By Steve Niles (writer), Kelley Jones (art and cover), Michelle Madsen (colors)
The Story: Bruce Wayne wrestles with his feelings for Detective Clarkson, while Batman tries to find her missing partner. Detective Lucas’ disappearance at the hands of Killer Croc clears him of being Midnight, but the harder Batman looks for Lucas’ body the further he gets from the truth about Midnight.
What’s Good: Taking a break from Midnight is good. It’s not that he isn’t interesting, he’s just too much at once. His plan is so intricate, it’s cumbersome. Through seven of twelve issues I still don’t know what he wants aside from giving Batman the runaround. So moving away from him gives us a nice breather. Still, I can’t say enough about Kelley Jones’ art. Cover to cover, the tone of Niles’ writing is captured perfectly. The liquid-looking skull on the ground of a crime scene, and Croc’s character designs stick out in particular. Michelle Madsen proves once again why she was the prefect choice to color this book. The aforementioned crime scene is a good example of that. The white background shows how bleak the case looks, and the skull design indicates death. These simple, but unique choices help Madsen keep pace with Jones’ pencils and help give the book’s visuals an added flair.
What’s Not So Good: The idea that the book needed to step away from Midnight in the first place. Why introduce a villain to Batman’s Rogue’s Gallery and then avoid any clear explanation of intent. The book is about him, but it’s only really good when he’s not around. This is never a good sign. There also seems to be something a little off with the character work here. Batman’s dialogue continues to bug me in this issue. I understand he’s the world’s greatest fighter, and his movements are instinctual, so he can actually think while fighting. But that’s the sort of thing that only makes sense when he’s fighting a common thug. Fighting someone like Croc, who is a much more formidable foe is more of a challenge that should require more attention.
Conclusion: People who love unique, detailed artwork should definitely stick to reading this series. If you’re just in it for the story, it might be a little tougher to keep following. Niles’ depiction of Batman is spotty at best, with his writing showing the characters duality to an annoying degree. Too much genius one week, too much fighter the next, this is a balance he’s yet to find throughout the series’ run. It’s not a good sign when a comic is most enjoyable without it’s two main characters. Still, the artwork is amazing and in my opinion worth the price of the book.
Grade C+
-Ben Berger
Filed under: DC Comics, Reviews Tagged: | Batman, Batman, Batman Gotham After Midnight 7, DC Comics, Kelley Jones, Killer Croc, Michelle Madsen, Steve Niles
