By Dylan Ashcraft
The third installment of DC Rebirth’s “The Button” event was another thrilling adventure, where this time we pick up with Flash and Batman inside the Flashpoint universes’ Batcave. While this issue didn’t necessarily posses the most clues towards the introduction of the Watchmen, or really anything about the button itself, it did however present us with a couple of feel good moments.
First off starting with the meeting of Bruce Wayne and Thomas Wayne, two scarred people who are from different timelines, who have lost the other in their respective timeline. It was an awesome moment to witness these two characters see one another for the first time since their deaths. However when it all starts up, Thomas doesn’t actually believe Bruce is real. He grabs The Flash by the throat and exclaims that this isn’t real.
After a few minutes of explaining, Thomas comes to grips with Bruce’s existence and elaborates on as to why the Flashpoint universe still exists. Claiming that the timeline/universe was put on life support by some unknown entity. Thomas further on elaborates on the fact that Aquaman and Wonder Woman have come to a momentary truce as they have both agreed to kill Batman first, after doing battle throughout Flashpoint.
The warriors of Aquaman and Wonder Woman’s armies are shown then bursting into Wayne Manor, where they begin to progressively make their way down to the Batcave. We are then treated to, what was my second favorite panel in the entire issue, Bruce and Thomas donning their respective cowls, ready to fight the armies together.
Once the fight ends we find out that Flash has finished repairing the cosmic treadmill (which was destroyed in the end of Flash #21). As Flash and Batman are getting ready to depart from the Flashpoint timeline, the entity decides to ‘pull the plug’ on Flashpoint, which prompts Bruce to try and convince his father to come along with him. Even using the existence of Damian as a sort of leverage point in the attempt to sway Thomas into coming. However what follows is my favorite panel in Batman #22, where Thomas asks Bruce what “Waynes do”, and as Bruce and Barry are whisked away into the timeline via the cosmic treadmill, Thomas rushes forward and simply states...
As Batman and Flash are running through the time stream on the treadmill, Professor Zoom races past them, claiming to have seen who the "Button" belongs to, and states that they have never seen a power like Thawnes.
That wraps up the third installment of the Button review, which was another absolutely fantastic issue. We saw a few of our questions from last article get answered; although the one regarding Martha’s existence as the Joker was never touched upon. This time, however, we’re left to wonder what exactly happens to Thawne, who does the button belong to, and where did the button take Thawne? Perhaps to the original universe where the Watchmen existed?
We find out in the final issue of this Batman/Flash crossover Flash #22! Be sure to stay tuned for Part 4 of The Button review here on Uncanny! Insider.
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