Shining a light on Gotham City.
Since the start of DC Rebirth, readers have been told that Duke Thomas is a different sort of Batman sidekick, one like none of the Robins who have served under the Dark Knight before. What exactly that meant remained unclear until Dark Nights: Metal revealed that Duke is a metahuman. This miniseries builds on that twist as it carves out a distinctive niche for Duke in Gotham City.
It seems fitting that Batman and the Signal would be a joint effort between Scott Snyder and Tony Patrick, given that Patrick is one of the writers Snyder has helped mentor in DC's Talent Development Program. It allows Snyder to keep a watchful eye on his co-creation while allowing a younger, fresher voice to tackle a younger, fresher character. Patrick tackles his first DC assignment with plenty of vigor. The opening pages alone serve as very self-aware commentary, with Duke questioning himself and his purpose in much the same way skeptical readers have been questioning the character in recent years. This is a book driven by an eclectic cast of younger characters, and it needs that sense of unpredictable energy driving it. Tonally, the book shares as much in common with Batgirl as it does any of the actual Batman comics.
This first issue does leave me wondering whether Snyder and Patrick are attempting to tackle too much within the limited confines of a three-issue series. This opening chapter does establish what exactly it is that makes Duke unique in terms of his powers, his place in the Batman family and his ability to operate in the bright of day while his mentor lurks in the shadows. But the script does tend to feel overstuffed, with too much narration and dialogue that could stand to be streamlined. The script worries too much about ensuring readers are caught up to speed on Duke's history and not enough about fleshing out the new metahuman threat he's stumbled across.
Luckily, the book has a very attractive look to it regardless of how many word balloons pop up in any given panel. Cully Hamner is an inspired choice for the series as he's able to invoke the style of Duke's backup stories from All-Star Batman while also bringing a brighter, more expressive sheen to the character and his world. That bright quality is further accentuated with the presence of colorist Laura Martin. Who better to realize the full potential of a Batman comic that unfolds in broad daylight and hinges on a hero who actually wants to be seen? Together,m the two artists make the most of the clash between light and darkness in this story.
The Verdict
Three issues already seems like too little to contain this ambitious look at Duke Thomas' new superhero status quo. But better too much ambition than not enough. Batman and the Signal looks great, and it successfully pushes the character forward and cements his new place within the Batman family. We can only hope DC has more planned after this brief miniseries wraps.
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