Spoilers ahead. You’ve been warned.
Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s last Batman story continues today and more is revealed as Batman learns what happened to the world when he was gone. This issue has some huge revelations as well as some epic high-fantasy style storytelling. Like any good high-fantasy worth a damn, this issue involves deaths. Big ones.
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As Batman pushes forward through trial after trial he comes face to face with Superman. Soon though he learns Superman isn’t even real, but one of many clone-like creations from Lex Luthor. Batman asks Lex a few times to give him the details on what happened to Superman and it’s not pretty. Hopeful, but not pretty. It all starts with an offer.
Even though Superman could sense the shards he debates Lex anyway. It’s also interesting to note Lex speaks of Superman as if in awe of him. He’s a bit loopy in his current state of telling Batman this story, but it’s still a bit of a shock. Lex explains the winner would be decided after Starro connects to all of humanity and registers those who think “Justice” and those who think “Doom.” If the majority thought “Justice” the shards would activate and kill Superman, but if they think “Doom” they’d activate and kill Lex.
This is a particularly interesting plot development right now since “Year of the Villain” is kind of pushing forward this agenda of Lex’s to prove to the world evil is better than good. Maybe it’s a spoiler to that story, or maybe this story stands alone, but we soon learn Superman won the debate.
Luthor reveals he expected Superman to save him. He expected the shards to rise up and kill him.
But Superman died that day. What is curious about this story is how Lex was surprised the shards killed Superman. It was Lex’s trap, but it didn’t go to plan. Lex goes on to say it was a mistake and then the villains turned on him and the world.
That’s only a fraction of the story though and I highly recommend you read the whole thing to get the full picture.
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