What is this book about?

Batman: Gotham knights was published with the intent to feature the exploits of Batman and his extended family, which includes and is not limited to: Alfred Pennyworth (Batman’s butler), Batgirl (trusted confidant of Batman), Nightwing (Batman’s first adopted son), Robin (Batman’s second adopted son), Oracle (trusted confidant of Batman), Catwoman (Lover and sometimes “girlfriend” of Batman), etc.

Why should you read this book?

This series focused on the friendship and family surrounding Batman. After reading this book, I had come realize how the character has less to do with action and mystery than it does family, friendship, trust and bonding. So having a regular monthly title such as Gotham Knights makes perfect sense.

The particular issue from Batman: Gotham knights I would like to recommend to you was printed in issue number #18 and is titled “Cavernous.”

This story is superb because it depicts how severe Batman’s bedside manner is with a light-hearted tale.

Batman has a reputation for being mean, cold, dark, brooding, angry, direct and unfriendly; this is because he saw his family killed right in front of him. So not only has he spent his entire life trying to make sure that doesn’t happen to other people he’s also spent his whole life trying to build a new family. Hence his three-four adopted sons, his butler who is like a father to him, his bat-girls who are like aunt’s and cousins to him, his protege’s who are like brothers to him; it’s no wonder he has so many failed relationships with women it’s because none of them measure up to the saint that was his mother. Anyway, for the most part he is mean, cold, dark, angry, direct, and unfriendly to all of his family and friends because he’s been alone for so long that he doesn’t know how to have a family, he just knows how to punish himself for not being able to do anything the night his family was murdered.

The interesting twist on this story was showing how Batman is not only mean and distant to his newly acquired family, but also to his partners and co-workers, in this case Aquaman.

Essentially this story just shows Batman home alone on a slow night in Gotham where there is hardly any crime happening. Aquaman is on “monitor duty” at the headquarters for the Justice League of America, (which is the team of heroes Batman and Aquaman are members of). Aquaman heard that one of Batman’s friends was recently injured and was just calling to send his condolences. But Batman being Batman coldly shrugs him off and goes back to his empty cave to brood some more.

Shortly Batman regrets this and calls Aquaman back and asks him for a “favor.” The favor Batman is asking Aquaman for is to retrieve a giant penny Batman has kept from an old case of his that got lodged in an underwater cavern during an earthquake in Gotham city. Aquaman teleports down to help Batman with this favor; which he comes to realize has nothing to do with the fact that he needs Aquaman’s help to get the penny but rather just his company.

It’s a fun story this receives a higher recommendation than most books I review, because it’s a quick, cheap, and fulfilling read, plus it also gives you a lot of information about the character if you’ve never read a Batman book before which makes it a good precursor to his other books. You can buy it here.

Question: Instead of asking a discussion question I’m going to ask a question about a quote from the book and see if you guys could shine some light on it.

Aquaman asks the question completely without context. So I’m asking, without having read the story or know the characters why do you think he said this? (I’m actually asking, this dialogue has confused me to no end). (Please leave your comments in the comments section below, do not message or IM me with your answers)