savage is Out to Become the New Jim Gordon
Vandal Savage came to Gotham during the events of “Gotham War” because his immortality was fading and he was desperate to find a way to fix it. After taking control of Wayne Manor and Catwoman’s thieves’ guild, Savage managed to bring an asteroid similar to the one who originally granted him his powers to the city. Unfortunately, it had a curious side effect. Vandal Savage is immortal again, but his powers only work within the boundaries of the city. Anytime he steps outside, Savage grows weaker. With no other option, Savage resolved to stay in Gotham and become its new ruler.
Jim Gordon hasn’t been Commissioner since he retired from the role, paving the way for Renee Montoya to step in. But Montoya has been struggling with the bureaucracy of the job and has occasionally been resuming her activities as the vigilante, the Question. By the sounds of things, she might be forced back into a life of vigilantism. While Kull doesn’t specify what society he belongs to, the likeliest group is the Court of Owls, a secret order dedicated to controlling Gotham. They’ve installed puppets in Gotham before and now they’re about to place a violent fascist in charge of the city’s police department.
The Court of Owls is Taking Control of Gotham
The Court thrives on control and power as much as Vandal Savage does. Putting him in charge of the Gotham City Police Department is an incredibly horrifying prospect. Not only is he going to crack down hard on the city, but Savage is likely going to use every asset he can to make Batman and the Bat-Family’s lives a living hell. Savage is a conqueror at heart, and the Court of Owls has just given him the tools necessary to take down the city’s greatest protector. Savage may only be a pawn in the Court of Owls’ larger game, but as Commissioner, the DC villain is becoming the most dangerous person in Gotham.
Batman #140 is on sale now from DC Comics.
