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BATMAN: ORPHEUS RISING #1 (Best of the Week!)
Highly Recommended (9/10)
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DC Comics
Writer: Alex Simmons
Pencils: Dwayne Turner
Inks: Danny Miki
Colors: Shannon Blanchard & Digital Chameleon
Letters: Ken Bruzenak
Editor: Michael Wright
Price: $2.50 US/$4.25 CAN |
When most comics writers take a look at police corruption in the world of the Batman, we see cops getting paid off by drug dealers or something similar. But through Alex Simmons's eyes, we see a different kind of corruption. We see cops targeting criminals not based on their actions. but on the color of their skin. In his introduction of a new hero to the Gotham scene, Simmons grants the Batman and his costumed allies a greater degree of credibility by throwing them into the middle of real-world issues of violence, crime and race.
Tensions in Gotham City are on the rise. Cops of color are being slain, and a group of racist officers is putting the squeeze on gang members and the black community, often without cause. Complicating matters for the Batman and other costumed heroes is the debut of a new hero whose agenda is unclear.
I've read some of Simmons's work before -- in his two Blackjack series, to be precise -- and the narration in Orpheus Rising is just as flowery as it was in those books... but it works. The tone of the narration drives home the gravity of the events in the plot. There's almost a lyrical quality to that aspect of the script. As for the dialogue, the media lingo and exchanges among cops ring true, though the Batman's dialogue with his allies strikes me as a shade to familiar, given his well-established grim demeanor.
Turner has wisely reigned in his more extreme, McFarlane-inspired approach to comic art, as a more realistic tone is definitely called for. He conveys the grit of the street quite well, and I have to admit that I really enjoy the design for Orpheus. At times, though, Blanchard's colors were a bit too bright, given the darker tone of the story.
So far, this is just a Batman adventure, as we've learned little of Orpheus. While I look forward to learning a lot more about this new character, Simmons handles Batman quite well, focusing in on the character as a detective. There's definitely a major mystery going on here, and I look forward to seeing how it plays out.
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