GOTHAM [Official Season 1 Review]

I can still remember the anticipation and excitement I felt when news of a pre-Batman television show created by Bruno Heller (also responsible for some gems like HBO's Rome and CBS' The Mentalist) and starring Ben McKenzie (who is the known heartthrob lead from the CW teen show The O.C which I grew up with) is going to air in FOX. Since then, I've kept tabs of the trailers and teasers online as well as interviews concerning  behind-the-scenes production and discussions on the character arcs they will divulge in for the show. To further express my support and interest, I decided to review each episode in my Bat-blog and successfully managed to review all ten episodes before the show took a mid-season break. Now it hasn't exactly been consistent or superb all throughout in that early half of the season. I'd like to think that I was both critical and forgiving enough in my reviews as I make assertions concerning its overall cohesiveness not only as a television show based on the material where my childhood superhero has originated from, but also as its own breed of serialized drama. In retrospect, I think there have been a few standout episodes as a whole which I could commend for their excellence, and certain actors whose performances were really worth experiencing. This review will be my most final piece about the entire first season. I aimed for it to touch upon my favorite episodes and characters, highlights in the storytelling and plot directorial choices, and, of course, some notable criticisms.

If anyone reading this now has also had a chance to peruse through my reviews of the first ten episodes, then you basically know what you're in for. When this show aired, I was in the bandwagon, always willing to give any adaptation of any beloved source material a try instead of needlessly being pessimistic about it like most so-called die-hard "fanboys". What I found interesting about my experience in watching a show like Gotham is that there's a different perspective you suddenly acquire once you cease just being a passive viewer and actually engage in the thought process of deconstructing and commenting on an episode's framework and the actors who played the roles in it, etc. This is what happened to me last year on a weekly basis; I would watch an episode, pay close attention to everything as it unfolds, and then compose my insights as succinctly as possible two days later in my Bat-blog. It helped me understand and make sense what I was viewing and whether or not I enjoyed it. The truth is I really do enjoy Gotham with all my heart especially when I write my reviews because, as flawed as some things were for this show, it was still something I would keep watching because there are aspects to it that I'm fully invested on. So, that being said, I will first tackle the things I did love about this show and then start talking about the things I felt just didn't work or are still a work-in-progress. When all is said and done, however, I'm pleased this show is getting a second season because I think there are still stories and developments that can be improved upon next year. The entertainment value of this show is present, the directorial approach has great potential and can be polished some more, and specific character arcs for me are meaningful enough to stay invested on.

FAVORITE EPISODES

"Pilot"

I maintain that this was a fantastic show-opener. It has enough attention-grabbing moments to make up for those few odd and forced comics easter eggs in between scenes (like a young Poison Ivy conspicuously surrounded by plants). The murky atmosphere was captured well by the cinematography and set choices for this episode, emphasizing the way this city is steeped in corruption and crimes as well as haunted by its ghosts. I think I watched this episode the most so far (three times with different people) and I still enjoyed it. The introduction of the main characters such as Gordon, Bullock, Fish Mooney and Oswald Cobblepot depended on the overall countenance of their characters which I believe were memorable enough for casual viewers. A segue to the Wayne murders and a grieving young Bruce (plus a hardass Alfred) was a treat for me as well. But my favorite moment has to be the first conversation between Gordon and Carmine Falcone which led to Gordon and Bullock at the docks where Bullock forcefully coaxes Gordon to terminate Cobblepot which golden-boy Gordon faked. That entire sequence was superbly shot and an effective enough cliffhanger.

"Viper"

I was immensely entertained by this episode because it was the closest thing that this show touched upon the campier elements of the Batman mythos while also being able to play it straight. There's a madman who casually drugs transient citizens of Gotham with a potent green substance similar to that of Bane's Venom. The final confrontation where the bad guy turns the poison into airbone chemicals is something one can easily encounter in an Adam West Batman episode. This episode also gave young Bruce some more material to work on as he take the first step closer to the corporate conspiracy surrounding his parents' deaths, with the strong implication that the mugging might just have been a set-up, and people in Wayne Enterprises may have been behind it all.

"Spirit of the Goat"

Co-written by CW's Supernatural's Ben Edlund, this is something I objectively consider as one of the strongest entries of the entire season, and easily in one of its top three spots. Donal Logue's Harvey Bullock was the focal character as he works on a cold case surrounding a serial killer who ritualistically murders rich children and displays their corpses across the city. The flashback sequences flow seamlessly with the present as we also learn more about Bullock and his personal baggage. I thought this kind of narrative should be something the show should aim for where a certain character is the main focus while other plotlines tackled within were reasonably sidelined but were still just as relevant. The surprise revelation at the end of this episode concerning Oswald Cobblepot's return just as Gordon was about to be arrested for his murder was also quite well done.

"Penguin's Umbrella"

This may inarguably Gotham's best installment for the season. There is a lively and brisk pacing to it especially when it came to the execution of the action sequences. Everything comes to a collision for this episode; from Gordon's confrontation with Zsasz and his deadly femme fatales, to his enlightening face-off with Carmine Falcone, this episode was exciting and brutal without overplaying its hand. The climactic moment arrives near the end when Cobblepot's allegiance to Falcone, and their scheme and strategies, was revealed in the most thrilling fashion, showcasing both men's skills to play the long mob game. This episode proves that the show knows its core strengths and should focus on developing them down the pipeline. 

"What the Little Bird Told Him"

The return of the second half of the season was very mixed and its quality is certainly polarizing, more so than its first half. However, I did find Gordon's brief stint as a security guard at Arkham Asylum as an arc that was dropped too soon. Personally, two good things came out of it: his meeting with Leslie Thompkins played by the lovely Morena Baccarin, and his cat-and-mouse game with Jack Gruber a.k.a The Electrecutioner. I really loved the opening sequence featuring Johnny Cash's God's Gonna Cut You Down. Christopher Heyerdahl who plays Gruber was exceptionally eerie and grating for the role. On the mob side of things, Fish finally plays her hand and fails miserably when Falcone discovers her plot involving the girl Liza and chokes Liza to death for himself. I thought John Doman is one of the show's finest actors and he gave such a stellar performance in this episode just as good as in Penguin's Umbrella.

"Beasts of Prey" and "Under the Knife"

Milo Ventimiglia plays a tortured romantic with beauty issues and he also happens to be Gotham's uncatchable serial killer known as the Ogre. He was only on Gordon's radar because of Commissioner Leob's manipulation. As it happens, any cop who tries to investigate the Ogre ends up having their loved ones killed. Gordon worries putting his new girlfriend Leslie's life in danger, but he has a job to do and so pushes through anyway. This arc span for at least three episodes but I think this first two installments were the strongest. I thought it was a good serial killer story, and the build-up was done just right. The twist concerning Barbara Keen also worked; her involvement as the "soulmate" the Ogre has been looking for was pretty terrifying and sad at the same time. The writing has not been kind to Barbara's character at all since Penguin's Umbrella but Erin Richards does her best to portray the slowly deteriorating sanity of this character.

FAVORITE CHARACTERS

Alfred Pennyworth and Harvey Bullock

Both Sean Pertwee and Donal Logue who played Alfred Pennyworth and Harvey Bullock respectively truly turned the interpretations of their characters as their very own brand of badass. Their scenes and interactions with Gordon and Bruce are always interesting to watch, particularly whenever they demonstrate their sense of duty and loyalty to these two. This may be my most favorite version of Alfred. I'm pleased that this show opted to showcase that Pennyworth has a military background, and that though he serves more as a butler and faithful guardian to a young Bruce, you know he can kick some ass if somebody tries to hurt his young master--and he has shown this very efficiently. His genuine affection and concern for the boy have added a layer of sweetness to his seemingly rough-and-tumble personality. It certainly makes me look forward to a future season where Bruce grows up to become a teen with destructive issues and how this Alfred will handle it. On the other hand, Bullock is often goddamn hilarious and Logue definitely knows how to deliver his one-liners with enough wit and attitude. His character-centric episode humanized him as well as the steady progress of his partnership with Gordon. I like that he has street smarts and knows his way around the city. Over the years of service he may have gotten cynical about crimes and his role to play but through his gradual and challenging friendship with Gordon, we get to see a man who still cares about doing the right thing…but in a very Bullock way where he still has to be damn sure it won't get him killed.

