Warning! Spoilers for Batman #106!
Infinite Frontier has finally arrived and for Batman, a reference to an ambitious late 90s storyline has made its way back into bat-continuity. Dubbed Cataclysm, this epic event saw an unexpected earthquake utterly destroy Gotham City, immediately thrusting its heroes on a harrowing journey to not only save the people of Gotham and the city itself but also themselves in the process.
Mentioned in passing in the Infinite Frontier-related issue of Batman #106 by James Tynion IV and Jorge Jimenez, Cataclysm and its follow-up, No Man’s Land, are two of the most effective and status quo altering events in the entirety of Batman’s long and storied career as the protector of Gotham City. And now, with what initially might seem like a throwaway line or an Easter egg for fans to obsess over, it looks like the ramifications of these events are back in the forefront of the citizens of Gotham’s minds as a new evil in the form of Scarecrow quietly rises in the shadows, ready to strike at the perfect moment.
Running through every bat-book at the time, 1998’s Cataclysm was a huge undertaking that almost immediately became a fan favorite bat-story. Referencing this event that more or less had been subtly swept under the rug ever since the New 52 initiative altered DC continuity almost entirely, Batman #106 brings this traumatic experience back to the spotlight as the city struggles with the recent events of A-Day and the push to keep vigilantes off the streets.
But maybe the most significant part of this shout-out is the fact that this story can now be fully integrated back into the grand tapestry of what makes Gotham the city that it is. From the constant Joker killing sprees to the numerous hostile takeovers by Bane, Gotham and its citizens have gone through more than almost any other city in the DC universe, giving the town a sense of character, history, and subtle nuances that are usually reserved for flesh and blood characters alone. And although the scars of Gotham’s past may heal, they never truly go away, so this subtle comment to a story-long past is one that’s clearly more than just a passing reference, and one that is no doubt appreciated by the Batman faithful.
So with Infinite Frontier subtly bringing back long lost wrinkles from prior DC storylines across the board, Batman’s Cataclysm and No Man’s Land reference is a huge nod to fans as their stories that never should have been forgotten as a part of the greater history of Gotham in the first place. Batman might have been able to help bring his city back from the brink of complete annihilation, but that doesn’t mean its citizens don’t remember what it was like to live in the rubble of their former lives – literally.
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