In I Am Batman, Jace Fox is the official Batman of New York City and he does vigilantism differently. Not only is he more brutal, but he’s actually agreed to work with the police force. In John Ridley’s ninth chapter, Jace starts to use his detective skills and new implications are revealed as the racist police force comes more into the light.
If you’re expecting more from the serial killer artist, you may be disappointed with this issue. Jace fought the dude last issue–and nearly died doing so–so this issue is all about taking a step back and figuring out the next course of action. If there was a theme to I Am Batman #9, it’s that Jace needs a little help from some friends. Not only does he consider working with the police a bit more, but he calls in an old friend who supplies some much-needed detective work.
While Jace and the police are out looking for suspects, there’s some interesting character work with supporting characters. Jace’s friend Vol is trying to set up a hideout for them to operate from, but we soon learn racism comes at you from different angles, like the fact that he’s Russian. Jace’s mom and sister also play a part in key scenes, further showing Jace isn’t ever alone and needs to embrace that.
This issue is decidedly lighter on the action, although Jace does get to take the motorcycle out for a spin early on. There’s a lot more talking and working together. In that way, it reads like a police procedural, although it’d be nice if Batman punched a few more baddies. It makes sense, though, since this series is set in New York, so there’s a lot less glamour in terms of villains.
Rules for thee and not for me!
Credit: DC Comics
If you’ve seen The Batman it’s also interesting how this story is aligning with that one. Our villain here is killing top brass corrupt folks and thinks he’s doing the same work Batman does.
Christian Duce and Stephen Segovia share art duties and do a good job. There are some stand-out moments visually, like a scene with Batman standing on a city street and the buildings all around them rendered in hyper-realistic detail. The full-page splash to end the book is also quite good as it’s not only haunting, but it sends a message that our villain is coming for someone in particular. Colors by Rex Lokus complement both artists.
I Am Batman is turning into a great police procedural, especially with how it navigates real-world issues like racism and corruption. On the other hand, this issue suffers a bit as it’s lots of talking and not a lot of doing, but things are heating up and should make for a great confrontation down the road.
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