Earth 2 Annual #2
DC Comics
Written by Tom Taylor
Art by Robson Rocha
The moment has come where we find out the identity of the new Batman in “Earth 2”! This book lives up to all the speculation, as it is dripping with the shock factor that we as readers and fans live for! I promise not to put the identity of the new Batman in this review, because I personally don’t want to spoil this for anyone!
Let’s suffice it to say this book will blow you away. Read on.
It’s 1979, and in Crime Alley a familiar scene plays out. No, not the one we have recently seen in Forever Evil, where Bruce had an older brother, although i really dig that one too. This is the real origin, the one we have come to know, love and accept. As you all know, young Bruce Wayne watches his parents shot and killed before his eyes by Joe Chill, leading to him donning the cowl as, “The Batman”. So far so good right?
Things become even more elaborate as we learn the kind of man Thomas Wayne was and how he found himself in the same circles as people like Frankie Falcone. This was all done tastefully, and paints you a vivid portrait of the world they live in and how it all interconnects.
While this story covers the events of Robin’s disappearance and Batman’s death, the main focus is on Thomas and Martha Wayne who were human beings that made 
mistakes, and fell in with the wrong crowd. This story also touches on Joe Chill (a hired hitman) and alleged murderer of Bruce’s parents. The plot thickens when Joe himself is found dead with his head crushed in. That information sends Bruce on a city wide search for Joe Chill’s killer. This book with its incredibly crisp, clean artwork and it’s highly intelligent, fascinating story keeps Earth 2 worlds ahead of the rest of the new 52.
