Voicing My Opinion - The Button

The Batman/Flash crossover has now concluded. Just over a month of content was released, with four parts. This is how crossovers and events should be done, released quickly and regularly, so that you still have the previous instalment fresh within your mind.

The cover for Batman #21, the first part
of The Button

The event began in Batman #21, kicking off in Arkham Asylum, and a character known as Saturn Girl. She is watching a hockey game, and she keeps going on about how nobody is going to save the one of the hockey players. She is a character from the future, who was a member of the Legion of Superheroes, meaning that she knows what is about to happen. We switch to the Batcave, where Batman is attempting to figure out the mystery of the Button, which belonged to The Comedian, who is from the Watchmen comics. When the Button is placed next to the mask of Psycho Pirate, a reaction takes place, and the Reverse-Flash suddenly appears. The panels from now on are layed out like they would have been in the old days, specifically in Watchmen, as Reverse-Flash beats Batman up. There is a countdown at the bottom of each panel, signifying how long until the Flash arrives at the Batcave. Reverse-Flash notices the letter that Thomas Wayne had written Bruce in Flashpoint, and destroys it. As Batman flies in to a fit of rage, Reverse Flash is teleported away by an unknown force. When he returns, he raves about how he saw god, before he dies, with Batman lying battered and bruised next to him. Flash arrives, too late, as the issue ends.

The cover for The Flash #21, the second
part of The Button.

The next part of The Button happens within the pages of The Flash #21. This issue begins with Johnny Thunder, who is screaming about a thunderbolt that needs to come back to him, before some orderlies take him back to where he came from. We then rejoin Flash in the Batcave, who is analysing the scene of Reverse-Flash's death. The surveillance of the Batcave has seemingly been destroyed by Revere-Flash, so Flash makes the decision to ask Batman what happened. He says that, when the Button interacted with Psycho-Pirate's mask, he saw the goes of his father, from Flashpoint. This causes Flash to go to the Justice League Watchtower, and use his Cosmic Treadmill to travel through the timestream. Before he leaves, Batman arrives and tell him that it us a joint-investigation, and that he is coming along as well. As they run on the Treadmill, it starts to break apart, and they end up in the Batcave, but not the one that they are familiar with. It is the Batcave from the Flashpoint universe, Bruce's father Thomas Wayne.

The cover for Batman #23, the third instalment
of The Button.

The third part of The Button takes place in Batman #22, and it takes place within the Flashpoint universe, that was long thought destroyed. It mainly focuses on the interactions between Bruce and his father. But during this moment of connection, the forces of Aquaman and Wonderwoman from this universe assault the Batcave. While Bruce and Thomas do their best to hold them off, Flash rebuilds the Cosmic Treadmill, so that they can escape. Just as he has completed it, the universe begins to be erased once again. Thomas tells Bruce to leave him there, and tells him not to be Batman anymore. As they leave, Thomas recites something he used to tell Bruce, "Sometimes we fall son... but always remember ... Waynes never stay down .. " and the next panel has Bruce shouting, "We Rise!".  As they are travelling back, they encounter the Reverse-Flash, who is the past version, with the Button in hand.

The cover of the final part of The Button,
Flash #22.

The final part of The Button storyline, has just been released, as of 17th May, and takes place within the pages of The Flash #22. From the cover, you instantly assume that something to do with the original Flash, Jay Garrick is going to take place.

As they are chasing down Reverse-Flash, he witnesses the being that originally killed him. While this is happening, Batman hears a voice calling out for Barry. When Barry eventually hears it, it is revealed that this is indeed Jay Garrick, who needs Barry to remember who he is, or at least to say his name, in order for him to be free from wherever he is. Barry says his name, and Jay helps them to get back home to their reality. Unfortunately, when they arrive back there, Barry explains to Jay that he does not remember who he is, and the force pulls him back to wherever he was before. Later on, Bruce and Barry visit the graves of Bruce's parents. Even later still,Bruce is back at Wayne Manor, where we can see that the Bat Signal is lit, meaning that there is trouble happening in Gotham City. When Alfred asks him if he is going to answer it, Bruce stays silent, implying that he is going to listen to his father's advice. The issue, and the crossover, ends with a blue hand picking up the blood covered Button, the hand of presumably Dr. Manhattan from the Watchmen. This is further hinted at with the dialogue boxes being light blue, with large text. 

We then get an epilogue, which serves as a preview for an event called 'Doomsday Clock', which will be written by Geoff Johns, coming in November 2017. Here's hoping that this is the definitive answer to all of the questions set out by DC Rebirth #1 from way back in May 2016.

Honestly, I both liked and disliked this crossover. I enjoyed it because of the writing throughout all of the instalments, but then I also did not enjoy it because I felt that the ending of The Flash #22 was kind of lacklustre, only serving to tell us about something that would be happening later on in the year, and putting off telling us what is going on, as if they did not even know a conclusion at the time of writing.