Life's a joke, but Kite Man isn't laughing.
Batman #30 serves as another transitional chapter of "The War of Jokes and Riddles," with perennial sad sack Kite Man again finding himself caught in the middle of the citywide conflict. But as solid as Kite Man's origin story was in Batman #27, this issue truly captures the tragic, goofy appeal of this Z-grade villain.
Kite Man is a joke. That's really the running theme of this issue. Writer Tom King and artist Clay Mann follow poor Chuck Brown as he teams up with one villain after another, each time ending in painful disaster and leaving Chuck even worse off than he started. The punchline is always the same, and Kite Man is determined to keep laughing or die trying. Over the course of these misadventures, King paints Kite Man as a pathetic yet compelling figure. He's not clever or bloodthirsty or crazy enough to hack it as a Gotham City supervillain. Yet he keeps picking himself off and trying again, if for no other reason than he'd rather keep laughing at himself rather than face the misery his life has become. King's script lends extra pathos to Kite Man's sad plight by juxtaposing the present with a series of narrative captions relaying a conversation between Chuck and his late son. It takes skill to make readers care this much about such a dumb character, but King makes it seem easy.
This issue also happens to come around at a very convenient time in terms of the overarching story structure. Batman #29 left readers with a major cliffhanger, as Batman contemplated which of the two sides in this war to ally himself with. That answer is revealed here. But at the same time, framing the story from Kite Man's point of view keeps the Caped Crusader at a useful distance. We don't know what Batman is thinking or feeling as he joins forces with the lesser of two evils. That makes his decision all the more fascinating, especially as his plans become clearer. It really does feel like Batman will emerge as the true villain of this storyline, which alone may justify the unusually lengthy approach King has taken here.
Mann and colorist Jordie Bellaire continue to shine, crafting an issue that feels both distinct from the other chapters of "The War and Jokes and Riddles" and a cohesive part of the larger whole. Bellaire elegantly sets the mood on every page, creating a Gotham that feels desolate and oppressive, as if the war has left only a handful of costumed survivors roaming a haunted wasteland. And Mann's precise, detailed pencils mesh very nicely with King's ordered methodical approach to structuring his stories. Mann thrives working with a wide range of Batman villains, but his work truly shines in the final pages, which feature a terrifically emotional, steadily paced payoff to Kite Man's plight.
The Verdict
Batman #30 marks another high point for the current Batman storyline. On one hand, it lends further depth and pathos to Kite Man, exploring just how much this outwardly goofy is motivated by tragedy and loneliness. On another, it changes Batman's role in this conflict in a major way and makes the Dark Knight a source of mystery and uncertainty. And with top-notch visuals from Clay Mann, Seth Mann and Jordie Bellaire, this issue truly fires on all cylinders.
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