Last year's Free Comic Book Day offered an introduction into two new Batman tales. "Batman: Fear State" presents a Gotham City after the Joker War. It also brings Simon Saint and Saint Industries clearly into the picture. For years, Batman has been the savior, along with his many partners, of Gotham City. Even the police relied on the caped vigilante to bring forth justice. The Joker War has proven to everyone that Gotham is currently in a state of chaos. The Batman doesn't exude the same confidence that he once had. Wayne Enterprises is no longer his.
Somehow, the Scarecrow has gotten inside the head of our caped crusader. The Scarecrow has always used toxins but this time it is different. It seems that this villain is preparing for more than just a supporting villain role. Mr. Saint has decided to bring law and order to Gotham himself by way of the Peacekeepers. After all, a Batman who hallucinates is not one who is effective. James Tynion IV (writer), Jorge Jimenez (artist) and Tomeu Morey (colorist) has joined forces to present the current state of Gotham.
"I Am Batman" focuses on Jace Fox, son of Lucius. Jace has gotten ahold of a Batman suit. It appears that Jace is still having issues with his dad, therefore he is relying on someone else to crack the technology that is built into the costume. He is tired of people thinking that they are untouchable by the law.
Without the use of the suit, Jace finds the bodies of six radicals in an abandoned warehouse. Saving the life of one of the hoodlums he tangled with at the warehouse nearly gets him killed as the place was wired to explode. Arkadine appears to have hired guys to infiltrate a rally to start trouble making the radicals look bad. Jace is going to need that Batman suit to be up and running to defuse this situation. John Ridley (writer), Travel Foreman (penciller), Norm Rapmund (inker) and Rex Lokus (colors) combine their efforts to bring forth this story of a new Batman in town.
