Batman Issue 22 (2017)
Batman Issue 22 (2017)
Batman Issue 22 (2017) continued the high-stakes The Button crossover, pushing Batman and The Flash deeper into the unraveling mysteries of the DC Universe. Picking up directly after the shocking events of Issue 21, this chapter—co-written by Tom King with Joshua Williamson from The Flash—thrust Bruce and Barry into a time-traveling odyssey that collided head-on with one of DC’s most infamous alternate realities: Flashpoint. With breathtaking action, emotional revelations, and cosmic intrigue, Batman Issue 22 (2017) elevated the crossover from a mystery about the Comedian’s button to a heartbreaking exploration of Batman’s deepest pain.
From the very first page, Batman Issue 22 (2017) built on the tension of the prior issue’s climax. Reverse-Flash had been annihilated after touching the button, muttering in horror that he had “seen God.” That lingering mystery loomed large, but the focus quickly shifted to Batman and The Flash activating the Cosmic Treadmill, the only tool capable of chasing the button’s trail through time and space. What began as an investigation soon became a desperate journey as the Speed Force hurled them into broken timelines and alternate worlds.
The central twist of Batman Issue 22 (2017) was their arrival in the Flashpoint timeline, a reality erased at the end of the Flashpoint event years earlier. Against all odds, it still existed—or at least fragments of it lingered. Here, Bruce encountered someone he never expected to see again: his father, Thomas Wayne, the Batman of Flashpoint. This reunion was not only shocking for readers but also emotionally devastating for Bruce, as Thomas had died decades earlier in the main DC timeline. The issue immediately shifted from cosmic spectacle to deeply personal drama.
Tom King and Joshua Williamson used Batman Issue 22 (2017) to craft an intimate father-son moment wrapped in superhero epicness. The Thomas Wayne Batman was as grim and brutal as ever—a man forged by tragedy in a world without hope. His Batman wasn’t driven by justice but by rage, using guns and lethal force to maintain order in a broken reality. For Bruce, seeing this alternate version of his father alive reopened wounds he had spent a lifetime carrying. For Thomas, seeing the son he never got to raise forced him to confront what his absence had created.
The emotional highlight of Batman Issue 22 (2017) came when Thomas urged Bruce to abandon the mantle of Batman. He told his son to let go of the vow, to embrace happiness instead of dedicating his life to endless war. This plea struck at the very core of Bruce Wayne’s identity. For years, Batman has been defined by his refusal to heal from tragedy, by his relentless mission to prevent others from experiencing what he endured. Hearing his father—the man whose death created Batman—say that he should let go was both heartbreaking and profound.
Artistically, Batman Issue 22 (2017) was stunning. Jason Fabok’s pencils captured both the grandeur of the Speed Force and the gritty despair of the Flashpoint world. His attention to detail in the dual Batmen—Bruce with his tactical precision and Thomas with his bulkier, gun-wielding brutality—reinforced their differences while making their connection unmistakable. Brad Anderson’s colors added weight to the story, contrasting the cold, chaotic light of the Speed Force with the grim shadows of Flashpoint’s Gotham. The visuals elevated the script, making each punch, tear, and revelation hit with cinematic power.
One of the most fascinating aspects of Batman Issue 22 (2017) was how it blurred the line between erased timelines and enduring emotional truths. The Flashpoint world wasn’t supposed to exist anymore, yet here it was—haunting Bruce with the ghost of his father. This mystery tied directly into the larger Rebirth narrative, hinting that some greater force (later revealed as Dr. Manhattan) was manipulating time itself. For readers, the reappearance of Flashpoint’s Thomas Wayne was both fan service and narrative fuel, tying together years of continuity while raising new questions.
The action in Batman Issue 22 (2017) also carried weight. As Bruce and Barry navigated Flashpoint’s Gotham, they faced resistance from its militarized chaos, forcing them to fight their way through. But the true battle wasn’t physical—it was emotional. Bruce’s internal struggle with his father’s words mirrored the external chaos of the Flashpoint world. Every panel carried the weight of inevitability, reminding readers that this reunion couldn’t last. Time was fragile, and the Speed Force would soon rip them away again.
The climax of Batman Issue 22 (2017) was devastatingly poignant. As the Speed Force began pulling Bruce and Barry back into the timestream, Thomas Wayne delivered his final words to his son: “Don’t be Batman. Be a father. Be a husband. Find happiness.” For Bruce, whose entire life had been shaped by the vow he made at his parents’ grave, this plea struck like a dagger. It wasn’t just advice—it was the wish of the father he lost, echoing across realities. The image of Bruce being pulled away, reaching out for his father, left readers shaken.
By the final page, Batman Issue 22 (2017) had shifted The Button from a story of cosmic mystery into one of personal tragedy. The murder of Reverse-Flash still lingered unsolved, the Comedian’s button remained a puzzle tied to godlike forces, but the emotional heart of the issue was Bruce confronting what it meant to be Batman. The question wasn’t whether he could solve the mystery—it was whether he could live with the path he had chosen, knowing his father begged him to abandon it.
In conclusion, Batman Issue 22 (2017) was a masterful blend of cosmic intrigue and intimate storytelling. It expanded the mythology of The Button crossover while delivering one of the most emotionally resonant moments in Batman’s history. With Tom King and Joshua Williamson’s writing and Jason Fabok’s flawless art, the issue balanced high-stakes action with heartbreaking family drama. More than just a chapter in a crossover, it was a meditation on legacy, identity, and the cost of living in the shadow of tragedy.
Batman Issue 22 (2017) Read Free Online DC Comics
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