Review: Batman ’89: Echoes #6

In this review of Batman ’89: Echoes #6, we reach the finale of the epic series as Gotham finds itself in the grasp of citywide panic due to Scarecrow.

Batman ’89 Echoes #6
Writer: Sam Hamm
Penciller / Artist: Joe Quinones
Colorist: Leonardo Ito

Summary:
Batman ’89: Echoes #6 picks up where the previous issue left off, with the foreign buyers shooting their way out of the Batman attack with Crane, almost paralyzed in fear of Batman, while Robin/Nightwing has shown up to rescue Batman. The middle eastern buyers get word that ‘The Demon Awakes’ – Ra’s Al Ghul, fourty years younger. Robin follows Crane and his buyers, blocking their car and firing rockets at them from his Batbike, forcing them in another direction. Robin and The Nightwings attack the criminals from the crashed vehicles, while Crane is taken away on foot with their leader. Meanwhile, Batman approaches Ra’s.

In the television studio, Harlee and her inmates have Chuck and some of the staff taken hostage. They are fired upon by a helicopter full of police, and they try to escape.

Batman wants to do a hostage swap, Mr. Ghul for Crane, and put Drake in charge of Crane, though the baddies to want Crane more. He hints that after this, Drake should give up the vigilante life for an ordinary one. Batman drives off with a blindfolded Ra’s Al Ghul. In the Batmobile, Ra’s hints that he knows Batman is Bruce Wayne.

In the studio, Churck escapes through a cloud of fear toxin to the monitor viewing room, where he halucinates to much Harley Quinn that he takes his own life by slamming his head into a monitor. After finding him, Harley escapes to the roof top where Selina Kyle is waiting for her. Selina has been claiming to be Catwoman and seeing Harleen as a therapist, but Harleen just thought she was nuts. The two escape together.

At the docks Ra’s invites Batman on board of his ship as the Robins take Crane. Ra’s seems to want fear toxin, but Batman refuses to give it up and says none of this friends will give it to him. Batman takes 3 pills that make him an uncontrollable fighting machine – a suicide mission.

In the Batcave, Alfred tells Dranke and Barbara what Batman’s plan was. Barbara, now dressed as Batgirl, and Robin take a Batplane to save Batman.

Robin administers the antidote to the Fighting Bills to Batman, who is fighting his way through the boat. After saving Batman they crashland on the causeway and go to the garage where Crane is being held. Rakin is being held hostage by Crane, who has a pick to his neck. Crane tries to escape, but Batgirl lunges at him. Crane, still being heavily affected by fear toxin, stabs himself in the eye with the pick.

Batman ’89: Echoes #6 ends a month later, at Arkham where Harleen is sauntering through, taking everyone out with SmileX, and killing Crane.

Review

This was a hot mess. I did my best to summarize it, but it was so hard. Sometimes I was unclear about where, when, and why anything was happening. It’s also been months since the last issue, and even reading over summaries of previous issues, I couldn’t remember who some of the new characters were. I have no recollection of Ra’s Al Ghul showing up at all.

It was also a pretty unsatisfying and depressing ending. I’m honestly not sure what I’m supposed to feel. Harley is even crazier at the end than while she was escaping (she’s got a weird smile-x smile) and sporting Joker’s ridiculously long barrel hand gun. I’m not sure exactly when she met Salina and why they’re banding together. I don’t understand who wanted Crane, why they gave him up, and ultimately, what anyone’s objective was in this book. Including Batman. Ultimately, I felt this was a hot mess of a story. The art has been fun, and trying to figure out who some of the actors were suppposed to be entertained me, but the story itself was a dumpster fire. I am glad that future readers won’t have to wait 19 months to read all 6 books, because maybe they’ll get more out of it than I did.

Stephanie Mounce

Stephanie had watched Batman movies and shows since she was a little girl, but didn’t read comics until 2017 when she discovered Batman’s proposal to Catwoman. She discovered the TBU Comics Podcast and devoured the episodes. When the call went out to find a temporary co-host to fill Stella’s shoes, Steph wasted no time in volunteering. The rest, they say, is history and Steph has been a co-host of the podcast since May 2018. She has since also become a writer of sales numbers and Batman merch articles for The Batman Universe. When she isn’t reading TBU comics, Steph is practicing her new career, voice acting. She also enjoys watching anime, playing games, or living her best life with her husband and two cats.