March Going Bats Madness 3/26/2011 – DARK KNIGHTS

By pghhead -

BATMAN THE DARK KNIGHT #2  (DC Comics, May 2011) “Golden Dawn, Part Two”               Written and Penciled by David Finch. Inked By Scott Williams.  Colored By Alex Sinclair.     Lettered by Dave Sharpe.

This books fits David Finch like a bat-glove.  This is the title he was meant to draw.  I’m amazed at his work in Issue #2.  It just gets better.  I know many readers will wait to pick this up in trade paperback or hardcover --  and I can’t blame them.  It’s sure to be a beautiful book.  But I can’t wait that long when the work is this good.  I want to get it in regular doses.

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In Issue #2 Batman (Bruce Wayne) continues to investigate the disappearance of Dawn Golden, his childhood “friend”.  Issue #1 ended with Batman surrounded by the Penguin’s cronies with huge guns.   He manages to escape by using a new device that I haven’t seen before.  Seems Batman is not the only one getting out of a jam this issue.  Killer Croc makes his escape from the Gotham City Police Department as they escort him to Arkham Asylum.  The Penguin does know something about the missing Golden, but Batman doesn’t get it out of him.  Meanwhile, a supernatural element is prowling the dark alleys of Gotham and preying on the homeless.  The Demon (Etrigan) senses its presence and is about to get involved.

THINGS I LIKED ABOUT FINCH’S SCRIPT/ WRITING STYLE:  1) He shows Batman losing his cool and resorting to what most would consider torture.  2) The Batmobile gets hacked into.  3) There’s a tie-in between the rage that Batman experienced and possession of a strange necklace that belonged to Dawn.  4) Commissioner Gordon shows a little attitude.

THINGS I LIKED ABOUT FINCH’S ART:  1) The contents page where Batman is ascending a flight of steps with a grim look of determination and anger on his face.  I’m almost feeling scared for the fleeing Penguin. 2) I’ve never seen the Penguin depicted as this deformed and ugly. It suits him.  3) More panels of wet and cold rainfall - - picture-perfect images as seen from above and looking down. 4) The multi-panel scene of Jason Blood’s willful transformation into The Demon.  4) Panels that show blurred images as we realize that we are looking through Batman’s eyes as he regains consciousness.  5) The closing scenes where a single homeless man is pursued and confronted by the supernatural creature (who resembles a monstrous version of  Ragman).

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