James Gordon

Ben McKenzie is an actor I really, really enjoy watching even way back in a teenage delinquet role in The O.C. Playing one of the most iconic characters in the Batman universe and certainly with a very loyal fanbase must have been intimidating for an actor but McKenzie, I personally believe, managed to grow alongside his character. The first half of the season showed us a Gordon who is rather fixed in his ways and often rides a high horse, blindly believing he could change things as long as he doesn't lose his values along the way. We find him less rigid in the second half where he finally learned to play the game when the stakes are against him. He had to change if he hopes to change the corrupt and violent status quo of Gotham. Through a few series of failures and the many interesting people--sociopathic, criminal and the vulnerable alike--Gordon's passion for justice only grows stronger and more steadfast, demonstrating that he is still a good man who must do a few bad things to get more important things done. His sporadic moral choices throughout the season have been compelling for me to see unfold as well as the consequences that come along with them. I definitely think McKenzie as James Gordon holds up as the main protagonist of the show and hopefully we get to see more of his comics' counterpart in the next season.

Bruce Wayne

Dave Mazous is a talented boy. Sure, he struggled in the first few episodes of the show but he continues to improve and deliver, in my opinion. Playing the young Bruce Wayne has never been done with such raw vulnerability like Mazous had, and his scenes may sometimes seem too forced in select episodes or even be outright fillers but I think his scattered appearances serve as jigsaw pieces that are finally fitting in the right places as we got closer to the finale. I like watching the young boy who will one day become a man who will fight a crusade against the evils of Gotham. I like how fragile, lonely and slightly disturbed he is, and that underneath all that there's steel and determination to define his place in the world and not just be the orphaned rich boy who witnessed his parents' murder. I can't wait to see what is in store for him next year.

Carmine Falcone

John Doman needs more screen time and with this season's finale putting him on retirement somewhere (which should not be permanent) I am quite sad to know that I will not be seeing him around, more so in the next season. I never expected to even like Falcone in this show but each time Doman gets in a scene, he commands a presence which truly emphasize the fact that his Falcone is a man to respect and fear. His few focal scenes are one of the strongest performances in the show, no doubt, and I pray that the writers will find a way to bring him back because I don't think Falcone would give up his power so easily the way he did in the finale.

Oswald Cobblepot

During the first half of the season, I thought Robin Lord Taylor is such an eerie actor giving top-marks haunting performances that keep me so engaged on screen. The second half, however, has been wasteful on his character. For someone who was built up to be so strategic albeit being insane, Cobblepot started making unforgivably stupid moves in the mob game which I suppose makes him more of the Penguin I recognize from the comics; one who is a pathetic opportunistic slimeball. However, even that Penguin knows how to strategize. In the show, there are times when the writing turns Cobblepot into just a whiny misfit teenager playing a losing game against the big-leagues Falcone and Maroni which lessens his formidability. It just feels off, considering all the build-up of his character's dangerous wit and seemingly clairvoyant prowess from the first ten episodes. Nevertheless, I'm looking forward for this problem to be remedied soon in the next season.   

Special Mentions: Butch Gilzean, Salvatore Maroni and Leslie Thompkins

HIGHLIGHTS

The following are the character arcs and plot directions that I personally found myself very invested on as I watched the show.

1) OSWALD COBBLEPOT CHARACTER ARC (First half of the season)

When Gordon faked his execution of Oswald Cobblepot, the latter spent the first five episodes trying to get back to Gotham and the journey has been both brutal and amusing. With an awkard limp and a deceptively fragile outer appearance, Cobblepot is a target for mockery among the people who make his acquaintance. He has been underestimated and overlooked all his life in spite of his drive, cleverness and ambition. It was his clandestine arrangement with Falcone to embed himself in the opposing gang to earn the trust of Salvatore Maroni which showcased how far he will go to win the game. The first half of the season included some of Robin Lord Taylor's most fantastic performances. He was simply magnetic as the Penguin, whether he is limping and stuttering around to maintain his cover, excessively killing some random person just for the heck of it, or scheming his way to the top. I always look forward to a Penguin scene because he's just so darn unpredictable and entertaining.


2) EDWARD NYGMA CHARACTER ARC (Second half of the season)


A lot of viewers complained about this character's treatment in the first half but by the second half we see some step forward in the right direction for the future criminal mastermind, the Riddler. A less formidable and nerdier version of Oswald Cobblepot, Edward Nygma lurks around GCPD, an unwanted and socially incompetent yet highly intelligent forensics analyst who fails to connect or make meaningful relationships with his co-workers. He is hopelessly love-sick with a woman who has an abusive boyfriend and he annoys his own colleagues with his lack of tact and sense of propriety. His scenes were a gradual descent to madness. As his obsession with his crush worsens, he finds himself committing nefarious acts that unleashed his morbid enjoyment for the macabre. I really found actor Cory Michael Smith to be exceptionally creepy. I feel like the reason Cobblepot didn't get many great scenes on his arc was because the writers want to focus the spotlight of crazy on Nygma which I thought paid off.   


3) JAMES GORDON CHARACTER ARC

The second half of the season has found James Gordon rather sporadic in his actions and choices. But then again, he has been rattled by Comissioner Loeb who wants nothing more but to kick Gordon out of the force since he's such a straight-laced cop that he is in no one's pocket. That may still hold true but Gordon also has been taking more questionable risks lately and the more he makes mistakes or finds himself slightly comprising his values, the more his characters evolve and the situations he is put in all the more beguiling to watch. I'm pretty happy about his arc for the first season. It's engaging with a few dark spots here and there. Overall he has great and insightful interactions with a lots of the characters and I like seeing him in the context of the relationships he struggles to hold together.


4) BULLOCK-HARVEY FRIENDSHIP

Nothing more needs to be said about these two. They have challenged each other with their contrasting priorities. They tried to wear each other down. In the end, their trust for each other only deepened, especially on Bullock's side who is finally learning to see the silver linings again thanks to Gordon and his uplifting state of mind. I love this relationship for all its trials and tribulations. 





5) INTRODUCTION OF LESLIE THOMPKINS

Baccarin is a breath of fresh air as Leslie Thompkins who becomes a medical examiner in the show as oppose to a psychiatrist in the comics. Her chemistry and unmistakably compatible relationship with Gordon has contributed to his character's more relaxed stance in his personal life. I want to see more of Leslie next season and I hope she participates in bigger stories by then.





6) THE WAYNE MURDERS CONSPIRACY

I enjoy the consistent and slow-burn journey in uncovering the real reason why the Waynes were disposed of. The only downer is that Gordon, who originally promised to investigate this case, was far to preoccupied now that it left young Bruce no other choice but to pursue it all on his own. And it looks like he's closer to the truth than he realizes. I have a theory about the possibility that--if the show will be so inclined to the idea--the Waynes were killed to serve a purpose that aligns with the secret gathering of the Court of Owls, as told in Scott Snyder's run in the comics. But this is just wishful thinking on my part.

NOTABLE CRITICISMS

Remember what I said about the fact that writing these reviews help me organized my thoughts and therefore increased my enjoyment of an episode or at least make sense as to why whenever I don't enjoy it? See, I had to stop reviewing the second half of the season because I have a self-imposed X-Men Comics Diet for 2015 in my other comics geek blog so I need to put anything Batman-related on the shelf so I can focus on that other geeky endeavor. I opted to just keep watching as each episode gets aired weekly, and then find time to post one long review to capture all of my final thoughts for the entire season. And let me tell you--not writing about my analyses of the later episodes actually made me enjoy what I was watching less. I don't know if it has more to do with the quality of the later half of the season (which, according to multiple sites, has been all over the place) or with the fact that by simply not intellectually engaging in an episode, and opting for a passive-viewer mode, the flaws of the show became more pronounced for me. In any case, I found myself losing interest and even stopped looking forward to episodes that I actually let three episodes slide, but then I just came back to binge-watch them on a weekend. 

I mentioned a few times during individual episode reviews last year that Gotham has a certain unevenness to its delivery and style which is comparable to the similar problem a show like HBO's Game of Thrones has. I suppose this is only unavoidable, considering the ensemble of characters and plenty of material to showcase in a forty-five minute installment every week. Much like with GoT with its hour-run for every episode, some events in Gotham are merely glossed over or certain plot points are gracelessly crammed together. The effect is a decrease in the tension which then underwhelms viewers; or the tension is far too high all of a sudden without the necessary build-up that transitions to it--a problem that is uniquely resonant in Gotham's finale which I will later discuss. The twenty-two episode format should have helped this show established some stronger foundations and fleshed-out developments but it actually only contributed to the growing problem this show has when it comes to prioritizing storylines and how to give them enough time to breathe and thrive. 

(1) The unevenness in combining influences from the comics source material and other adaptations

This has been made obvious from the very first half of the season although the second half finally took a step back and for once tried to tell stories unique to its own setting and multiple character conflicts. It's only been one season yet so it would be unfair of me to say that this show had nothing to offer to the Batman mythos/universe because I sincerely think it's still finding its own identity. That being said, I maintain that out of the twenty-two episodes, only less then twelve of them are pretty decent while others are too tangled up, too dull or too off-beat to consider a cohesive standlone.

