Gabriel Hardman’s Batman/Green Arrow/The Question: Arcadia has been quite the politically charged noir potboiler for the first two issues, but the slightly villainous turn for the Dark Knight really irked me in the prior issue. With the three DC vigilante’s crime fighting styles being so different, there was bound to be some sparks when they all come across the Arcadia facility, but there was something about Hardman’s take on Batman that seemed “off” from the more modern takes on his character. Luckily for this longtime Batfan, Bruce Wayne saw the light by the end of Arcadia #2, and with this third part of the four issue series, the makeshift team of Batman, Green Arrow, and The Question team up to start putting the hurt on the Arcadia project and its leader, Rotha.
With the workers revolt heading to a fever pitch after the latest attack on the Arcadia Project, the time to act is now, and our three leads work feverishly to get as many indentured workers out of the facility as possible. As Batman jams the satellite frequencies, The Question and Green Arrow do their best to cause a distraction and lead as many workers as possible onto a commandeered aircraft. After being rescued by Batman from a potentially cataclysmic plane crash, the trio discover an old nuclear fallout shelter that they can use to gain supplies and fight back against Rotha and his men, but the differences between our three heroes are reaching a boiling point, especially when Green Arrow learns the real reason why Batman is keeping the signal jammed, preventing them to call for assistance.
Simply put, Arcadia #3 pretty much addresses all of my criticisms of the previous issue and then some. To get things out of the way, Gabriel Hardman addresses Batman’s willingness to go along with Rotha and his men, and while it’s a bit of a throwback to the more “ends justify the means” take on the character that has gone a little out of style, it works well for the story Hardman is telling. Yes, Batman working with Rotha just to get more information on the project to expose it is a story reveal we all saw coming (and should have been revealed a little sooner), but getting it here adds a layer of complication to the already fraught Green Arrow/Batman dynamic, and makes for a really compelling relationship for our three leads. While The Question is singularly focused on helping the workers of the Arcadia project, Green Arrow and Batman are trying to focus on the problem from a “big picture” sense, and that clash of personalities is really interesting and engaging. It was the type of philosophical arguing that the first issue was promising we’d get, and the differences between these three is extremely fascinating to read.
But Arcadia‘s third issue isn’t just a lot of costumed vigilantes waxing poetic at one another. Oh no, there’s some absolutely kick ass action as well. Hardman’s script really ups the tension throughout, with an opening sequence ripped from the best action movies as the three heroes work in unison to get as many workers out of the facility as possible. Bouncing between our three leads, it’s a rip-roaring sequence that shows the improbable strength that these three have as a team when they focus on a singular goal, and one of the coolest moments in comics this year.
DC
That opening is enhanced by Hardman’s art, which is probably the reason for why this issue was slightly delayed. But in all honesty, when the book looks this good, a delay is a very small price to pay. Hardman’s already awesome redesigns of the characters are even cooler when they get to let loose and take on Rotha’s forces, and there’s some splash pages that legitimately made my jaw drop from how awesome they are (just wait until you see one of Batman’s big moments). But those big fireworks are also there in the debates between our three leads, which is no small feat when one of them has an expressionless mask that covers their entire face. The big confrontation between Green Arrow and Batman later in the issue hits as hard as it does because Hardman puts just as much effort into this confrontation as he does the opening action sequence, and the book is all the more better for it.
Batman/Green Arrow/The Question: Arcadia #3 was the rebound I was hoping for after the second issue, and one of the strongest Black Label titles DC has put out in some time. It’s always dangerous for a series to promise things ahead of time, as many times they write a check they can’t cash, but with Batman/Green Arrow/The Question: Arcadia #3, the bill is paid off and then some. I can’t wait for the conclusion.
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