“…I would rather light a candle than curse the darkness…” – Joker
This issue opens with Batman and Alfred discussing the arrests of some of Gotham’s baddest crime lords. Then we cut to a news reporter interviewing eighty year old Joe Finnegan in a heartwarming segment where we learn that Joe has to mow lawns in order to make ends meet and he’s been given a brand new lawnmower from an anonymous source. This leads us to one of Batman’s most feared antagonists helping the very sick who can’t afford to help themselves. Much like Al Capone used to feed the poor during the great depression to gain their confidence. What is this nefarious ne’er do well up to?
The Creative Team:
Mark Russell is focusing on the caped crusaders most deadly nemesis, and if you need to be told who that is then you clearly have never read or seen anything to do with the Batman, Who is clearly up to no good, but he’s hiding his latest scheme by committing acts of charity. It has something to do with a word that seems to be gibberish “Balyushka” which apparently is this stories “Rosebud.” The clever writing from Russell has Batman chasing down his enemy and attempting to arrest him…for helping people. We see the worlds greatest detective’s frustration grow as he’s trying to figure the Joker’s new angle. It’s an awesome tale that I found darkly amusing, as a Batman tale should be. You can almost feel Bruce Wayne’s head start to ache and the pain increase on every page. In the end, this turns out to NOT be a job for the Batman, but rather his alter-ego. Great stuff includes the Batman’s opening page comments and Bruce Wayne’s appeal to the millionaires of Gotham, will they listen?
Bogdanovic and Glapion give this issue an almost Frank Miller feel as their pencils and inks compliment each other in a strong way. This issue is unusually bright for a Dark Knight tale. Perhaps this is because this is a situation which requires more of Bruce Wayne’s involvement than his counterpart. The only real dark imagery is from the Batman himself. We don’t see the Joker in violence mode at all, and this is scarier than one might think. Highlights include the look on Joker’s face when Batman tries to arrest him and the reaction from the Gotham board when Bruce asks them for help.
In Conclusion:
A refreshing change of pace from the normal monthly assault on our senses from Batman stories, it’s a fun little tale of reversed expectations and I thoroughly enjoyed every page. Once in a while we have to get away from the norm and see things from different perspectives. This story truly throws us for a loop and subverts what we’ve come to expect from this title, awesome read! ***1/2 (8.7 rating)
Writer – Mark Russell
Art – Viktor Bogdanovic, Jonathan Glapion
Colors – Ivan Plascencia
Letters – Tom Napolitano
Publisher – DC
Author Profile
- Kevin Given has studied with “ Longridge Writers Group †and “ Writer’s Boot Camp †a speech/communications major from the University of Maine Presque-Isle/Orono sites. He has created the “ Karl Vincent Vampire Hunter †franchise which includes novels and comic books. They can be found on amazon, Indyplanet and Kindle. For a limited time you can get digital copies of “ Karl Vincent: Vampire hunter †# 1 and “ Files of Karl Vincent †# 1 for free on Indyplanet. Kevin is producing the third novel in the series “ Dracula Rising †(working title) and developing “ Foul Blood †into comic book form. Don't forget to check out the YouTube show " Comics: Let's Talk " hosted by Kevin Given
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