|
BATMAN: ORPHEUS RISING #2
Recommended (7/10)
|
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 |
The first issue of this
mini-series was largely used to explore the gang situation and police sniper,
and to hint at the existence of Orpheus. This second issue, while still moving
forward the other plots, starts to show us who Orpheus is and hint at his
motivations and methods. So far, Orpheus doesn't strike me as all that
interesting, more a carbon copy of Batman than anything else, but I am intrigued
to see Simmons exploring the traits he has in common with Batman and the
different treatment he receives despite those similarities. I'm also enjoying
Turner's artwork, although Miki's inks are doing him no favors. This is a decent
read, but up against more innovative Batman fare from Brubaker and Rucka, it
looks a bit plain.
Simmons has a flair for narration, which was one of the things I enjoyed about his pulp-style comic Blackjack. It may not be purple prose, but it has a
purplish hue, and while it can often seem a bit over-the-top, it does give the
book a nice atmosphere. The narrator talking about the standoff before the
gunfight starts, or describing Orpheus's thoughts as he acts, helps to convey
the sort of swashbuckling spirit that the character embodies. He is like the
Batman, but he seems a bit lighter on his feet and maybe lighter in his heart.
However, more interesting are the
similarities and the way that Simmons explores them. Both Orpheus and Batman
love their little codes and their toys, and both of them think they are smarter
than everyone else and basically playing their own game with information from
others. Seeing the two of them come into conflict was interesting, as I think
both men may be forced to realize that someone out there is just as good as they
are. And the hints as to what drove Orpheus to this have me even more curious to
see his origin revealed, an origin that I think will make or break the character
in my mind.
I am enjoying the artwork by Dwayne Turner,
but it often seems a little scratchy and unfinished, and the storytelling in
combat scenes is often a bit muddled. We're supposed to gather that Orpheus is
agile and acrobatic, but we often can't really tell what he's doing, what his
gadgets are and how he's fighting, and that makes for a weaker story. Stronger
action storytelling would help this story out a lot.
While the true story here is the revelation
of Orpheus, the backdrop is the story of two gangs at war and a sniper killing
cops. Those mysteries don't move forward much in this issue, but they do provide
us with places to see Batman and Orpheus in action, and to judge the characters
based on their reactions. The latter plot also provides us with a nice
cliffhanger for the book.
Email Randy Lander comments about this review. |
