Hello and welcome to the World of Bats, the Batman Book Club!
This week we’ll be looking at the rise of Jace Fox as Batman in his solo title I Am Batman, issues by #0-5, written by John Ridley, with art by Travel Foreman, Olivier Coipel, Stephen Segovia, Christian Duce, Laura Braga, Juan Ferreyra, and Christian Duce.
In the throes of Future State, the streets of Gotham City cry for justice and Jace Fox answers the call! With a new and improved Batsuit, Jace hits the streets to inspire and protect as he seeks out the voice of misinformation and violence-the anarchistic Anti-Oracle! Can the new Dark Knight counterbalance a plan to foment armed rebellion in the citizens of Gotham?! Can one man inspire a city?!
Reading will last from 2023-02-25T06:00:00Z→2023-03-03T06:00:00Z, but if you’re trying to jailbreak a batsuit like you would your iPhone, you can always come back later!
Looking forward to discussing these issues with you all!
If you want to take a look at Jace’s journey, we’ve been covering it fairly well here on the World of Bats Club!
Also, if you’re looking for other Batman-themed adventures, there’s still time to check out The BatFam as they cover Batman '89, continuing the adventures of the Michael Keaton Batman and a new Robin, Winston Drake!
Not sure what it is, but something about this doesn’t really work for me. The action scenes are entertaining enough, but the overall story feels a bit bland. Maybe it’s that Jace’s motivation feels so generic; he fights for justice, he’s on the side of the people, he wants redemption.
One scene I really enjoyed was the ending where Jace and Lucius had their conversation
Yeah, this is a…weird start to this run, because it kinda still felt like it was doing Future State stuff when it clearly wasn’t. I do feel like the book does get a little more interesting after this, when Jace and the rest of the Fox family move to New York City. Totally agreed about Jace and Lucius’ talk being a highlight.
I enjoy most things about the first volume of I am Batman. Jace blindly going into a greater than normal Gotham with no fancy equipment but his strategy and strength at his side. Jace goes against the Magistrate and a group of similar passionate vigilantes in the moral Authority. As Batman he is looking to define himself as a new kind of hero in a city where he ain’t welcome, and that’s pretty cool for a first arc.
The actions solid, art is not consistent but regardless is well done in this gritty world, and the dynamic among characters and it’s protagonist is like prime time drama. Showcasing John Ridley skills as a screenwriter.
To be real, this series really should have been a stand alone elseworld story. I think it was honestly meant to be. I’m always gonna be confused by these panels in the first issue.
Jace Fox Batman has a solid beginning in the first volume of I am Batman as a hero who is in a more grounded world of the dc universe where the theme of redemption defines him more so than the Bat suit. It’s a fine arc to start his journey as a hero.
If I were willing to guess, this was written around the time that 5G was still in place, when Ridley was going to write the main Batman book with Jace as the one Batman. I mean, there is SOME connection – Seer did declare that Batman was dead at the start of Fear State, so it can be kinda fudged together, but it definitely feels taped on.
Overall I feel you – Jace is definitely fun as a more low-tech, scrappy Batman in this story.
Thanks for being a wonderful member of the community!
Happy DCUIversary 
