With this latest Batman limited series, Matt Wagner sets out to recreate, retool and reimagine a classic Golden Age Batman villain and conflict for modern readers. It's not a bad idea, and I'm honestly surprised there was a costumed baddie left over from the Dark Knight's early days to dust off in the first place. Wagner's storytelling here is solid, and the tone of the narration and atmosphere is similar to what Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale pulled off in Batman: The Long Halloween and Dark Victory. But there are flaws to be found as well, and not the least of them is the fact that the character around which the story revolves (and for which the book is titled) doesn't even make an appearance in the first issue.
The Batman discovers that Gotham City is becoming a more dangerous place with every passing day, and he begins to wonder if his mission to fight crime might be inspiring the more colorful criminals who have been making their debuts in recent months. Adding to his concern is the discovery of several bodies around the city, all of which have had their throats torn out and drained completely of blood. Meanwhile, GCPD Capt. Jim Gordon discovers a new danger as well, and it comes from within the police department.
Wagner's art on this issue struck me as being just slightly more smooth and polished in appearance that his usual line art. It's not that Wagner's work is loose or rough in general, but his art here seemed a little bit tighter. I was reminded a bit of Amanda (Power Girl TPB) Conner's style here, to be honest. I enjoyed the choreography of Gordon's action-oriented scene as well. Perhaps the most striking aspect of Wagner's art is the timeless quality he instills in the setting. Though there are modern references here, the look and feel of Gotham is more 1940s than 21st century.
The initial introspective quality of the narration, during which the Batman questions himself and the effect he's having on the city he hopes to save, really worked well for me. It's not exactly a new idea, but it touches upon an uncertainty in the character we don't normally see. I also found the recurring plot development of a sensuous enemy or threat drugging someone to be interesting. Though the two scenes and characters are completely unrelated, those moments act as bookends of sorts in the issue.
This limited series is titled The Mad Monk. So where is he? I'm not saying Wagner has to show all of his cards right away, but some kind of token appearance, just a hint of his presence, would have made some sense. Furthermore, the tone of the script really isn't one of a first issue. This is very much a continuation of Wagner's recently completed Batman mini-series, Batman: The Monster Men. It seems as though this should have been presented as just one long limited series, but instead, I'm left with the impression the publisher wanted to cash in on two debut issues rather than one. 6/10