(2) The shoehorning of comic books references that dilute the impact 

A bad example of this was the young girl Ivy who hovered around plants, looking sullen. Edward Ngyma used to be one of this two with his quirky, riddle-telling dialogue exchanged with Gordon and Bullock but it's a good thing we got a more believable development and direction for his character later on. I have to say that a mixed example is the possible Joker character from The Blind Fortune teller, one I'm still not sure how to feel about even as I write this. As for introducing the rogue's gallery: The Mask episode was also a missed opportunity to introduce yet another interesting Bat-villain, but the inclusion Red Hood Gang was something I think was nicely done as well as the two-parter Scarecrow origin story that has some of the most surreal hallucination sequences.

(3) Some really unbelievable character developments or lack thereof 

The greatest fault of Gotham for me lies in its female characterization and the so-called "developments" they had, or a distinct lack of it as the show progressed. Unbelievable ones had to be with Fish Mooney, Selina Kyle and that forgettable filler character Liza. The first two were just all over the map and the only consistent thing about their characterizations were the inconsistency of them, especially leading to the last two episodes of the series; most particularly with Selina. The young girl kills a man rather remorselessly and then joins up with Fish during the finale, having little problem disposing someone like Gordon when he clearly tried to help her out before. Selina showed a great amount of compassion and sympathy especially when around Bruce but then the extreme opposite of it somehow was stark apathy towards violence and death. Her actions in the finale just doesn't make sense. One moment she's calculating, the next she's impulsive. This is not a sign of dynamic character; it's a sign of a conflicted one with no clear objective or motivation to her choices which would make her less of a person to value for a viewer. And I really love Camren Bicondova for the role. 

I've always had a soft spot for Barbara Keen played by Erin Richards, mostly because I like misunderstood, neurotic blonde characters in general. The first half of the season treated Barbara as some sort of trophy girlfriend in the sidelines, making irrational choices that almost got herself and Gordon killed. The second half gave her some spooky material to work with which Richards delivered well enough for me, especially when she completely broke down and literally hunted down Leslie Thompkins with a knife, giggling and wide-eyed the entire time it was happening. As fun and creepy as that scene was and the scenes with the Ogre that she had, Barbara remains two-dimensional. A lot of the viewers have no sympathy for her already so I believe that her downward spiral to madness lacked emotional impact. 


(4) Underuse its talented cast 

Jada Pinkett-Smith is a fabulous actress with an intensity to her performance for Fish Mooney that on some level appeals to me greatly but I find that the storylines she is constantly being hitched to are either absurd and out-of-place in its campiness or bizarrely uncomfortable to watch. Of all the actors, she plays her character with a captivating harshness but oftentimes she can get over-the-top and ridiculously vindictive in countenance and presence alone. Still, I thought Fish was the perfect villainess for this show. She has charisma, she has style and she's not afraid to step on a few heads and broken bones to survive. This is further displayed when we see her all alone in the island with the Dollmaker and some fugitives where she won them over and she held up long enough to escape the godforsaken place and return to Gotham...only to get killed.

I refuse to believe she's dead, by the way.

Robin Lord Taylor's Oswald Cobblepot is a show-stealer but the second half left so much to be desired in the character. He was a hollow shell by the finale, outright gunning down people while whining in desperation to get his turn on the throne. It's..tacky and a complete disservice to what I originally perceived to be a remarkably, cunning man who can be frightening when he allows himself to be. In the finale, he was a puddle of mess and literally got lucky enough to throw Fish off a bridge and the fact that Falcone is old and wants to retire and enjoy the rest of his twilight years somewhere far from Gotham. His rivalry with Maroni was anti-climactic. It was Fish who ended his life with a headshot that was shocking and unexpected, yes, but ultimately robbed the satisfaction for the viewers to see a tense face-off between Maroni and Cobblepot who have axes to grind on each other, if not literally. Killing Salvatore Maroni so early on in the game is also wasteful. David Sayas is a fine actor and his role in the show could have been explored more for its next season. Instead what we got in the finale was the irreconcilable fact that his character was reduced into some arrogant and stupid chauvinist who couldn't keep his mouth shut that Fish was driven to murder him from where he stood. Yeah, I'm just gonna say it:

(5) The Finale was weak when it came to the delivery of the stakes and suspense. It had a rather rushed pay-off, and offered no long-term resonance

...because of those main reasons I stated above. I have no energy to talk about it anymore so I'm afraid I'm going to have to cut this review short since I've been going on for a while and y'all may be tired reading this post. Honestly, I've been writing this for two and a half days now so I think it's time to mercifully just end it and give my final rating below.

OVERALL RATING FOR THE FIRST SEASON: 3.25 out of 5 STARS

Robin: Son of Batman by Patrick Gleason issue #1

My most favorite title for New 52 Batman isn't the marvelous run of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo but rather Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason's Batman and Robin which was just awesome, dammit! It stars Bruce and his son Damian as the Dynamic Duo and this series in particular examines with careful depth and understanding just how the father and son's relationship must grow and evolve if they hope to become more effective crime-fighting partners. And it has not been an easy journey. 

Hell, Damian Wayne even died and this title had to adjust filling the missing role of its secondary protagonist. But instead of suffering, Tomasi as a writer continued to flourish, producing quality and intimate tales that make this series unlike most average superhero comic books. It's emotionally resonant and it ended its last hurrah with a final arc that brought back Damian and restored his rightful position as Robin.

With B&R coming to an end, I am so glad that DC approached artist Pat Gleason to write and illustrate a new line-up solely starring Damian Wayne which is already a magnetic premise for me because I am a huge AND I MEAN HUGE DAMIAN WAYNE FAN GODDAMMIT so of course I'm bound to pick up this new title, Robin: Son of Batman. This wouldn't be the first time Damian was a central figure in a story. One may recall Andy Kubert's Damian: Son of Batman which was sadly ultimately forgettable. But I have high hopes for Gleason's project and the first issue did not disappoint. In fact, it got me so excited. There were a lot of things in this issue alone to speculate the direction and possible future storylines which would only deepen my investment on this title.  

We get several callbacks from the essentials: the Damian clones, the Year of Blood and NoBody are the most prime examples.And each were re-introduced from the get-go, further enhancing the intrigue surrounding these subplots that may play out in the course of this series.

There was also the matter of Talia al Ghul making an appearance because she's also somewhat back from the dead, with no recollection of who she is (as seen in one of the final issues of Tomasi's B&R) which should be interesting enough. It's worth noting that we're not exactly sure about Bruce's status here. We all know that he's currently dead and that Gordon is the new Batman. I hope this gets resolved soon but I certainly wouldn't mind this series being a standalone with a flexible timeline for the sake of narrative flow. I just want to make sure any continuity issues should be clarified.

Some noteworthy things about this issue: I want to know more about the Year of Blood. I think this is some sort of al Ghul-related practice that happened before Damian met his father and moved to Gotham. NoBody's daughter looks like she's going to avenge her daddy and I'd like to see what kind of villain she will make. I think this first issue, as well-received it might be for conscientious, long-time Damian fans like me who has followed his growth and career throughout Tomasi's run, may not be newbie-friendly for a casual reader. You need to know more about the previous arcs of B&R to really be comfortable moving forward for this title, I think. It's only forty issues so you can catch up!

Oh, and John Kalisz and Mick Gray return as the colorist and letterer respectively and I love these guys alongside Gleason's illustrations and his visual style has improved a lot. He adds more dimensions and details in his panels. Also, Damian has finally aged! He's now eleven. He's been ten a long time since his debut. So glad this is getting fixed. After all, it would be less creepy for a twenty-five year old woman like me to have a crush on a goddamn kid. I can't wait until he matures into an adult and continues his awesome streak! I am looking forward to this title more than Snyder's and Mana-Buc's own series which have also just been picked up and renewed last month. I've posted my reviews about them so feel free to check them out.

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

Detective Comics by Manapul & Buccelatto issue #41

I've  consistently expressed my desire for the tandem of Buccellato and Manapul to continue working on this title and it looks like I'm going to keep getting what I want when it comes to this. However, both men take a step back from illustrating their own stories this time and we get artist Fernando Blanco instead, giving their third arc for Detective Comics a completely different look and feel to the pages which is not necessarily a bad thing even if I will miss their beautiful landscape illustrations and gorgeous character details. If you haven't started reading their run then you are missing out on some of the best visual demonstrations of comic book action and stylistic panel sequences.

That being said, the cover was still drawn by my man Manapul and it's a style I've been very much fond of. It looks like a vintage recruitment poster which was probably intentional when we stop to consider the timeliness of it all, given the new Batman patrolling the streets of Gotham. Speaking of artistic styles: it is most considerable to talk about the fact that even though Blanco is responsible for the visual layout of this issue, the panel framework is familiarly Mana-Buc (I'll just shorten their names like this together from now on) with their careful division of panels across a full-paged spread that usually denote an extended series of action poses of some kind, or to showcase a fluid transition between two simultaneous scenes occuring in different places. It's a signature style I have now began to associate with their version of Detective Comics.

