Batman: Murder at Wayne Manor

This whodunnit, written by Duane Swierczynski and illustrated by David Lapham is a fun read, to be sure. It's told in the first person from Bruce's perspective. The story takes place when Bruce has been Batman for about 13 months. After a typical night solving crime, and typical morning in bed, Bruce wakes up to find that a crew of workmen have unearthed a dead body on the manor grounds. No, this isn't a novelization of Bruce Wayne: Murderer--this body is about 30 years cold. However, the trail of evidence seems to point to Thomas Wayne--and Bruce is determined to prove his father's innocence. Along the way, the readers are given such clues as a party invitation, a map of the manor, a Gotham Newspaper (replete with such Easter eggs and in-jokes as: * Minor Tremor No cause for Concern, Scientists Say * No More Chilling at the Iceberg Lounge * Meet Quiz-Show Winner Nygma) an autopsy report (my copy's was missing :(), private journals, a letter, a photo and more. The pacing is excellent and Swierczynski's plotting and characterization is admirable. Unfortunately, most Bat-philes will find that the story suffers from two weaknesses. 1) The writer did not create a new nemesis. Which means that the INSTANT a certain character appears on the scene, our spider senses (Sorry! Wrong franchise) should start tingling. Essentially, most of us will get the 'who' instantly, and just be left wondering at the 'how' and 'why exactly'). 2) Without spoiling too much of the plot, for anyone who knows the characters and their history, willing suspension of disbelief will only go so far. We already KNOW one of the major hypotheses can't possibly be true--the only suspense is in how Batman's going to prove it. Not to say that the story isn't a good read. It most indubitably is. But if the aim of the writer is to bring more people into the Bat-franchise, it shouldn't be at the cost of those readers already steeped in the mythos. Because for those of us know the characters, this may be a mystery, but it's not a suspense. Grade: C+ as a Batphile, B+ if I pretend I'm not.