Batman #4 Review
Writer: Tom King
Artist: David Finch
Colors: Jordie Bellaire
Letters: John Workman
Publisher: DC
Reviewed by David Hildebrand
Two pages into Batman #4 and I had to take a step back to go find issue #3. I was thinking I missed something, somewhere. How did we go from the cliffhanger ending at #3 to jumping forward to Gotham Girl surrounded by all these dead bodies at the beginning of #4? I didn’t overlook anything. I just got violently shoved into the chaos that is erupting in Gotham City. Gotham and his sister, Gotham Girl are the core of everything going on right now. Should Batman continue to trust the siblings? Or has Gotham just received two new dangerous residents?
Events got interesting very quick and have taken an unexpected turn. Duke and Alfred are taking care of a very frightened and mentally scarred Gotham Girl, while Gotham continues to patrol the city attempting to fix things. Batman tries to intervene and talk with Gotham, as he realizes he is dealing with someone that has Superman like powers. Gotham isn’t hearing anything that Batman is saying and hurls a steel beam at Batman, missing him but destroying the Batmobile with his effort. King creates an exceptional amount of tension in this issue as we witness that Batman is up against some serious danger, as far as power goes. The one thing that bothers me though is that Gotham Girl once again falls away to the side. Almost making me wonder if it is necessary that both exist.
Amanda Waller also makes an appearance in this issue as clues lead to the death of her soldiers and directly to involvement by the Suicide Squad. Which kinda seems convenient since the movie opens in a couple of days. Hugo Strange and Psycho-Pirate have been involved in previous issues. This encounter between Batman and Waller makes things interesting later on in the issue as Batman and Gotham cross paths again. Things are getting out of control and quick!
King has done a great job so far with his first story arc. In this issue he even recreates a classic scene from All-Star Superman. With the exception of Gotham Girl, I like the way the characters are being represented. Even Alfred had a line in this issue that had me cracking up. I didn’t see that coming and it was very amusing. King is creating a dark tone and isn’t shying away from the danger in Gotham City. I am happy that Finch is still doing the artwork in this series, since most of the other DC Rebirth comics are switching up artists every couple of issues or so. I like things staying consistent and Finch is very talented. He brings Gotham City to life and does an exceptional job with the characters. Bellaire’s colors also help set the mood with her dark, shadowy colors that are vital for the story.
Verdict:
Buy It! Even though it seems we jump quite a few steps from issue 3 to issue 4, Batman is still an enjoyable read. Things are intensifying and I’m eager to see how it all pans out. Not to beat a dead horse, sorry! But I want to see more out of Gotham Girl, hopefully she progresses into a stronger character in later issues. King has done a wonderful job with his first adventure with the Dark Knight and I look forward to what comes next!
