by Judd Winick (writer), Mark Bagley (art), Rob Hunter (inks), Pete Pantazis (colors), and Jared K. Fletcher (letters)
The Story: After spending long periods of time cutting out pictures of Batman smiling and interviewing teleporters, Two-Face finally invades the Batcave and throws it down with the Dark Knight.
What’s Good: The fact that the atrocious Bat-Two-Face costume was just a mere hallucination.
What’s Not So Good: Everything. Ever since the idea that one of Batman’s A-list rogues would work so hard to teleport to the Batcace was introduced, this story took a turn for the far worse. What the hell Winick?! I thought you were an underrated writer when it came to writing rich, dialogue-driven character studies for capes. Instead we get a lacking attempt (not to mention an uncharacteristic move) from Two-Face, as he tries to psychologically break down Batman. Reading the Dark Knight repeatedly say, “I am Batman” made me lose hope in this title. Winick ultimately falls short in making Grayson mature from this easily forgettable event. Instead he leaves us with a pathetic man who tries so hard to convince himself (and the readers) that he is Batman.
As for the art, the return of Tony Daniels will be warmly welcomed, as Mark Bagley’s work in this concluding issue assures us that his style doesn’t suit the Dark Knight. Everyone looks too cartoony, and the action and violence aren’t exciting nor entertaining. Furthermore the “supposed to be” memorable character revelation moment (the return of the lame D-list villain, Black Mask) falls short and silently. I have no problem spoiling that one for you, since I’m assuming that such a lame character wasn’t worth anticipating. It’s really disappointing that Bagley never captured the cold and the gritty, and the dark world of Batman.
Conclusion: The final chapter of Dick Grayson’s first adventure as Batman is one open-ended disappointment that doesn’t leave you excited for things to come. I hope Tony Daniel is able to redeem himself after the mess he made in Battle for the Cowl, and really jump-start this title. It’s disappointing that DC has allowed Batman to become such a weak series.
Grade: F
-Ray Hilario
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Conclusion