Is Batman still Gotham City's greatest hero?
Tom King and David Finch began their Batman run on a surprisingly bleak note last month, with Batman confronting a seemingly insurmountable challenge and surviving only by the intervention of Gotham's two newest heroes. Issue #2, naturally, explores the fallout of that instance of deus ex machina and the question of whether Batman can share his city with a pair of Superman-level heroes. The result is a fun blend of classic Batman tropes and new challenges for the Dark Knight.
It would be nice if a little more attention were paid to fleshing out Gotham and Gotham Girl. The latter character especially is barely more defined by the end of issue #2 than she was in issue #1. The fact that Batman seems utterly disinterested in learning the identities and motives of these costumed upstarts seems strange, to say the least. However, there's a sense that this hands-off approach is intentional and that King is only revealing as much about the characters as absolutely necessary right now. And he finds ample room to explore this new clash of personalities as the gruff, seasoned Batman begins to impart his wisdom on these two talented by clearly inexperienced rookies. Even better is the hilarious interaction between the new heroes and Commissioner Gordon (who clearly hasn't let his brief tenure as a superhero go to his head).
And for those who fear that super-powered characters will push the Batman franchise too far out of its comfort zone, there are plenty of more familiar elements at work in this issue. We get to see King have fun with Bruce Wayne the absent-minded billionaire as much as Batman the driven vigilante. There's also the return of another iconic Batman rogue, one who seems poised to make as big a splash in the months ahead as Calendar Man did in Batman Rebirth #1.
Finch's dynamic art is an asset throughout this issue. His detailed environments are impressive, once again, but this month his action scenes and choreography take the cake. Whether it's Batman silently entering or exiting the frame while the Gothams remain unaware or Bruce dancing his way through another boring gala, there's a real grace and fluidity to Finch's storytelling. That storytelling is only marred by the occasional instance of poor anatomy. One particularly bad panel features Gotham Girl's long legs disappearing into a comically short skirt with no hint that they'll ever meet to form a pelvis and hips. But those moments aside, this issue is a great testament to Finch's skills with the Dark Knight.
The Verdict
The new Batman series may not be offering the story readers were expecting, but that's hardly a bad thing. Tom King and David Finch are showing a knack for blending familiar Batman tropes with new conflicts and challenges. With a little more character growth for Gotham and Gotham Girl, this story arc could develop into something truly memorable.
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