Last issue we saw a bit of Ultraman's origins... so this issue looks deeper into Owlman. So you know what that means...? Back to Douche-World where everyone is mean and cruel to each other... where the Kents were about to stab each other seconds before a young Kal-El landed onto their farm and blasted Mr. Kent's arm off.... So let's see what sick and twisted EVIL backstory Owlman is gonna have.
'Forever Lost' starts 30 years ago in the Doucheverse version of the world as the Wayne family head home after watching Zorro. In this version they have both Thomas Jr and Bruce as brothers, and they're spoiled rotten brats. Miss Wayne is cold and uncaring, and Mr. Wayne is a surgeon that keeps 'slipping up' and has to use all his money to pay off all the lawyers to keep from getting sued. Martha hears a noise in the alley, and it turns out to be Thomas Wayne Jr with a gun.
The parents are surprised (or at least Mr. Wayne acts shocked) and Thomas Jr says they're not gonna let them throw away their money and leave them nothing. Bruce suddenly has a change of heart and tries to wrestle the gun away from his older brother. Their mother threatens to give them a beating when they get home. Just then, someone shoots down the Waynes, including Bruce. It turns out to be Alfred, who was working with Thomas Jr. Jr notices an owl watching them, as Bruce struggles to hang on. Thomas Jr aims his gun at Bruce, saying he's the richest kid in Gotham.. and finishes the job.
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| I just like how completely unaffected Miss Wayne is during this scene. Lady... they just waved a gun in your face!!! She's scolding them as if she caught them breaking an expensive vase or something. "You threatened to kill me! How dare you, young man! Now stop this foolishness and off to your room without caviar!" |
He thinks to himself how he bribed and took control of Gotham, but sometimes he has to burn it all down and start over again. Shanks is already down, and a guy trying to shoot at Owlman shoots Eel in the shoulder. Just then a vat of chemicals is also shot and it spills all over him. After everyone is gone, Eel is still alive, basically now a melted puddle. This, of course, suggests that Eel is going to become Plasticman.
Two thugs later awaken to find themselves hanging upside down off the ledge of a building. Owlman says he has killed all the criminal leaders and only needs one of them alive. One of them will be chosen to gather and rule what is left of the crime families. The thugs argue over which one is better suited for taking control of the city, until one of them blurts out 'I'll do whatever you say Batman!'. Owlman cuts him loose and drops him to his death. He then lets the other live and say he will run the city as directed by him. He burns an owl symbol onto the palm of the guy's hand and swoops away.
Owlman checks up on Grid and Alfred and recap how Johnny Quick and Atomica defeated the Teen Titans by sending them back to the future timeline where Kid Flash came from. They have earlier captured Nightwing and exposed his identity to the world, so they're prepared for heroes trying to rescue him and villains trying to kill him. Owlman asks about Ultraman and Superwoman, Grid tells him that Ultraman went off to find Metallo, and Superwoman is supposed to join him. Owlman wants the cameras off as he talks to Grayson alone. As he leaves, Grid asks why he bothers since this version of Dick Grayson would never side with them. Alfred knows this, but continues to side with him anyway.
Owlman remembers the past of his version of Dick Grayson... who was a member of the Flying Graysons with his family, and had to suffer the tragedy of seeing his family die in a high flying accident. Of course, this is the Doucheverse, so in this version the Graysons inherited the circus after they killed a clown named Anthony Zucco and they blackmailed the other acts into joining them. Their circus was a font for their money laundering situations, until the Graysons died and Thomas Jr took Dick in.
Owlman talks to Nightwing and offers him something to drink. Dick demands to know who he's talking to. Owlman removes his mask and tells him he's Thomas Wayne Jr. In his world they were almost like brothers. He knows that he isn't the same Dick he knew and that the world he came from was nearly incinerated. He sees this as a chance to do right, and he wants Dick to help him out. He doesn't want the same thing the Crime Syndicate wants... he wants something different.
Nightwing gets free and tries to fight it out with Owlman. Owlman explains that his identity has been exposed to the world and his apartment is Chicago has already been destroyed. His friends have been hunted and Batman is dead. He explains that Ultraman just wants to imprison the world, but Kryptonite is limited in this world, so he's finally vulnerable. Owlman says he has two choices, a world ruled by Ultraman or a world ruled by him. Dick reluctantly accepts to help Owlman stop the Crime Syndicate.
Owlman has to chain Dick back up so the others won't find out. As he does so, he remembers that his previous partnership with his version of Dick fell apart when he found out that HE was the one that killed his family so that he would bond with him. Thomas Jr says this time he has a bigger and better plan to fix his family. The comic ends revealing that Superwoman was listening in to the conversation between Owlman and Nightwing....
My Opinions:
This issue was an entertaining one and further shows off just how horrible and corrupted the world these guys came from really is. At first it was hard for me to imagine such a world where everyone is just a rotten jerk and asshole by default... but then again I had to think of it from a different point of view. I do think in our world everyone is born good or at least neutral... until whatever happens to make someone decide to do evil. Yes, most of the time those doing evil are misguided and think what they're doing is actually good, or for the better good. And yes, we do have people that are just plain born evil or sociopathic.. but they are the exceptions to society's rules.
In this alternate world I guess everyone is born evil and rotten by default, and I guess sometimes things happen to make them less evil and rotten. As we saw earlier, Douche-Bruce was willing to go along with his older brother's plot to kill his parents.... but he changed his mind in the last minute and tried to save them (despite how obviously cold and unloving his mother seemed to be). And considering how sick everyone is, I'm surprised we saw Douche-Dick mourn the loss of his family instead of acting like 'ha, the suckers got what was coming to them!'.
As for Plasticman's surprise origin cameo... I wonder what they're gonna do with that, or when he will re-enter the DC world. Maybe when all of this blows over and the Justice League rebuilds, he will return and try to join up? It seemed to random and out of left field to see him here. Maybe he'll side with Luthor and help save the world? I honestly did not see this coming. I do have to add, I liked the convo he had with Shanks before Owlman came in... when the normal bad guys thought that some day all the costumed crazies would be the ones to take over the criminal element not leaving much to do for the average joe.
One last thing that came to me during this story when Owlman revealed himself to be Thomas Wayne Jr..... is what happened to our very own Thomas Wayne Jr....? The long-lost brother of Batman that was with the Court of Owls, posing as a guy named Lincoln March.... that also called himself Owlman???? You just KNOW he didn't die, and you just KNOW he'll eventually come back.... so why not now?
I would totally love to see both Owlmen meet and throw down. I mean back in the day I didn't know they were going to go with the Crime Syndicate route... but now that they did... let's bring it on!!!
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