Batman’s most important ally has just turned on the Dark Knight, and he might not have any idea why.

While investigating the recent murder of Mayor Christopher Nakano, the titular hero of Batman #154 teams up with his old friend and longtime Gotham City Police Commissioner, James Gordon. Unfortunately, it only takes a single moment for Gordon to seemingly snap, leaving the Dark Knight staring down the barrel of a gun he never expected to see pointed his way. Worse still, once Batman has put an end to the threat, it is clear that Gordon himself isn’t entirely in control of his actions, though there is little telling why.

• Written by CHIP ZDARSKY
• Art by CARMINE DI GIANDOMENICO
• Colors by TOMEU MOREY
• Letters by CLAYTON COWLES
• Main cover art by JORGE JIMÉNEZ & TOMEU MOREY
• Variant covers by TONY HARRIS & JEREMY CLARK, GABRIEL DELL’OTTO, NICOLA SCOTT & ANNETTE KWOK, and JAMES HARREN

James Gordon is quite possibly Batman’s oldest ally outside the confines of the Batcave, with the character’s first appearance taking place right alongside Bruce Wayne’s own comic book debut in Bill Finger and Bob Kane’s “The Bat-Man: The Case of the Chemical Syndicate” from the pages of 1939’s Detective Comics #27. Although Gordon has always served the people of Gotham City dutifully in his role as Commissioner, he has also famously kept his office open for Batman at almost every turn. As a result, the two have developed one of the closest working relationships in the DC Universe.

Christopher Nakano first appeared in Mariko Tamaki and Dan Mora’s story “A Gift,” from the pages of 2020’s Detective Comics #1027. Originally a patrolman with the Gotham City Police Department, Nakano held deep-seated resentment towards costumed criminals and heroes alike. During the events of The Joker War, Nakano lost his partner in an explosion that would have claimed his own life as well if not for the intervention of Batman. This further fueled Nakano’s hatred for the likes of the Dark Knight, which became the basis for his successful run for the office of mayor in Gotham City.

In the years since, Nakano has come to hold Batman and the rest of the Batman Family in far higher regard than he did at the outset of his career, largely thanks to his numerous run-ins and subsequent dealings with them. These tensions were also eased at least in part by Nakano’s work with Gordon, Harvey Bullock, and Renee Montoya, all of whom have had relatively successful working relationships with Gotham’s premier Caped Crusaders. Tragically, Nakano was gunned down in the pages of Batman #153, kicking off Chip Zdarksy and Jorge Jiménez’ “The Dying City” arc in shocking fashion.

Batman #154 is on sale now from DC Comics.

Source: DC Comics

Batman

Batman is one of the oldest comic superheroes, with nearly a century of comics, TV-shows, films, and video games. The mild-mannered Bruce Wayne becomes Gotham City’s caped crusader, protecting it from villains like The Joker, Killer Croc, The Penguin, and more. Batman is also one of DC comics’ “Big Three” alongside Superman and Wonder Woman, and together the three help keep the earth safe as founding members of the Justice League.