This issue entitled Reunion puts Harvey Bullock in a major role yet again which is one of the more creative highlights of the previous arc Anarky. His dislike and disconcerting rivalry with Batman as written by Mana-Buc had been entertaining and it's good to see him again in a role that is taken seriously and has so many potentials to grow and take over the entire thing. I am honestly riding the bandwagon of BULLOCK SHOULD BE THE STAR FOR DETECTIVE COMICS so hard right now. If that's going to be the case then I'm gonna have so much fun reading this series with more vigor and enthusiasm. I never considered myself a Bullock man but he's gotten great stories lately and I could definitely see him being able to carry half the load for this series.

The other half, of course, should belong to Batman. As spoiled in the last review and, really, this shouldn't be such a big surprise right now: James Gordon has been sponsored by this affluent businesswoman to don a Batman armor and work alongside law enforcement.  This issue mainly focused on how GCPD would adapt to this complication, particularly Bullock who was of course not a fan of the idea. I think he misses Batsy even in a begrudging, apathetic sort of way, and he will never see thr silver lining or advantage of working with a vigilante and only rightfully so. That is until he learns who is underneath the still-ridiculously named Robobat Bunny armor. 

Once again, I have great hopes that this new arc will offer me lots of material to digest, discuss and fangirl about. This opener was promising and I hope Mana-Buc will stick to Bullock being a major focus particularly his working relationship with the new Batman who was also one of his oldest friends and a trusted leader, someone he respects enough to maybe consider collaborating with him during cases. As for the upcoming central conflict in this arc, it looks like GCPD particlarly certain officers will have roles to play that might get antagonistic in the long run. 

With a new Batman, a new status quo has to be established which means a little shake-up is not only unavoidable but also necessary.

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

Batman by Scott Snyder issue #41

Wonderful things are brewing for this month of July. 

After a six-month absence due to my X-Men comics diet, I am finally back and I intend to make the most of it. I have a new reading list (four graphic novels from old continuity and the third and fourth volumes of New 52's The Dark Knight) as well as the official review for Fox's GOTHAM which wrapped up its first season a few months ago. I'm also starting a Batman: The Animated Series re-watch and review. All in all, it's going to be a great thirty-one days and I intend to fill each one with Batman-centric material in my long-neglected Bat-blog.

On that note, I won't forget reviewing the issues for the current roster of three Bat-titles I'm solely interested in for DC 2015 which are all set in the post-Convergence universe. I'm referring to Scott Snyder's Batman, Francis Manpul and Brian Bucelatto's Detective Comics and the new series Robin: Son of Batman now written by former Batman and Robin artist, Patrick Gleason. 

This review will be painstakingly spoilers galore so if you are reading, then I will assume you have read the issue and are familiar with the Endgame resolution in issue #40. If not then come back later and we can talk about it here. 

Snyder's Endgame was all about the mystery and mythology surrounding the Joker and Batman's complicated relationship with him as well as their contrasting, polarizing roles. It was a fulfilling story arc that also manages to question our own grim fascination for the Clown Prince of Crime and Batman's deal-breaking resolution at the end of it all. Basically, these two forces of nature, find themselves in one of their final showdowns yet this time Snyder actually gives us a real finality to the rivalry. That's the idea at least. To end the Joker, Batman must end himself. After all, they both represent supposedly unkillable ideas, one noble and the other nihilistic. By dying in a physical sense, Batman has also metaphorically severed the Joker's life who only seems to exist in direct opposition of who and Batman is to Gotham and the world he has created. It was an obvious answer that Snyder carefully crafted while also deeply understanding why these two men are inseparable as concepts. 

Now, we have the aftermath. Bruce Wayne is dead. This has happened before, of course,  during the Final Crisis big-event back in old continuity. Former first Robin Dick Grayson replaces him as the Dark Knight and we get a few epic stories from that, most notably my favorite The Black Mirror which was also penned by Snyder himself. At this point, it may not seem like a big deal to replace Wayne and put someone else under that costume since we all know he has to come back sooner and later, right? I think that's understandable but I still think it's rather exciting to have Snyder write and tackle another man taking over that Bat-mantle, only this time there was no big battle of the cowl amongst his Robins. This time law enforcement stepped in and asked a retired marine and trustworthy officer of the law...and it's no other that the former police commissioner and recently exonerated James Gordon. I have to confess that this was a shock to me only because I stayed away from any spoilers that may have trickled in comics news websites before this issue was officially released. But after five pages or so, I started to guess that Gordon was the one chosen to wear the mask--and represent it for different purposes. 

Who appointed him as the new Batman? A new female character I am not sure whether to trust or not. She is a wealthy, affluent woman of resources and a billion-dollar enterprise so of course she has other agendas. One can only hope it aligns with Gordon and everyone else's in Gotham who has the city's best interests at heart.  

The narrative was invigorating for this issue as we jump back and forth from the present action sequence while Gordon as the new Bat tries to apprehend criminals to the flashback scenes showing his reluctance and eventual acceptance of the responsibility. The idea of Jim Gordon as the new Batman is for me definitely interesting because I've always considered the guy as one of my all-time fave characters in fiction in general so I would love to see him take the center-stage. Moreover, there is so much room for possible arcs and character conflicts with a former police commissioner now being a sponsored vigilante working with the law. It's a great, informed decision to explore this angle especially when we further get to see the contrast between Bruce Wayne and Gordon as their own heroes.  After all, it takes a certain training regimen and discipline to be Batman, and you have to wonder how Gordon will cope with the difficulties that may entail both physical and psychological setbacks. Speaking of the physical, Gordon dons more of an armor as oppose to a costume. It's reminiscent of the JLA-designed Hell-bat suit. It was described as the "ROBOBAT-BUNNY" which Gordon should totally get trademarked. Weirdly enough, Gordon still has a costume underneath which I did not like because it resembled too much of the Batman Beyond style, a version of Batman I am still having problems with. So seeing Gordon in the same get-up didn't please me...though I can't deny he looks good for someone his age. 

That being said, I would gladly settle for the Robobat Bunny armor instead. It's only the first installment so I have no uniform thoughts for the story and approach as of yet but it definitely has a promising premise and I look forward to how the events will unfold as the next issues come. The truth for the matter is that I don't want Bruce Wayne coming back so so soon. His absence must be felt deeply as well as Alfred's. God, I hope we get something Alfred-centric soon. 

More importantly, I want Gordon to be given a chance in the role as the new Dark Knight, and how Gotham as a city and the villains and crooks living in it will react and adapt to this new, exciting change. 

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

JULY IS BATMAN MONTH!~

I'm coming back!!

Batman by Scott Snyder issues #40

I just missed FREE COMIC BOOK DAY today (May 2nd, 2015). I sort of have regrets about it because I do want to get that free preview copy for whatever major event DC has cooked up (Divergence? Convergence?) that has sorely affected the upcoming comics line this year. 

Most of the Bat-titles have ended their current run by issue #40 but only three of them ever really mattered to me. Both Manapul-Bucellatto and Tomasi-Gleason finished with Detective Comics and Batman and Robin respectively and now Scott Snyder ends his saga for Endgame which was everything you expected and never expected from a Batman-Joker-centered piece. This has the markings of someday becoming one of the few greatest stories ever told between the two since Alan Moore's classic The Killing Joke. I did not particularly think its finale was strong, however, but I still believe Endgame is a story for the ages.

Before I get into that, I also just want to mention that Fox's GOTHAM is ending its first season with a finale this coming week that I hope makes up for all the general unevenness and mediocre installments in between. I haven't posted any individual episode reviews since its mid-season break last year with Lovecraft but I will be posting an official first-season review some time this June because I need to go back to my previous reviews and possibly re-watch the entire season so I can compose a well-constructed and fairly subjective review. I really like the show; there are moments in select episodes that I genuinely enjoyed. I've grown to understand and root for certain characters, and I'm still invested on Gotham to continue its journey through a second season. I have the same feelings for NBC's Constantine whose last four episodes I will be posting individual reviews for on my other blog.

In the meantime, let's talk about the finale for Endgame and Snyder's BATMAN run for New 52. There's nothing more to say that I haven't tackled in my previous reviews for this story arc and if you have some time right now, you might want to go back and read them. Now I thought this was a rather befitting end to a series that has defied and met expectations a lot of times in the past, and this was mostly because writer Scott Snyder has demonstrated a certain level of sophistication and delicate sensibility in the structure of his narratives for this series that always leave readers craving for more. Endgame, in particular, has left me nothing short of being stupefied and breathless. I also became sincerely afraid of the events unfolding before me as the story went on. I will never, ever forget just how much this storyline made me so goddamn nervous every time a new issue gets released. 

