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BATMAN: THE 10-CENT ADVENTURE
"The Fool's Errand"
Recommended (8/10)
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DC Comics
Writer: Greg Rucka
Pencils: Rick Burchett
Inks: Klaus Janson
Colors: Lee Loughridge
Letters: Willie Schubert
Editor: Matt Idelson
Price: $0.10 US/$0.17 CAN |
There are
really two reviews to be done here, one on the contents of this story and the
other on the marketing work done on what is an ad for DC comics as much as it is
a comic. In regard to the first, this is everything I'd expect from Rucka and
Burchett, managing to almost live up to the contradictory "self-contained issue
and cliffhanger" that it has been hyped as. As a marketing tool, it has
significant flaws, and I have to admit to being a little disappointed, because
I'm not sure it will have the affect that DC, retailers, fans and pretty much
everyone is hoping it will to bring comics to the mainstream.
I've been reading the Batman
comics for some time now, so I'm familiar with new characters like Sasha and
Vesper Fairchild as well as the more widely known elements of Batman's origin.
However, a fair chunk of the audience for this book was going to come in not
knowing much more than the character's name and costume, based on the old TV
show or the movie from the early 90s. Rucka and Burchett do an impressive job of
satisfying both audiences, serving up a "refresher course" through Sasha's
narration that is never boring to old readers (thanks to Burchett's striking
artwork), but at the same time, serves to convey all the essential information
to get the story going.
Burchett was, I think, a
perfect choice for this kind of project, because his work is clear and
easy-to-read while still having a distinctive style of its own. There are
missteps, such as the decision to use a splash page early on that is hard to
decipher for fans of the form, let alone novice readers, but in general the art
is top-notch. And Rucka, to no one's surprise, delivers a story that is gripping
and powerful. It was actually somewhat surprising to hear Sasha admit her love
for Bruce Wayne in the narration, as I wasn't sure she was aware of it, and we
definitely get a sense of how troubled Bruce Wayne is throughout the story as
well.
For those who read Devin Grayson's story in last week's Gotham Knights, there
is an additional clue, or possibly interesting red herring, to the murder that
happens at the end of this issue. But at any rate, the circumstances of the
murder, as well as the state that Bruce has been in, leads the reader to wonder
if maybe the obvious conclusion that Bruce isn't the real murder might be
erroneous. That slight element of doubt was all I needed to help draw me in, and
the fact that Rucka has set this up as a whodunit, leaving us to wonder about
the circumstances of the murder even if we knew for sure that Bruce didn't do
it, drew me in even further.
So the story is excellent, as expected. However, on a marketing level, this is a disappointment. Others have said plenty about how stupid it seems to trick folks into comic stores with a dime comic, only to have them find out that if they want to know how the story ends they have to spend a lot more money over several months, so I'll just say that a short crossover would have worked, but one that goes until at least April (and possibly longer) seems insane. I'm also a bit stunned that nowhere in this book is there a house ad for any DC books, particularly an ad for The Dark Knight Strikes Again. For that matter, nowhere
is there a mention of the 1-800 Comic Book locator service, so if activist fans
do give them out to potential readers, there's no guarantee those folks will
ever find a comic shop where they can get the remainder of the story. None of
these are crippling problems, but they all seem like missed
opportunities.
Email Randy Lander comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board. |
