Noteworthy Issues: Task Force Z #11 (August, 2022)

Well, this series is just about done.  I’d ask if anyone might get out of all this alive, but the whole point seems to be that may not really matter in the grand scheme of things.

Issue:  Task Force Z #11, August 2022

Writer:  Matthew Rosenberg

Artists:  Eddy Barrows and Eber Ferreira

The Plot:  Jason Todd makes one last move to stop Mr. Bloom.

Commentary:  This being only the penultimate issue, it stands to reason that Jason, Harvey, and their crew would probably fail to stop Bloom.  It doesn’t help that Bane was unmasked as someone who was arguably far, far, far more dangerous than Bane ever was:  Gotham, the flying brick that once fought the entire Justice League to stand-still by himself, and that’s a generous interpretation since he was winning.  Plus, if Gotham is there, his sister Gotham Girl is sure to show while Bloom may have a secret, non-zombie weapon that was actually spoiled by the cover if you know where to look but I won’t say anymore beyond that.

The point is, it goes badly.  Jason can’t stop Gotham or Gotham Girl.  Actually, Gotham Girl might be tougher since she’s not rotting.

But the point here is Jason has an actual good plan.  The problem is Bloom has a better one.  That tracks. Bloom, in his first appearances in Scott Snyder’s Batman run was some kind of mad genius who had a gift for planning.  Batman at that time was Jim Gordon in a mech suit.  Bruce Wayne was basically AWOL.  Bruce’s return showed he could put together a plan to take on Bloom without too much trouble though it was ultimately Gordon who took Bloom down.

Heck, Bloom saw himself as something of a good guy.  He was looking to help people in his own warped way by trying to fill in a gap left open by Batman, the “real” Batman’s, absence.   For Task Force Z, he’s been just something of a villain…a thought I just had now as I typed this up, but Bloom perhaps is the biggest weakness to this narrative, a character who is doing crazy things because he’s crazy I suppose.

Eh, I was reading this to watch Jason try to herd zombie villains.  I am largely fine with that.

Grade:  B+