DC Comics reviews for the week of 5/15/19
Batman #71
I can already see the masses coming away from Batman #71 not being very happy with writer Tom King. This is not our Batman they’re going to tweet and post on various message boards.
But while this isn’t the easiest read, for the first time in months, Batman feels like it’s back on track. King has never portrayed Batman like the be-all, end-all of superheroes. Some of his best work on the title has been when he emphasized the man in Batman. Although this issue doesn’t suddenly make the far too lengthy Knightmares better in hindsight, it does help give better context to why it was necessary.
Batman is raging out looking for Bane and Thomas Wayne and he’s called his allies in to help bring them down. Continuity has been spotty with some DC titles, but King impressively knows exactly what’s going on with the other Bat Family titles. This explains some important absences, but also shows that King is dialed in on the big picture as far as Batman is concerned.
The one part that doesn’t quite work as well is the dual nature of the story. King shifts between Batman rallying the family and him confronting Bane and Thomas at Wayne Manor. It’s harder than it should be to figure out what event happened earlier and it needlessly complicates the story.
It does provide semi-regular Batman artist Mikel Janin to return with some really well done sequences. Of the various artists who’ve collaborated with King, Janin is my favorite thanks to his classic style. Jorge Fornes handles the Bane sequences. I like this split as it provides an easily discernible difference between the stories. As much as I like Janin, I’m really appreciating what Fornes brings to this title. It’s a rougher looking Batman, but one that works in a grittier type of story that doesn’t require a lot of action and quick movements.
Jordie Bellaire always brings the goods color wise, but this issue is more impressive due to the drastic change in tone from the two stories. Bellaire does such a great job of setting the mood and juggling two very different settings proves a testament to her skill.
There’s a few rough patches specifically the order of events, but otherwise this was an encouraging sign that Batman is making a comeback after a disappointing Knightmares arc.
Rating: 9 out of 10