|
BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHTS #20
Recommended (7/10)
|
DC Comics
"Retribution, Part 1 of 2: Sons and Lovers"
Writer: Devin Grayson
Pencils: Roger Robinson
Inks: John Floyd
Colors: Rob Schwager
Letters: Bill Oakley
Editor: Bob Schreck
Black & White: "The Lesson"
Writers: Julius Schwartz & Dan Raspler
Artist: Christian Alamy
Letters: Kurt Hathaway
Editor: Mark Chiarello
Price: $2.50 US/$4.25 CAN |
Retribution: Don't let the cover mislead you... while there is a brief Superman/Batman encounter in this story, the real focus is on relationships between fathers and sons, both literal and emotional. Though the plot doesn't flow as smoothly as it could, Grayson delivers yet another story spotlighting the human sides of the Batman Family.
The Batman has a lot on his mind. He finds himself in the middle of a fight betweem a reformed gangster and his greedy and uncaring son, and Talia's role as Luthor's corporate replacement has him worried to the point that he visits Metropolis as Bruce Wayne. Meanwhile, Bruce's adoption of Dick Grayson hits a snag, as a living relative -- a Romanian grandfather -- turns up and tries to convince Dick of the importance of his roots.
The most fascinating aspect of this story was Devin Grayson's exploration of Dick's heritage. He refers to his biological family as gypsies, and it's interesting to see a grandfather turn up to show him what that heritage really means. The writer uses that heritage and the grandfather's appearance to establish a new rift between the Batman and Nightwing, and it makes for strong reading, granting the characters greater credibility.
Though I didn't care for the stereotypical depiction of the title character on the splash page, Robinson's figures following that opening scene also brought a greater degree of credibility to the world of the Batman. Not everyone has a perfect physique, and the grit and darkness of Gotham work quite well. The art isn't really remarkable, but it does tell the story clearly.
The opening scene is a bit perplexing. Batman plays by the rules, letting a criminal go just because his father "claims" the drug shipment that the Dark Knight knows the kid was mixed up in. Though the father/son conflict was interesting, the way it played out didn't quite click. Furthermore, the Metropolis scene interrupted the flow of the story, as it didn't really tie into the familial theme.
The Lesson: Comics legend Julius Schwartz and JLA editor Dan Raspler team-up to create a surprisingly clever yet dark story of a young boy being trained to be someone who rights wrongs. The dialogue is particularly intense, as harsh words are hammered at a child.
Alamy's art reminds me more than a little of the detailed styles of such artists as Adam Hughes and Eduardo Risso. Though the art isn't as inky as previous "Black & White" stories, Alamy still manages to convey a creepy and disturbing atmosphere with a lot of white space.
Overall, Gotham Knights stands out as one of the most consistently interesting and inventive of DC's Batman titles.
Email Don MacPherson comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board.
|