Starting from #35, Endgame was at its heart a mythical exploration of the Joker as a timeless character and fictitious construct; the clown prince of crime and nightmare instigator whose reputation and legend have been tied to Gotham and Batman himself for a very, very long time. Much like Alan Moore calling some attention to the twisted symbiosis present in Batman and Joker's relationship as governing forces of order and chaos in The Killing Joke, Snyder himself delved upon this paradox and myth further. As you can see from the cover of this issue, Batman and the Joker are shown to be locked in a perpetual battle between light and darkness; a story as old as time; the ultimate representation of a rather painful and almost inseparable dichotomy that has dictated and defined one's role and function in lieu of the other. Batman is the avenging angel; Joker is the beast that needs to be slayed. It's a great visual depiction and speaks a lot to how their story reaches its inevitable end. But NOTHING EVER ENDS.

I've been consistently rating each Endgame issue with 9 out of 10, and I believe I'll do the same for this finale. It wasn't a perfect chapter; I thought there was a missed opportunity in the beginning pages where the Rogue's gallery allied themselves with the Bat-family--I wish we could have gotten a more fleshed-out content from this subplot. Each rogue--Bane, Penguin, Poison Ivy, etc.--that were shown fighting alongside the good guys is unique in both identity and relationship with Batman so it's a shame they were merely compartmentalized in a team effort to foil the Joker's plans. I thought it was just wasteful because it would have been interesting to see these villains taking sides between Batman and Joker and not just lump them up in a unanimous decision to aid Batman. It just didn't make sense to see them work so easily as one unit and together with Batgirl, Red Robin, and Red Hood at that. That's my only criticism for this finale issue.

The rest after that was actually where the real meat and bones of the story truly lie. Julia Pennyworth has officially won me over; her continued assistance and reliability would make Alfred very proud of her daughter. She was there for Batman until the very end and it even helped her repair her relationship with her father once she finally learned to walk and work in his shoes to protect the one person aside from her that Alfred would lay down his life for. My most favorite moment occurs at the very end when Alfred has decided to just live with his amputated hand because there's no used to having all his parts if there's no longer a master, surrogate son and friend he will mend, as he had promised Bruce back in Zero Year ("I will always be here to mend you").

Here is the SPOILER for this finale issue: Underneath Gotham City itself, Batman and the Joker have their last crucial face-off. And it was brutally visualized by artist Greg Capullo. The panel after panel of violence that went on between this unstoppable force and immovable object were gory and breathtaking to witness. What really got to me was those precious last scenes with Batman holding onto the Joker as they near their own demise. Batman intends to die since he found out that the Joker has risen and came back to finish him off, and he accepted this with unquestionable clarity. It was only poetic; their deaths must be a shared burden between them; a heightened and sensationalized closure and yet it was also a surprisingly simple culmination of everything they have been and will be: INTRINSICALLY INSUPERABLE. It was always the ending that fit them both.

Snyder may have killed Batman and the Joker here in Endgame, but there's always, always going to be a rebirth--for every destruction demands creation. By the time the new comics line start, the possibilities of what the new Batman line-up is going to be are rife with creative energies and fresh beginnings. Both Batman and the Joker after all are unkillable ideas; unified concepts that have been retold since the dawn of mankind's ability to tell stories. And so we will read about Batman and the Joker again, and we will bear witness to these stories with a new pair of eyes and vantage point-of-views soon enough. 

We could gaze continually in the void until we grow weary of its presence but seen through a new perspective, then it could still take the breath away. 

RECOMMENDED: 9/10

Batman and Robin by Peter J. Tomasi issue #40

Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason's Batman and Robin and I have been through hell and back. In the beginning, I've witnessed the father and son, Bruce and Damian Wayne, struggle with establishing trust and partnership in the Born to Kill story arc (my all-time favorite New 52 story), which essentially proved to be worth all the drama once I was reassured with the affirmation of the love and affection that grew steadily between them as seen in the first annual. There was also that symbolic dream sequence issue that solidified this title as an emotionally resonant piece. 

As I journeyed on, I saw Damian Wayne survive his first encounter with the Joker but his mother's vengeance proved to be deadlier which tragically cost him his life as examined in the wordless issue of REQUIEM. We also get Alfred's heartbreaking singular scene about it, Batman's uneven stages of grief and his hunt for his son's corpse, until we finally reached the coiling prickle of ascent in Robin Rises, an arc that restored my faith in everything when it finally resurrected Damian Wayne in his rightful position as the Boy Wonder--but not without inheriting accidental superpowers courtesy of the chaos shard. And this is the final stage that Damian has to overcome now that he has returned for good.

One thing that has made Tomasi and Gleason's collaborative work on Batman and Robin for New 52 so heartbreaking, intelligent, meaningful and commendable lies in the strength of its characterizations and development which serve as the driving force behind the stories Bruce and Damian encounter along the way issue after issue. It is proven time and time again that this is foremost a story about father and son at its very core and Tomasi only goes wrong when he starts deviating from this trusted formula which had happened once or twice with the forgettable Terminus and zombie arcs. Those are necessary mistakes, however. 

On the other hand, Gleason as the artist has immensely improved with his visual style and approach. This was realized and highlighted in his depictions of the scenes for Robin Rises as further enhanced by inker and colorist Mick Gray and John Kalisz respectively. I remember remarking on the bland simplicity of his earlier work for B&R which was why I am more than happy to say now that he has since grown and honed his artistry. His visual contributions to Tomasi's narrative helped this series become what it is today for fans like me who remained steadfast and supportive to this dynamic duo's adventures, trials and triumphs across the short years they've been in print since the launch of New 52. This title for me was simply an exercise in beauty and grace that can only be found in the storytelling of the comic book medium. This is the final issue of the series and therefore my last review, and I would just like to say that nothing has been as moving and intense as witnessing Damian Wayne grow up and be a hero worth believing in as depicted tirelessly and with great care and sensitivity as Mr. Tomasi had. 

His writing for this Robin has stirred many powerful emotions from me as well as imparted valuable lessons regarding real strength, compassion and familial love and devotion. I admit I was wary and anxious when Damian was resurrected with powers but I was glad that this only showed how much he has evolved as a person. He may still display cocky tendencies here and there but he's no longer the selfish boy I've met in the beginning; trained by his own mother to be a killing machine and has a complete disregard for his own safety and sanity. This Damian Wayne has proven himself to be his own brand of heroism once he has finally embraced the goodness and light that were always a big part of the reason why his father never stopped believing in him. 

Here are some of my favorite moments for this issue:

In the end, Damian Wayne did lose his super powers (which were drained from him after extensive use) but he has gained something more long-lasting. He wasn't broken up about it at all which showed his maturity. Damian doesn't need to be a Superboy. He's Robin and that's all that matters to him. To end this amazing and glorious series, Gleason gave us this panels reminiscent and nostalgic of the Batman and Robin I grew up loving. I literally squealed as I turned the pages and then cried a little all over again with that subtle moment of Batman glancing at his side (which was a call back to that scene in Requiem), happy to see that his son is truly fighting beside him once more as his partner. It was such a powerful scene for me. 

It was a happily-ever-after I will never trade for anything!

THANK YOU FOR THE GIFT OF BATMAN AND ROBIN, Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason!~

RECOMMENDED FOREVER AND EVER: 10/10

Detective Comics by Manapul & Buccelatto issue #40

CONFESSION TIME: I finished reading this last issue of the Anarky series almost a month ago when it was released but put off writing a review for it because I was quite disappointed of the ending. But it wasn't nearly comparable to my resentment about Manapul and Buccelatto's previous closer for the Icarus arc. There was just something about this last piece that felt dishonest somehow. Much like Icarus, the set pieces were well-placed across the scarlet thread, as any riveting detective story worth looking forward to. The last issue left me breathless in particular.

Now I could never cease complimenting and commending the narrative style of these two people as well as the visual masterpieces they created as a cohesive singularity for every issue. In this sense, Anarky was an impressive accomplishment that made me respect Batman as a crime-solving sleuth in a whole new level. This was a proper noir piece. Manapul and Buccelatto have rekindled my passion for this genre in the comic book medium at that. I will be forever in their debt because of that.

That being said, I think they need to craft their endings a little better. After all, I still want them to be writing more Detective Comics in the future. Objectively speaking, this one is an improvement from the Icarus ending in a lot of respects, but while the latter was a spectacle of the shallow sort, this one was actually pretty bland, a rather ordinary last chapter to an otherwise intriguing premise and heart-pounding climactic ascent. It was also quite misleading. I thought this was an Anarky-centered tale, even when they actually shot and almost killed the teenage boy behind the persona himself (Lonnie Machin) by the second arc, subverting readers' expectations in the process which was clever (if and only if it served a purpose which was not what happened once the score was settled). 

