War Crimes: OK, I wasn't a big fan of the "War Games" Batman family crossover story that began a year ago, as it just demanded the reader follow too many comics and know the characters too well to fully appreciate it. So, going into this epilogue story, "War Crimes," I wasn't expecting to have a different reaction. But I did, and it's thanks to some clever writing that examines the political and cultural fallout of the low points in the Batman's existence. The writer offers an accessible script that doesn't demand the reader have an iota of previous knowledge of the events of "War Games," and the art boasts a realistic tone that's in keeping with the grounded ideas Gabrych explores.
A popular Gotham newsman who was once the Batman's biggest booster is now out to see him destroyed, and he's got the perfect ammunition: proof that one of his young allies -- Stephanie Brown, AKA the Spoiler, AKA Robin -- died as a result of his failure to protect her. Another problem is that someone out there seems to have pieced together that he is Bruce Wayne and is leaving him messages about the Brown media coverage. Meanwhile, a scarred young man leads a movement promises Gothamites a spiritual healing in the wake of the recent gang wars, but he is allied with someone who's far from the most benevolent figure in the city.
What's fascinating about this story is Gabrych's examination of how the media would deal with the reality of a Batman and the chaos that follows him wherever he goes. It has a real ring of truth to it. There's also a real acknowledgement that the Batman's pattern of reaching out to young people in extreme circumstances isn't really that responsible. But it's just the City Versus the Batman. The Gotham police are taken to task for years of co-operation with the Dark Knight as well.
Woods's art is appropriately dark, but there's an ultimately grounded and soft tone that casts many of the characters as vulnerable, and therefore, relatable. I'm also struck by the fact that Woods illustrates cars very well. That may not seem like a big deal, but he not only makes the Batmobile look like something real, but he reinforces a realistic backdrop with streets that could be the ones readers drive and walk down every day.
The most disturbing scene is the one in which the Batman takes grisly measures to ensure he's not framed for murder. I found it interesting how the script really doesn't mention what he's doing. There's this detached tone in the narration, but the art makes it clear the hero is doing is best not to allow the ugly task at hand affect him emotionally. It's a thin line, and it's a powerful scene.
Beast: This backup feature -- detailing Killer Croc's quest to curb his growing beastial side, thanks to exposure to the "Hush Virus" -- has a couple of problems, but it succeeds in what it sets out to do, and that's to humanize the most inhuman of Batman's enemies. The narration, in Croc's inner voice, really captures the conflict that rages within him. At the same time, the story doesn't go so far so as to make him seem like a tragic, pitiable figure. He's still detestable, but he's easier to understand.
Where this short segment goes awry is in the portrayal of the doctor who's forced to help Croc. Her mad-scientist grin at the end of the piece is corny and doesn't seem in character. Furthermore, having her apparently 44-D bust straining to emerge from her clothes (not to mentio the slit up back of her skirt) contributes nothing to the story. This is not a sexual situation, so the gratuitous T&A is irksome. Otherwise, the art's pretty good, reminding me a fair bit of the style of Barry (Legion of Super-Heroes) Kitson. 7/10
