You know, given how much I love Layman, I probably should've trusted him more last issue.
Now that we're no longer awash in alternative Gothams, as we were last issue, Layman does a good job of grabbing the reader with his Gothtopia story. He not only explains that Scarecrow made everyone feel better about life to make his fear experiments all the more profound, but that the people committing suicide aren't just people who remembered parts of their past life, but the victims of Crane's experiments. It sounds complicated, but it actually makes sense. Moreover, he reminds us of Poison Ivy's immunity to toxins, explaining why she was the only one last issue who seemed to see reality as it was and not how Crane wants people to see it. Bruce is therefore able to use her to find an antidote to Crane's toxins, setting up a logical conclusion to the arc.
My only complaint is that Layman gives us the same old spiel about Crane not being interested in Batman's identity when he had the chance to discover it. I know that we're supposed to suspend belief willingly when reading comics, but, for some reason, I just can never buy this line of argument. That quibble aside, it's a pretty solid issue, particular since Layman gets in a great moment where "Catbird" begs Batman to play by Crane's rules so that they have a chance at being happy. That's some serious stuff right there.
*** (three of five stars)
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