Having a new Anarky for me felt like a crucial turning point because with the invalidation that Machin is the Anarky Batman is currently fighting, this meant that this adversary behind the mask is someone else with different intentions as to why he put on the mask in the first place. That alone left me biting my nails in excitement to uncover his real identity. Once this last installment gave us that, it wasn't as impactful or resonant in any sort of way, most probably because...for some reason there was an unpleasant predictability to how it was resolved. I find that there's a difference between simplicity and mediocrity when it comes to pay-offs for detective stories. A resolution can have the most predictable outcome but the journey leading towards its must be meaningful enough that an emotional investment is fulfilled somehow once the crime or mystery gets solved. 

The three issues leading to this one were constructed with great sensibility and dramatic elements but those things were ultimately insufficient because it turns out the entire thing has nothing to do with Anarky and whatever he stands for whatsoever. What happened was a bait-and-switch scenario which was why I felt cheated as a reader. This display of violence and disorder was all about the Mad Hatter. The one who has donned the Anarky persona is merely someone who has a personal grudge/vengeance to settle with the Hatter which was in itself a believable case BUT HE DIDN'T HAVE TO BE ANARKY to accomplish that. It's literally the definition of "overkill". All the events that happened before this confrontation suddenly doesn't make any sense anymore. Why would this character spend so much time in the earlier installments pretending he was an anarchist challenging the system, invoking citizen riots across Gotham, if he was only after one man? It's infuriating.

As far as cover-ups go, it all seems too much. Why would someone plan such a convoluted and city-wide panic and chaos when he was truly only targeting Mad Hatter? It's ridiculous! And unfair to what the original Anarky was intended for in canon. It's like anyone can put on that mask and do whatever he or she wants with it if they feel like their cause is justified which might have been a satisfying direction if there was any indication that this was what the writing duo was going for.

I suppose my problem lies on the fact that I wish they just created an original villain if this was the role they intended to cast him in. I felt like Anarky as a character in the old comics could have been written better for New 52 and perhaps Lonnie Machin will find his way into that persona soon, if ever. I just felt really cheated that this was about Mad Hatter all along. I suppose congratulations are in order for the biggest and most asshole of red herrings ever created? That said, I do enjoy Manapul and Buccelatto in the writing table and I would still look forward to what they plan next. There is always time for growth and change and these two must really work better with their endgames because this was the second time they left me unsatisfied. I won't stop believing in them but at this point I will also lower my expectations now. I hope to read them again in the next line-up of Detective Comics. They are still the most promising pair in comics for me so far.

RECOMMENDED: 7/10

Batman by Scott Snyder issues #38-39

 

It was rather stupid of me to read issues #38-39 together in one sitting yesterday, particularly when I delayed reading this title for a whole month. Because, reasons. See, I thought I could wait until this series closes at its fortieth before DC renews the line-up again by June. Somehow I knew I can't wait for that so there I was yesterday, all jangled up with everything that these climactic issues had to offer. There was Capullo, Miki and Plascencia's collaborative visual artistry that makes my eyes bleed because they couldn't handle the awesomeness in the pages anymore; and then these elements are masterfully combined with Snyder's deft and heart attack-inducing story about the Joker. In other words, I could really only eloquently describe my reaction afterwards with this GIF:

Now I've mentioned a few times that I wasn't completely sold with the first two arcs of Snyder's (Owls saga and Death of the Family) though I do have a deep affection for his re-imagined origin Bat-story in Zero Year. But Endgame takes the cake and shoves it down my throat--it's simply a fluid piece of fucking comics literature that is staggering. I don't even think I'll be able to talk about it without doing that thing in the linked GIF again. But I will try my best to keep it together, just for y'all. If you suddenly witness my typed meltdown in the course of this review, please accept my apology in advance. It's ah-coming and there's simply no stopping it. Get ready for some awful amount of reflection and discussion!

First of all, THE COVERS. Since Zero Year, Capullo's minimalist style in designing the covers for Synder's run had been one of the key, striking issues of this series and something I could never ignore because sometimes--and I kid you not--I would pull all my individual copies of Zero Year (#21-33) and place them on my bed just so I can stare at them as a batch. I also have soft copies of my Batman comics so lately I've saved them on my LG tablet so I can open them in my Moon Reader app and just let my finger glide each turning of the HD-quality pages, almost as if my skin can soak up the beautiful art it caresses. Honestly, Capullo, Miki and Plascencia have created me some comics porn. Batman's visual integrity and magnificent cohesiveness in design and coloring are almost hypnotic! See, I'm rambling. I'm losing my shit and I haven't even started the review!

So let's talk issue #38, the fourth installment for Endgame, otherwise known as the Ultimate Joker story for New 52. As soon as I started reading, I'm muttering under my breath, cooing as I turn each page as if I'm undressing a gorgeous woman so I can make sweet love to her. I tried to be calm and discreet about it, but I was getting all hot and bothered. I never expected to lose myself like this in Endgame. There was just something about the set-up of it all--the playful yet also somber vibes of the combined narrative for Tynion and Snyder respectively; the atmosphere of dread and foreboding enveloping Gotham like a tar-black curse; the grungy yet also slick feel of the pacing (YES, I can FEEL pacing now, like a certified crazy person). I don't know. Everything about Endgame feels important and monumental like a tapestry of the most baffling stories slowly making sense as the arc progresses. In a way, this is like a horror film where you know there's a killer waiting in the shadows but you go ahead and walk the dark pathways like you have some death wish you have to fulfil. Batman himself functions like this during Endgame, and he really should know better--but the scariest thing is maybe he doesn't after all, not when it comes to the Joker.

A monster criminal, a grand myth, an immortal idea--this is the Joker writer Scott Snyder delivers in Endgame. As Batman fans, we all grew up with the clown prince of crime as the source of villainy and chaos in the stories he was portrayed in; he is Batman's extreme opposite in the spectrum of morality. Endgame seems to serve like a deconstruction of what we think we know about the Joker, and that's what makes this arc so thrilling and chilling to follow. It's forcing us to really look deep, deep, deep into the abyss and glimpse this slice of darkness in our soul that we often project whenever we encounter the Joker in the stories we have read and are reading now about him. You must allow yourself to have a little moment of insanity to TRULY KNOW the Joker.

That's how it's become for me while reading this arc.

In the previous issue (#37), Bruce Wayne rescues a young boy from being murdered by his own parents who are under the influence of the most potent drug the Joker has created yet. Now together they rode the bat-glider and flew across the streets of Gotham where tons of commotions have broken out everywhere. They find Commissioner Gordon in the apartment, close to bleeding to death but then it turns out he has also been infected by the toxin, which turned him mad so he started attacking Batman and the kid. Luckily, Julia Pennyworth arrived and injected him with a tranquilizer. The rest of the pages featured Batman moving around Gotham which is badly falling apart in every corner, until he gets to a remote location to find a doctor who may know about the formula the Joker used to create the toxin. That conversation is one of the most chilling things I ever read. Even Batman must be shivering underneath the cowl. I won't spoil the content because it's definitely something you got to check out.

As the city continues to tear itself to pieces with hundred upon hundreds of citizens now going mad and murdering each other, Batman looks out of a window to find that horrifying destruction upon him and makes a rather...interesting decision that he's going to have to ask for a certain assistance he never dared before. That last page just caught me off-guard, honestly. Now that alone would have made me screech in anticipation if I read this issue last month. Thankfully, I have the next issue in hand already so I need not delay the events that happened next.

The Endgame arc also has a bonus story written by James Tynion IV for each installment offered and the one included in this issue was illustrated by Sam Keith which was just amazing! In this bonus material, we get the five escaped Arkham Asylum patients each sharing their own tale about the Joker and his origin. This time one of them says that Joker was a disenfranchised soldier who is out for blood. Upon reading that, what came to mind was that article I read about Christopher Nolan's version of the Joker for The Dark Knight film. You guys may have encountered this too--according to that, the implied backstory of Heath Ledger's Joker was that he was a former military man which would explain why he targets authority to promote anarchy, the easy way he finds access to weaponry and arsenal, as well as the possibility that he must have sustained those glaring facial wounds during a bomb explosion in the middle of a combat. So this version of his origin for issue #38 was believable for me because it felt more grounded and less weirder than the rest but still just as brutal. Keith's artwork was also quite superb.

