Batman on the Edge of Despair

 Will Catwoman Pull Batman Back From the Abyss?

Peter Tomasi has reached the penultimate stage of the Kubler-Ross model exploring the five stages of grief.  The fourth of which to be examined here, depression.

Depression is a critical step in the grieving process in that if one does not successfully move on from this stage he or she may find themselves wallowing in it's abyss forever.

In my previous post that dealt with the bargaining phase,  I imagined this sequel to encompass something like a warm embrace from Catwoman to salve the damaged psych of the Batman. She would tell him the things he needed to hear and provide the loving touch his cold heart demanded.

It didn't exactly go that way.  Tomasi has different plans.

First, let's look at the analytical definition of "Depression" as included in the Kubler-Ross model. 

Depression - I'm so sad, why bother with anything?"; "I'm going to die soon so what's the point?"; "I miss my loved one, why go on?" During the fourth stage, the dying person begins to understand the certainty of death. Because of this, the individual may become silent, refuse visitors and spend much of the time crying and grieving. This process allows the dying person to disconnect from things of love and affection. It is not recommended to attempt to cheer up an individual who is in this stage. It is an important time for grieving that must be processed. Depression could be referred to as the dress rehearsal for the 'aftermath'. It is a kind of acceptance with emotional attachment. It's natural to feel sadness, regret, fear, and uncertainty when going through this stage. Feeling those emotions shows that the person has begun to accept the situation.

The above definition cannot be taken literally in Batman's case.  He is not the one that is dying nor is he near death.  Instead he is the bereaved.  His feelings mirror the "certainty of death", in other words, his son Damien will never come back.  The danger for Batman is the "disconnect".  Something, if not alleviated, will become so dire that he will push away everyone close to him and he will become the menace to society that Batgirl warned him of in the previous issue,  (Something that is going through the test phase with Carrie Kelly.)

I should've gotten wind of Tomasi's tact when the story opens and Catwoman is in the middle of a heist.  The object of her desire is a golden figurine, "Ram in a Thicket".  The allusion here is a story from the Old Testament where Abraham is about to sacrifice his son Isaac.  Abraham's deadly hand is stayed when he is distracted by a Ram stuck in a nearby thicket.  If I had put the pieces together here I would have realized that Batman was standing in for Abraham and he needed something to stay his own deadly hand before he did something rash.

Catwoman provides him with that distraction.

 Her solace comes none too soon.

In the above image Batman sits alone in the Batcave and he's replaying audio from a mission with Damien.  The signs of depression are clear.  The head is bowed and the eyes blackened with sorrow.  His posture is slumped in forlorn resignation.  In listening to his son's voice Batman seeks to recreate Damiens' presence.   It is a desperate venture and one that is hollow in nature.  Listening to the sound of his son's voice won't bring him back.  In fact it is a trap that forms a closed loop that keeps you perpetually in its grasp.

As I said, lucky for Batman, Catwoman is on the prowl.  I was a bit disappointed that Tomasi had Catwoman appear on the scene in the line of duty, not of her own volition.  The story opens with Catwoman receiving orders from Steve Trevor on behalf of the JLA.  So, Catwoman really is just using Batman to aid in her invasion of the Chinese embassy to recover a "valuable asset" not to directly aid Batman in overcoming his sorrow.

That's too bad.  Red Robin and Batgirl both actively sought out Batman, I thought Selina Kyle would do the same.  These two have been pretty close over the years and this would have been a great opportunity to bring them even closer and develop their relationship further.

I guess Tomasi had different thoughts.

At least we got this superb image from Patrick Gleason.  The above frame is worth the price of the comic alone.  With the villains easily subdued, Batman and Selina take to the sky in possession of their new charge, Jai-Li.

Batman shows a some heart here and gives the little girl a thrill ride for the ages.  I suppose Tomasi's plan was to have Batman figure out how to beat his funk on his own.  Batman sees a little girl lost and without her father so he substitutes himself and takes the opportunity to bring a family together.  His may be lost, so this feels good even if it's only for a few moments.

The above image speaks volumes in that regard.

It was a bit puzzling to see Carrie Kelley return for the final frames of the book.  She receives a fake message from Damien that Batman constructed in order to preserve the fiction that Damien is still alive.

This seems to go against moving beyond the hurdle of depression.  This moment signifies there is still a bit of denial going on.  For the comic book reality it makes sense but as far as Batman's psyche is concerned it seems like a step back.  Maybe Tomasi is just setting up the next storyline.

Speaking of which!  Nightwing returns to help Batman with the next step of the Kubler-Ross model, acceptance.   A perfect symmetry to end this journey, the original Robin.  So how does Carrie fit in?