When I first heard the title of this new Batman limited series, I had assumed it was an Elseworlds title, merging the classic Stevenson gothic novel with elements from the world of the Dark Knight, especially Two-Face. Such is not the case, though, as writer Paul Jenkins explores the themes of the Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde novel as opposed to the plot. There are decent elements of a solid serial killer yarn to be found here, but the story as a whole fails to hook me. The psychological suppositions about the fractured mind of Two-Face don't seem fresh at all, and yet another new revelation about the character's background and how it contributed to his split personality seem like rather large pills to swallow.
Regular Gotham citizens are suddenly turning violent, exhibiting behavior one normally associates with the worst kind of killers. The murders attract the attention of the Batman, of course, and he discovers a clue at one crime scene that leads him to a doctor conducting research into the primal instincts of mankind. Meanwhile, Harvey Dent, AKA Two-Face, comes out of his mad reverie and demands to be heard, but he'll only speak with a specific audience: the man who locked him up, the city's very own Caped Crusader.
Jae Lae's artwork stands out as the strongest, most effective storytelling element in the book. His darker approach is very much in keeping with the tense, creepy atmosphere for which the writer strives, and his detailed linework really makes the grotesque visage of Two-Face come to life. It's easy to see him as both a monstrous and pitiable figure. Lee depicts Arkham as being just a little too run down, I think. I realize the place is meant to look dank and old, but it looks practically condemned at times in this comic.
Jenkins's descriptions of what a family man opts to do to those he loves is chilling and gets the reader involved in the story. What makes the atrocities so disturbing is that they're not the work of a crook with a gimmick. There's no poison laughing gas, no freeze ray used to shattered frail forms. What makes these crimes more disturbing is that they do happen in the real world. The unfortunate thing is that the serial killing riff that's so intense and engaging here is likely to fade away as the main plot takes hold.
The genetics of the fight-or-flight response? An effort to merge two sides of a psyche into one cohesive unit? The doctor's work boasts more of a mad-scientist feel rather than any sort of connection to health care, and the link to Two-Face is so obvious than the reader is left ot wait impatiently for the inevitable connection to be made. The revelation that Harvey Dent had a brother and suggestion that he may have something to do with the fractured nature of Harvey's mind comes off as far too convenient, and that this information is coming to light only now is difficult to accept. 6/10