Now issue #39 is where we get most of the action and suspense that has been building up ever since issue #36. The Joker makes an appearance again, this time by infiltrating the Bat-cave and stealing some "trinkets" right after he once again hurt Alfred. Batman employs the help of unlikely sources to fight alongside his Bat-family (Batgirl, Red Hood and Bluebird) as they all try to contain the clusterfuck rampage going down in Gotham streets. The sequence of the events for this issue jump back and forth with a steady ease, each transition bleeding perfectly with the next. The high stakes are palpable, and the threat feels more real than it ever has been before. And this only occurs for about twenty-pages while the last ten is once again allotted for Tynion's mini-story. We finally reached the end of this tale, I think, since we all heard the five different origins of the Joker as narrated by the five escaped Arkham patients. It's become obvious to me that they're all as real and make-believe as we the readers allow them.

The last story belongs to Dr. Mahreen Zaheer (their hostage) who revealed that she spent an awful amount of research to uncover the real identity of the Joker. She tried to reason out to the patients that they all exaggerated him when in reality he was merely a mortal man with a deathly illness. She was so convinced of this story because it was grounded in facts--but she found out as soon as we turn the last page of this tale that hers is just another fabrication that the Joker himself has manipulated. He simply gave her the story she wanted, the story that would comfort and appeal to her much like he did with the five patients. This was a distressing yet acceptable revelation for me. It's still in line after all to who and what the Joker is supposed to represent not just in fiction but in our collective consciousness. When it comes to the Joker's origins and backstory, Snyder has put that in the simplest yet most resonant of terms. It's not a multiple choice--it's a choose-your-own-adventure.

I try not to reveal the  most critical details of the Endgame arc as much as I could because I want you to personally experience its magnetic storytelling. I confessed last year that I had contracted a "Joker-fatigue" right after Death of the Family saga. I was underwhelmed and tired of the Joker lately but Snyder has completely changed that. Suddenly he was yet again a refreshing and tantalizing force of nature. Once again, he's amusing and horrifying me just like in the past. I never really liked him done too dark which was what he became when Snyder picked him up for New 52 but now I thought this shade of dark on him was well-balanced enough not to be pandering or sickening. I don't know how Endgame ends but I'm glad that Snyder has chosen this particular arc to cap his run for the New 52 series this year. There's just a lot to it you can enjoy in re-reads.

So the one question you have to ask yourself is WHY ARE YOU NOT READING ENDGAME RIGHT NOW?

Don't be an idiot. Pick up issue #35 and start perusing!

RECOMMENDED: 9/10

Batman and Robin by Peter J. Tomasi issue #39

I've been so busy with my X-Men comics diet that I wasn't even able to keep tabs of DC announcements in the last three months or so, which was why I completely missed the news concerning the cancellation of Peter J. Tomasi's Batman and Robin. Well, DC is launching with brand-new solo titles of select heroes this June. That roster includes Cyborg, Starfire, Black Canary, etc. But why is this happening, you say? There was a big event in the DC universe just recently called Convergence (and Divergence, apparently? Let's find out on May 2) so that debacle pretty much affected the New 52 continuity A LOT.  Not to worry, it won't be another reboot, of course. There are just some additions and adjustments we all need to get cozy with come June. The most notable of which is the fact that there's going to be a total of twenty-four new titles to be released. 

See, I know there's a reason why I've been avoiding exploring the other corners of DC and decided to focus mainly on Bat-titles instead. DC, after all, is filled with crazy, shifting events and I don't want to approach that roaming storm at its highest velocity just yet. One of these days, I will get around to JLA and Futures End stories but first and foremost, I'm all about Batsy and his fam.

Anyone who has been reading my reviews in BCG would know by now that Batman and Robin is my most favorite title from New 52 (Born to Kill as my topmost fave graphic novel for New 52 as well) because Damian Wayne is my Robin. And he is going to get HIS OWN TITLE! And you know who's writing AND illustrating it? It's no other than Patrick Gleason, current B&R artist! INSERT MORE EXCLAMATION POINTS HERE! That's why I had no reason to be heartbroken over the cancellation of Tomasi's B&R because I'm looking forward to Robin, Son of Batman A LOT! Sure, I'll miss Tomasi's interpretation of the father-and-son dynamic and relationship but a part of being a comic book fan is being able to fiercely hold onto the stories we love while also having the courage to let go when change comes to pass. I'll probably post a tribute entry for the B&R series as soon as it releases its final issue (#40?) just to finalize my own farewells.

Now let's move on to the review. First off, THAT COVER. I literally squealed as soon as I beheld it. It was reminiscent of Action Comics' cover of the very first appearance of Superman back in 1939. Looking at it just makes me giggle a few times in a knowing, douche-y sort of way, inviting the questioning glances of strangers sitting close to me in a bench as I stared at this one's cover for a while. At that point, before I even began reading, I made two inferences: (1) this is going to be a fun issue, and that (2) Superman might be making a guest appearance. I was ultimately right on both accounts.

I'm confident about Pat Gleason's art style by now. I've witnessed him grow so much as an artist since issue #1 and no other issue testifies to his creative progress more severely than this one. Super-powered Boy Wonder might be a filler story but it manages to be incredibly engrossing even when it's more or less filled with goofy moments and hilarious dialogue exchanges. While issue #38 was a rather poignant and reflective issue where Damian Wayne makes peace with his clones by allowing them to live and this singular act has therefore cleansed him of his violent past as an al Ghul, this issue is lighter and funny. Beginning with Robin taking away Penguin, Killer Croc and villains that appeared in that forgettable Terminus arc (Termi-who?), he ties them all in a neat bundle then flies up so he can dangle them in stratosphere (I mean, why the fuck not?) so they can have some serious discussion concerning a shift in the Gotham status quo. At the last minute, his powers failed him and the collective thugs almost fall to their deaths but Batman luckily swoops in with his plane. He grimly looks at his son and orders him to get down. Damian looks away from his dad, and right at us, with a vaguely embarrassed expression in his face. The golden moments don't stop there. Next we see Bruce and Damian in civilian clothes, in a fishing boat, supposedly bonding like a father and son should--only Bruce admits that this was all Alfred's idea. Neither is enjoying the quiet time at the lake, that's for sure. They do have a conversation about the most likely origin of Damian's powers (something about the chaos silver shard Batsy used to resurrect him).

I just love the absolute hilarity of this issue. As much as I'm pleased that he was wise enough to make peace with some of painful aspects of his past in the last issue, I'm also glad to see Damian running around with his powers like a normal ten-year-old this time, where he gets cocky and demonstrates his prowess in the most immature of ways. The most memorable of which has to be when he stared carrying around the Bat-signal (Oh, look it's been repaired. Shall we start a countdown for the next time it gets destroyed AGAIN?) It was such a ridiculous (and endearing) image of him, prancing with said large equipment on his back, shining light on the scum of the streets, warning them not to do anything criminal. Once more, Batman was there, unfazed by his son's increasingly erratic behavior. Can we talk about how awesome Bruce is this issue? He's more trusting and patient lately. He might be worried about the grave consequences of his son's newfound abilities but he's taking it in a stride, generally just grateful that his boy is alive. It's subtle and unspoken but it's definitely apparent that Bruce and Damian are a real family now, and their love and devotion to each other have deepened after all the trials they have faced and conquered individually and as a unit.

The most striking of moments happened after Batman and Robin apprehended a group of criminals and Damian, in frustration, reveals exactly how he feels about his new abilities which is basically the fact that he's NUMB and this must be so terrifying for him. He might be invincible but it would seem like having such powers is not necessarily a good thing if it meant that he was feeling less human. I really thought this moment was brilliant, especially the way Bruce handled it:

The last four to five pages were awesome because Damian gets to see the Justice League headquarters for the first time. Although he acts dismissive about it, it's apparent that he was excited to be inside it. Superman and Shazam were the only ones present and Sups immediately expresses enthusiasm over meeting his best friend's son for the first time but Damian brushes him off. Shazam cheerfully engages him in small talk about the home base and other kid stuff, and I thought it was interesting to pair them off because they do share a closer age range (Shazam's persona is after all a thirteen-year-old boy) and I think a friendship is more likely to flourish between them if the writers decide to give it time. It already started in a good place. Shazam seemed more than eager to be talk to and hang out with someone who isn't always a serious, intimidating adult like the rest of his Leaguers. His ready and casual remarks about Damian's powers were reassuring; he didn't judge or condescend Damian in any way. Every small interaction they have so far shows how genuine and interested Shazam is about Damian and I could tell that he can wear Damian down and Damian will eventually learn to get used to his presence. I'm really excited to see what the next (and most probably last) issue of B&R will handle these two. This issue ends with Batman allowing Robin to join them in a JLA mission and Damian was shocked by the confidence and trust his father expresses in that moment. I was impressed. Just look at this last page:

 

With plenty of funny and insightful character moments, Super-powered Boy Wonder felt like a filler issue with a great weight of substance. I noticed that this was already dated for April 2015 which only meant we're getting the next one around May, right around another Free Comic Book day, and before the June launch of the 24 new titles. I may be on the Marvel side of things this year but make no mistake: my heart still belongs to Batman and DC!

