REVIEW: I Am Batman : Empire State of Mind Pt. 3

Maybe Jace should have stayed in Gotham, because New York crazy is a completely different type of crazy that (judging by the top of this book) this Bat may not be able to handle.

There is not many times that I have seen Batman run away. This is one of them. But the disgust is understandable, as John Ridley pits The Bat against a deranged murderer who is inspired by Jace’s symbolic crusade. The thing is, of course, is that this individual interprets the Bat bringing his crusade for justice as a pass to start dismembering astute individuals who he deems as undesirable in the most grotesque ways possible. The hyper-violence isn’t blatantly shown by artist Christian Duce as it is in motion, but the renderings of the aftermath is enough to churn stomachs, enough to make Jace question his role as Batman on several occasions in this very issue, and have him strongly consider hanging up the cape.

At least Jace has his best friend and his sister to console as he deliberates over his decision to keep the cowl. From an inspector he is close to, to Jace’s father forewarning him that he has “only faced criminals not pure evil” before, this Batman has a large support system, which appears more closer than the Bat-Family itself. Plus between his best friend and his sister, I wouldn’t cringe if I saw either of them suit up in future issues.

Ridley has a way of writing his characters in a sense that makes them relatable while still keeping their larger than life qualities intact. The inclusion of this Batman having his family so close, yet still so far because they are estranged, it’s a fascinating dichotomy. I wouldn’t mind seeing this Bat over by Brownsville for a few more issues before he eventually comes back to his rightful place in Gotham. But if Ridley decides to place any more pitstops in between this Bat’s journey before he eventually reaches his rightful place at the Hall of Justice, reader’s like myself should be happily strapped in for the road trip; because it’s not everyday in the Bat-mythos that we get to see a Bat grow in front of our eyes without it being some flashback sequence.

Ridley is giving reader’s a front row seat to Jace’s come up and if he can make it out of a New York gritty as any Punisher book ever put on a shelf, he can make it anywhere.

Score : 5/5

(W) John Ridley (A) Christian Duce (CA) Stephen Segovia