“Just fighting. With no rhyme or reason to why, or who.” Welcome to Fortnite, Batman. When a giant rift, tearing at reality itself, appears in the Gotham City night sky, the Dark Knight is pulled into the Fortnite Universe. Coming to in a mysterious arena, the Bat is immediately attacked by a colourful array of Fortnite personalities. With no memory of who he is, nor how he came to be there, Batman gets to work doing what he does best. No, not detective work, the other thing: beating the hell out of costumed loons.
Those who might find the story a bit ridiculous would do well to remember that Batman has certainly faced odder challenges in his time. This is hardly the silliest Batman crossover you’ll ever read (take your pick between the Looney Tunes or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). It’s not even the silliest Batman crossover you’ll read this month (see Batman & Scooby Doo Mysteries, out now, online and in print). It’s not even the silliest crossover set in a fantasy deathmatch arena (The Ultimate Riddle, we love you, but no). Compared to some of Batman’s other crossover adventures, Zero Point seems like a downright logical idea.
Writer Christos Cage takes the story (by ideas man and consultant Donald Mustard) and runs with it. Given that there’s very little dialogue, it’s curiously over-written – much of Batman’s inner monologue feels unnecessary – but Gage does a good job of bringing the two worlds together. Those who have never played a Fortnite match in their lives should be able to follow the story without much trouble.
But why would they want to? Aside from Reilly Brown and Nelson Faro DeCastro’s dynamic action sequences, it has little to offer Bat-fans. It’s a vacuous blockbuster, smashing together a bunch of things which are popular (Batman, Fortnite, Harley Quinn) without rhyme or reason. Fortnite fans should fare better, seeing their favourite characters get to face off against DC’s A-list. Fans of both? That’s the sweet spot. And readers get a fancy new in-game skin out of it, free with the comic.
Zero Point is the best-case outcome for a Batman/Fortnite crossover. It’s action-packed, easy to read, and won’t be entirely incomprehensible to non-gamers. Its story is utter nonsense, but then, who plays Fortnite for the story?
