Warning! Contains spoilers for Detective Comics #1081!
Every Gotham citizen knows the urban legend of the Batman who haunts the streets, terrorizing criminals. This legend has become nearly inseparable from Gotham’s history, but one group of villains is trying to attack Batman in a way no villain ever has before. The Orgham family are attempting to separate the legacy of Batman from Gotham, completely erasing Batman from the memories of Gotham’s citizens and therefore destroying his legacy forever.
In recent issues of Detective Comics, Batman has been terrorized by the Orgham family, a group tied to the founding of Gotham. The Orghams view Batman as a problem within Gotham’s history. According to them, Batman never should have existed, and as of Detective Comics #1081 they’re working to remove him from history. Using the Reality Engine, they intend to hypnotize every citizen in Gotham to remove their memories of Batman, permanently erasing his legacy from Gotham. Part of this involves a public execution, symbolically killing the idea of Batman before the entire city, to cement the fact that his legacy is over. Check out the issue’s full solicitation below:
- Detective Comics #1081
- Release Date: January 23rd, 2024
- Writers: Ram V., Dan Watters
- Artists: Riccardo Federici, Stefano Raffaele
- Cover Artists: Evan Cagle
- Variant Cover Artists: Inhyuk Lee, Sebastian Fiumara, Evan Cagle
- Spirited away from a city that believes him dead, Batman has been brought far from Gotham and deposited in a desert of legend. Possessed by an Azmer demon and rapidly losing his own identity, he must now cross this mythic landscape on a vision quest. With no water, no supplies, and no one to save him, Batman is left with two choices: burn out the demon or be left as bones in the sand. Meanwhile, the Orghams’ master plan is finally fully enacted as they use the Reality Engine to make all of Gotham forget there ever was a Batman. Bear witness to Batman’s worst fears made manifest in “Elegy of Sand,” part one!
Batman’s Gotham Legacy Fades from Memory
The Orgham family is ancient, even older than Gotham. As the Orghams had a hand in founding the city, traces of them still exist, such as “Arkham” being a perversion of the name “Orgham.” The Orghams returned to the city because Arkham Asylum was being destroyed, and they couldn’t have their legacy in Gotham forgotten. This brings Batman to their attention: they view him as a thief of their legacy, seeing as everyone in Gotham knows Batman, but few are aware of the Orghams. This is why they’ve set their plan in motion to remove Batman’s legacy.
Most Gotham villains only want to hurt the Batman persona, but some villains have specifically gone after Bruce Wayne or even Bruce’s fortune and company. The Orghams are the first villains to attack Bruce’s legacy as Batman. This solicitation suggests that the Orghams will succeed and that Catwoman’s team will be unable to save Batman. If Gotham truly forgets the Dark Knight, there could be disastrous effects. Many Gotham villains only exist because of Batman. The future of villains like the Riddler and Two-Face, without the memory of Batman, is truly up in the air.
Batman Will Have To Reinvent Himself As Something New
No matter the evil plan, Batman has always come out, alive and somewhat well, at the other end — partially due to the help of his friends and family, almost all of whom reside in Gotham. After the events of Gotham War, if the Orgham family succeeds in erasing Batman’s legacy from Gotham, Batman will be truly alone — without family or legacy. It’s unclear how Batman could possibly come back from this major defeat.
DETECTIVE COMICS #1081 | |
|---|---|
|
|
