With the world as he knows it crumbling around him, Jace must find a way to work past the overwhelming resentment he holds for his father to rescue his mother. Thankfully, this time he won’t have to do it alone. Tiff is ready to don a suit bathed in familiar hues of red and green to help her brother. Just don’t call her a sidekick.
DC Comics
“How can I fight for something I don’t believe in…?”
Compelling and deeply personal, I am Batman #17 strikes the perfect balance between drama and action. This issue’s success is largely due to Ridley’s focus on tension mounting within the Fox family and thematically tying it into the action sequences. The result is powerful, as Ridley presents the reader with a relatable, fledgling Dark Knight. Christian Duce, Eduardo Pansica, and Julio Ferreira’s artwork are astounding throughout every sequence. Unfortunately, the differences in art styles between each creator are noticeable enough to take you out of the moment.
Picking up immediately after the events of last issue, I am Batman #17 finds Jace struggling to comprehend the bomb his parents just dropped on the family. Throughout their heated exchange, Jace is quick to take the moral high ground, accusing his father of using his power to manipulate his biological mother. There is an unavoidable suspension of disbelief required for this argument as Jace’s concern for how Lucius treated his biological mother appears to greatly outweigh his outrage for betraying the Fox family’s matriarch. However, this is forgivable as Jace’s argument words thematically play into the larger narrative and make conflict deeply personal for Jace.
Thankfully, Ridley injects a healthy dose of reality into the argument by allowing the accusations to fly from both sides. Although Jace is quick to take the moral high ground on the abuse of power, his mother is quick to remind him that he is in no position to judge others after he fled from his mistakes. Although this is a little bit of deflection, Tanya’s response feels spot-on for the matriarch defending her family.
I do love how this conflict comes to a head as Jace and Tiff race to rescue his biological mother, Elena. Ezekiel King unknowingly plays on Batman’s doubt by playing on Lucius’ abuse of power. As a result, this dynamic duo quickly falls to King’s Moral Authority.
DC Comics
“…I don’t.”
Christian Duce, Eduardo Pansica, and Julio Ferreira’s artwork is great throughout I am Batman #17. Each artist does an excellent job conveying the tension surrounding the family’s drama and each action sequence. My favorite panel from the entire book is during Batman and Tiff’s assault on King’s compound as they burst through the door. The cinematic detail in this panel and accompanying sequence are perfect. I wish I could have this panel as a poster for my wall.
Unfortunately, the artists’ style of detailing their panels is distinct enough that the scratchier style from earlier pages stands out against the later sequences. It’s minor, but does take you out of the moment. Thankfully, Rex Lokus’ colors help maintain some visual consistency throughout the story.
Ultimately, I am Batman #17 strikes the perfect balance between drama and action. This issue’s success is largely due to Ridley’s focus on making the issue compelling and deeply personal. He accomplishes this by allowing the tension to mount within the Fox family and thematically tying their internal struggle to the action sequences. The result is powerful, as Ridley presents the reader with a relatable, fledgling Dark Knight. Additionally, Christian Duce, Eduardo Pansica, and Julio Ferreira’s artwork are astounding throughout every sequence. Unfortunately, the differences in art styles between each creator are noticeable enough to take you out of the moment.
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