This month’s issue of “Detective Comics” continues the post-Batman: RIP storyline; a “Last Rites” tie-in entitled “Last Days of Gotham”.  It’s part one of a two part story which features the return of Batman veteran writer/editor: Denny O’Neil.

It’s funny in my blog on “Batman” #682, I hoped that the return of Denny O’Neil would mean the return of a Batman story that was much more easy to follow than Grant Morrison’s stuff, but O’Neil’s story is a little bit confusing as well.

The first part of this story revolves around an actress named Millicent Mayne who has been scared by a Two-Face obsessed criminal and Nightwing.  Not really sure why this woman has been inserted into the Last Rites storyline.  It also seems weird that although Nightwing and everyone else in Gotham saw Batman jump into the helicopter at watch it explode, everyone just believes Bruce to be missing.  Wouldn’t they automatically think he died?  Maybe he reappears in “Final Crisis” and then disappears?  Who knows.

Maybe Millicent Mayne and her story have nothing to do with “Last Rites” as the previous “Detective Comics” storyline “Heart of Hush” really didn’t have anything to do with “RIP”.  Whatever the case, her story doesn’t really interest me.  I’m more interested in Nightwing.

An interesting moment that made me think even more that DC is moving towards making Dick become Batman is the talk he had with Alfred in the cave.  Alfred tells him that he can take one of the Bat-mobiles, but Dick says no and that he is not Batman.  I think the Post-Batman world will follow Nightwing’s reluctant journey towards becoming The Batman. 

Although I love Bruce as Batman and I will await his return, I think DC should go the same route as Marvel has done with Captain America and Bucky.  Bucky has been Captain America for about a year now and there seems to be no plans to bring Steve Rogers back as Cap anytime soon.  I’m enjoying Bucky as Captain America and the “Captain America” comic book has never been better.  Why not do the same with Dick Grayson as Batman?  I would prefer Tim to stay as Robin, but something tells me we will see Damien Wayne as Robin after all is said and done.  I dislike the character of Damien.  He seems like a cheesy rip-off of Damien from the Omen. 

The issue was a bit of a let down, but DC still has me interested in where this will all end.  However, if the stories don’t get any better for me, I will drop Batman from my pull list.