This month, we continue on with Zero Year: Dark City. We had a great opening issue to this part of the story that really got me pumped to see more. What will this issue bring us? Is it good?
Batman #26 (DC Comics)
Dr. Death has come to kill Lucius Fox, but Bruce Wayne isn’t having any of that! However, he may have more difficulties doing so than he would expect. Even after all of that insanity, what happens when Bruce runs into Jim Gordon?
Prepare for several pages of douchebag ranting.
I am sad to report that this issue of Batman has taken a step back after several months of high quality. Not to say that the issue is horrible, since it is still a good comic and there was still plenty of solid material in it; notwithstanding, things certainly dropped off and it can be contributed to the characterization of a young Bruce Wayne and his vile rant at Jim Gordon: which is pretty much Bruce telling Jim for several pages that he is a bad person because he is corrupt like the rest of the police force… and then the implications that Jim did not do a thing to do stop Bruce’s parents from being killed. All of this after Gordon had just saved his life no less. Look, I can go with the idea that Bruce did not like Gordon all that much at the beginning, but this is just pure un-likeability if I have ever seen it. Not to mention that this scene really drags the issue down after a tense and exciting opening scene.
I thought the rest of the issue was pretty decent overall. Like the opening, Bruce using his brain to figure out a way to stop Dr. Death (even if it was incredibly brutal way to do so), the mysterious flashback page in the middle, and the cliffhanger at the end. I do like the characterization for the others, with Gordon in particular being rather patient with Bruce despite his ranting. Besides the middle that dragged, it was paced well and it was really engaging like I said overall. Just that middle part that really hurt the issue a lot.
Gah! My ear hurts just looking at it.
No backup this time around, Greg Capullo does the sole art for the issue. Like always he does a great job with his artwork. His characters look good, his action is solid, his freaky image is top notch, and he does some interesting layouts (like the film strip opening to this issue). I also got to give points to the colorist as well for his unique and vibrant use of colors for the comic that really help make things stand out, especially with the film grade coloring for the flashback scenes. One thing of note though in the negative department comes to one of the pages he drew. It’s a single shot of one of the characters and nothing else on the page. The entire background is just blank with brown. That’s rather dull and lazy looking, while also being mis-colored, since the room in question is green.
Seriously kid, you’re rich! Why did you steal that popcorn?
7.5
- Solid beginning and end.
- Decently written for the most part.
- Capullo’s artwork is good as always, with some creative coloring
- Bruce’s character is very unlikeable.
- Not much was accomplished in the story.
- Some of the dialogue was a bit overwritten.
Is It Good?
Batman #26 was a step back for the run, which has been improving quite considerably over these past few months. It has good moments and is decently written and drawn, but behavior by the main character just really sinks the issue quite immensely. Hopefully, the issue can step up from that.
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