|
BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHTS #25
Recommended (7/10)
|
DC Comics
"No Exit"
Writer: Devin Grayson
Pencils: Roger Robinson
Inks: John Floyd
Colors: Wildstorm FX
Letters: Bill Oakley
Editor: Bob Schreck
Black & White: "Last Call at McSurley's"
Writer: Mike W. Barr
Pencils: Alan Davis
Inks: Mark Farmer
Letters: Pat Prentice
Editor: Mark Chiarello
Price: $2.50 US/$4.25 CAN |
No Exit: I've never much cared for the various crossovers that popped up throughout the Batman titles for the past 10 years or so. Some of the stories were good, yes, but the ongoing plotlines were peppered with inconsistencies. Inconsistent plotting. Inconsistent quality. Inconsistent art styles. Cataclysms, contagions, legacies, quests, falls and no man's lands didn't hold my interest.
And now we have part four of "Bruce Wayne: Murderer?" in this new issue of Gotham Knights. And thus far, the crossover is sustaining my interest. The plot is being handled well, and it's consistent. Characterization... strong, and consistent. And the art is consistently and appropriately dark, maintaining the right atmosphere for this tense and unpredictable story.
Bruce Wayne is arraigned for murder and attempted rape, and bodyguard Sasha Bordeaux stands charged as an accomplice. Dick Grayson has rushed to Gotham to help his mentor, as has Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce's one-time butler and confidant. Bruce rejects their aid, but since they -- and Oracle -- are just as stubborn as he is, they set out to prove him innocent of the crime of which he's accused.
Robinson's simple style still brings a darkness and maturity to the story that suits the tone of the plot and the characters. His work in previous issues was more impressive, but I think that stems from the fact that this script doesn't seem to be nearly as visually driven as others Grayson has written for this title. That's a not a criticism, though, but merely a reality of this particularly issue.
There was a single panel in this issue that irked me, but it stems from a personal bias. The media is barred from the courtroom for Bruce Wayne's arraignment. Sure, the implication is that the judge is trying to avoid an O.J.-like media circus, but the brief scene diminishes the importance of an open, transparent justice system. Grayson plays the scene for gags, but I found it diverted from the realism of the legal process that's been center-stage so far in this story.
That's a minor point, though, in an otherwise well scripted story.
Black & White: In the mid to late 1980s, perhaps no other writer was as closely associated with the Batman than Mike W. Barr. He has an excellent grasp on the character, and his take here makes for some entertaining, if predictable, reading.
At McSurley's bar, you can find the dregs of society, the worst kind of scum. Plans are made within its walls, plans to prey on the weak. There are those who overhear those plans, and among them is a certain Dark Knight. It's a bad day for McSurley's, though, as the city is finally in a position to shut it down for good.
Alan Davis and Mark Farmer impress with their detailed look at the underworld of Gotham City. They present a corner of the city that is beyond filthy. The setting matches the tone of most of the characters with which the title character interacts. As for the story, it delves into an idea we've seen covered many times before, although with more of a cute ending than we've seen in the past.
Email Don MacPherson comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board.
|
