Batman: Gothic
An early tale from Batman's career and an early tale from writer Grant Morrison. This time, Batman is called upon by the mobsters for help. When he refuses, he soon realises the mobs enemy is tied to his past.
Though the read is short, there is a lot to take in and it is best read in one sitting to let it all sink in. I've heard people say that they didn't like Bruce's childhood being toiled with in such extreme ways but honestly there isn't anything in this to wreck any continuity or characterisation issues.
The mob ends up being murdered one by one by a 300 year old monk known as Mr Whisper, who made a deal with the devil to live for so long (a common modus operandi for Grant Morrison). As Batman refuses to help the mob, who contact him with an upside down bat-signal, Batman soon discovers that Mr Whisper may have a been a teacher from his past at a boarding school. I best not tell the rest, but it sends Batman on a journey to Austria and he studies religion, architecture and the occult to figure out Mr Whispers methods, who's ultimate goal is to cheat the devil.
The art was great and so was the pacing. It doesn't lose interest lacking a familiar villain, as it delves into the supernatural. On the negative, Batman seems to be falling from heights a lot and his fighting and evasive skills seem to be hopeless in this. The bat-gyro makes an appearance, which always makes me cringe and Alfred seems to always sound sarcastic in this when I'm pretty sure he isn't meant to. It also ignores the existence of mobsters like Sal Maroni and Carmine Falcone at this point in the timeline. Batman ends up in a comical trap, possibly making fun of the camp days, but he gets out of it too easily, as if it's expected because he's Batman. It's biggest negative is the missing presence of James Gordon, but it makes up for these faults in having impressive show-off panels and both heroic and disturbing one pagers that are treats for the eye and do well to create a dark vibe, making this a must have for you shelf.
RATING:
Batman Story - 8/10
Continuity - 10/10
Art - 8/10
Badassness - 7/10
OVERALL - 8.2/10
Though the read is short, there is a lot to take in and it is best read in one sitting to let it all sink in. I've heard people say that they didn't like Bruce's childhood being toiled with in such extreme ways but honestly there isn't anything in this to wreck any continuity or characterisation issues.
The mob ends up being murdered one by one by a 300 year old monk known as Mr Whisper, who made a deal with the devil to live for so long (a common modus operandi for Grant Morrison). As Batman refuses to help the mob, who contact him with an upside down bat-signal, Batman soon discovers that Mr Whisper may have a been a teacher from his past at a boarding school. I best not tell the rest, but it sends Batman on a journey to Austria and he studies religion, architecture and the occult to figure out Mr Whispers methods, who's ultimate goal is to cheat the devil.
The art was great and so was the pacing. It doesn't lose interest lacking a familiar villain, as it delves into the supernatural. On the negative, Batman seems to be falling from heights a lot and his fighting and evasive skills seem to be hopeless in this. The bat-gyro makes an appearance, which always makes me cringe and Alfred seems to always sound sarcastic in this when I'm pretty sure he isn't meant to. It also ignores the existence of mobsters like Sal Maroni and Carmine Falcone at this point in the timeline. Batman ends up in a comical trap, possibly making fun of the camp days, but he gets out of it too easily, as if it's expected because he's Batman. It's biggest negative is the missing presence of James Gordon, but it makes up for these faults in having impressive show-off panels and both heroic and disturbing one pagers that are treats for the eye and do well to create a dark vibe, making this a must have for you shelf.
RATING:
Batman Story - 8/10
Continuity - 10/10
Art - 8/10
Badassness - 7/10
OVERALL - 8.2/10