RECOMMENDED: 9/10

Detective Comics by Manapul & Buccelatto issue #39

I just finished reviewing the first season of Chris Claremont's X-Men Forever series this week, and it's honestly a very polarizing experience for me with the good and bad almost at equal odds with each other. Luckily for me, I have New 52 Batman monthly installments that I can curl up to whenever I need to take a break from the soap opera that is Claremont X-Men. No other title is perfect for such a daring rejuvenation like the current storyline of co-writers/artists Manapul and Buccelatto for Detective Comics. I have been a fan of this tandem from the start. Their first story Icarus, which started out strong, was astounding but the ending was quite flat and problematic. Still, I was eager to give them a second chance and Anarky is proving to be the most worthwhile venture I was happy to be a part of.

This third installment entitled Reconstruct is definitely the climax of the four-part story where key elements about two seemingly separate cases from Batman and Bullock's end have established an undeniable connection with each other.  This story arc truly feels like a proper detective tale where vital clues slowly unfold and make sense together. The pacing for the three issues released had been leisurely yet always on the money, giving readers enough material to mull over and stay excited about. And there is plenty of that, trust me. 

Here's what we know: Anarky killed a man named Jeb Lester in issue #1 and police detectives Bullock and Yip started investigating that case. Meanwhile, Batman apprehended Mad Hatter and stumbled upon a graveyard of bones which happened to belong to children. Anarky entrapped Bullock, Yip and some employees inside the Wayne Tower where he would have successfully bombed it to oblivion if it wasn't for Batman finding a way to chemically alter the composition of the explosion. In the last issue, we were introduced to a teenager named Lonnie Machin, the person behind Anarky as created by Alan Grant and Norman Breyfogle back in 1989. However, this identity was subverted when Detective Yip accidentally shoots Machin where he is now presently in critical condition at the hospital. This means he is not Anarky for this story and someone else is.

Reconstruct, as implied by the title itself, allows the readers to fully examine the threads unravelling in the case alongside Batman and Bullock in the light of the recent events, as well as to determine how random situations such as that concerning Mad Hatter (mumbling about his Alice being alive) and the dirty politician Sam Young (who seems to be connected with the late Jeb Lester who has ties with child trafficking) may be connected. What follows in the next twenty pages is a concise and chilling portrait of how these pieces somehow fit after all and our heroes are able to stand close enough just in time to see the image forming. The issue opens with Batman confronting Bullock inside the car and a series of flashbacks on both their ends occurred. We see Bruce and Alfred in the batcave, still wondering about the identities of the dead children whose bones and remains they found in the first issue. They had no means to identify them after Anarky tampered with the public database. Outside, Gothamites confidently started rampaging while they hide behind the masks of their own decoration and self-fulfilment. Back in the precinct, GCPD wants to blame Batman for Detective Yip's mistake when she gunned down an innocent bystander (Machin) and Bullock was forced to follow the trail of his case alone about Jeb Lester's child trafficking ring which at this time is slowly turning cold.

This is where Batman finds him and the two are forced to work together. It's worth noting that this story coincides with Batman Eternal where Commissioner Gordon is stripped of his title and imprisoned which was why both Bats and Bullock have no choice but to trust each other, at least where their cases are concerned.

Once they arrived at a vital location called the Blue House, they encountered a violent group of young men wearing their Anarky masks. Batman was left to fend for himself while Bullock crawls his way to a corner as he slowly bleeds out with a  knife wound in the shoulder. Batman eventually ends the fight and proceeds to help Bullock with his injury, but the detective was far too consumed with the shattering discovery he just stumbled upon in that dark corner of the house. Just right outside, Batman sees Anarky arriving in a car with Mad Hatter whom he just abducted a couple of pages ago. It looks like he has some hatchet to bury with Hatter, and the issue abruptly--if not rightfully--cuts there, leaving me absolutely breathless.

I HAVE TO WAIT AN ENTIRE MONTH FOR THE NEXT ISSUE, goddammit! In the meantime, I'm posting pages from the issue again because Manapul and Buccelatto's illustrations need more exposure:

 

RECOMMENDED: 9/10

Detective Comics by Manapul & Buccelatto issue #38

It shouldn't come as a surprise that I'm totally biased about this current run for Detective Comics because one of the writer-artist collaborating for the Anarky arc is a fellow Filipino, Francis Manapul. However, my positive bias is justifiable because he and co-creator Brian Bucelatto are doing a fine job carrying this often underappreciated Bat-title of New 52. Last Christmas, we were able to enjoy the first installment of Anarky, the namesake villain who was originally created by Alan Grant and Norman Breyfogle who debuted in this very title back in 1989 with issue #608. This villain is a child prodigy-turned-anarchist who challenged Batman as a crime crusader as he terrorized Gotham City, in the unshakable belief that he is the spokesperson for radical change. His extremist ways mirror Alan Moore's V of V for Vendetta indeed so if this is the very first Anarky story you happen to pick up then you are not mistaken to compare him to V. However, this Bat-villain has a richer history that you must definitely check out if you have the time. In the meantime, let's do a short recap of #37.

The previous issue gave us that memorable scene of Bruce and Alfred decorating Wayne Manor with Christmas lights while they have a heartfelt talk concerning the aftermath of every damnable thing Batman faced and was able to overcome lately. Somewhere in Gotham City, Mad Hatter is running amok, seemingly more nonsensical than the usual, claiming to be searching for his Alice whom he vehemently stresses is not ye dead. After Mad Hatter was apprehended by Batman, the Dark Knight comes to the aid of the GCPD when detectives Harvey Bullock and Nancy Yip found themselves trapped with the rest of Wayne employees in the Tower which Anarky implanted with explosives. They've been pursuing Anarky's steps for weeks now and the cliffhanger in Wayne Tower is where this issue picks up from.

With some quick thinking we can only expect from Batman, casualties were prevented but this is just the tip of the iceberg; Anarky has more radical plans in place which apparently included erasing bank accounts so every citizen in Gotham can start from scratch. As a holiday present, he also left boxes at their doorstep where white masks are enclosed. He invites them through a televised message to paint their masks with whatever version of themselves they wish to set free and live as from now on. To some men, this meant donning on the same masks so they can rob banks because, hey, lawlessness is just a default setting for these assholes. But this robbery shtick happens at the ending pages. Let's talk about what happens in the middle which is just as crucial.

First off, if you checked out the Wiki link to Anarky, then you will discover that his alter-ego is named Lonnie Machin and this teenage boy appears here, having a cozy conversation with Matches Malone (Bruce Wayne's go-to con-artist disguise whenever he blends in the criminal underworld). He was a reformed hacker who's been rather chummy with Matches after Matches gives him a second chance to change his life. They talk about Anarky's gift of a new identity which Machin seriously reconsidered. It's worth noting that if you know your Batman mythos, this conversation is a suspicious one because you know Machin is Anarky all along so you may roll your eyes at him being all contemplative about stuff. Meanwhile, we had an insightful sequence of panels concerning a TV interview with Sam Young who is a dirty politician through and through. I can't help but roll my eyes at him as I read about the pretty things he says about governance and its social contract with the people. Talk about opiate for the masses. I don't buy his bullshit for a second and I hope everyone can see through the smoke-screen.

So these two scenes are important, particularly the one with Sam Young, in the long run because I believe this won't be the last time we will read him spewing out his bullshit against Anarky's platform which is equally just as disconcerting. Can we talk about the impractical result of Anarky erasing bank records? He said he wants individuals to fully realized their potential without being held back by debts or whatever financial losses and burdens they carry with them. But how about people who have been saving up for retirement? What if some of them want to go back to school because that is how they want to fully realize their potentials? I'm personally concerned about the latter because that's what I've been doing and if I happen to live in Gotham and some uppity dick masquerading as a savior suddenly wipes away all the money I worked hard for so I can pay my way through school--I'll go berserk and hunt him down. Anyway, let's talk about Lonnie Machin who is Anarky all along---right?

NO HE IS NOT. In the last page of the issue, we see him becoming collateral damage when Detective Yip accidentally shoots her gun in the wrong direction and ends up missing the perpetrator altogether. Machin gets shot point-blank in the chest and Batman was unable to stop it. This was shocking as fuck because now we are led to believe that this New 52 Anarky is a different man. If that is the case, then I am excited once again with Manapul and Bucelatto's plans to rewrite this Anarky for their story in a way that respects the integrity of the character with a few canonical deviations. In general, I'm reserving my judgments and keeping my optimism alive for this story arc. Detective Comics is getting better with every new writer handling the title. Y'all should be prioritizing this now. To end this review, let's look at Manapul-Bucelatto's beautiful artwork again, shall we?

 

 

 

RECOMMENDED: 9/10