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BATMAN: ORPHEUS RISING #2
Recommended (7/10)
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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 |
Though not nearly as strong as the first issue, this second chapter still maintains my interest. Simmons is delving into some solid urban sociologial territory here, and he's also introducing the reader to a sharp new character that I hope gets plenty of use beyond this limited series.
Orpheus gets caught in the middle of a gunfight between cops and gansters, and his efforts to save lives on both sides of the fray draws the misunderstanding and ire of the police and the Batman. While the Dark Knight tries to get a handle on this new costumed figure, Orpheus lets the black gangs know that they're as much his target as those run by whites, that skin color won't let them off the hook.
Turner and Miki's collaboration is appropriately gritty, given the urban, street-level conflicts fueling this story. I remain impressed with the Orpheus design. it's striking and stylish, but it's realistic and practical as well. The deep purple color scheme also suits the dark tone of the story as well.
Simmons strays from his central plot here. The details of the gang war in Gotham are a bit fuzzy, and the cop-killer plotline is all but forgotten until the final splash page. Still, other aspects of the script -- such as the Batman's detective work -- makes for good reading, and I find I really want to know a lot more about the new title character.
My favorite part of this book (and the same holds true for another comic book this week: U.S. War Machine) is the writer's look at race as a factor in the lives of the characters. Orpheus's encounter with the Deacons, a black Gotham gang, was the highlight of the book. Simmons tackles a sensitive issue intelligently, but he doesn't kid-glove it either.
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