Batman Comics At Their Best
This comic is the best comic I’ve read since I have started reviewing and very close to one of the best single issues I’ve read ever. It’s beautiful in every way I feel a comic has to be. The narrative was exciting but touching with emotional pulls throughout. The art had amazing detail and helped structure the story with perfect panelling while showing brutality and beauty on pages it needed to. This is the best Dark Nights tie-in I’ve read, and I think it’ll be tough to beat.
The writer is Peter J. Tomasi and someone I’m quite familiar with. One of my favourite comics that he coincidentally wrote was the Batman and Robin New 52 run, which detailed an intricate father/son dynamic while also laying intrigue and mystery with a fast-paced and sometimes intense storyline. This being said, even without the “Dad Stuff” it was still a great read and I believe most people would be affected by the relationship between Bruce and Damian. In this issue, the pacing and structure were perfect for the tone he was aiming for, with past and present actions being weaved back and forth while emotion shone through to express the reasoning for some of the worst actions done by a Dark Batman. I may sound hypocritical if you’ve read my “The Drowned” review where I complain about the structure of these tie-ins being the same and for the most part, this is the same with the main difference being the lack of Wonder Woman. But somehow Tomasi somehow keeps it fresh, maybe with great narration, maybe with something I wasn’t expecting, either way, it felt new again.
The artist is also someone I’ve seen before, and that is Francis Manapul. He was put on my personal radar when he also took the reigns on a debut New 52 run but instead of a Batman title, it was The Flash and my god was it pretty. Anything this man draws is incredible, its somehow complex while also seeming simple in design. It may sound condescending, but you’ll have to see his work to understand what I mean, and this issue is no different. The colours, the style and the framing are near perfect, and I could never tire looking and appreciating his style, so much so that I follow him on Instagram and encourage you to do so too.
As for the comic and the content itself, I don’t want to say anything more. It deserves to be read, and by everyone. Its touching, exciting and I want more. Knowing I won’t get more is bittersweet, but I’ll just take solace in the fact that I have more evidence that my universe theory was right, and it was solidified by a fantastic piece of work. Did I enjoy this comic, maybe…