Gotham City Garage #11 – Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, Writers; Darick Robertson, Brian Ching, Artists; Trish Mulvihill, Kelly Fitzpatrick, Colorists
Ray – 7.5/10
Corrina: Mercy Graves = Selina?
WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW
Ray: Two stories in this issue, with very different tones and art styles. Rather different in quality too, which makes this issue a bit jarring. The opening segment, focusing on Catwoman (and her secret identity of Mercy Graves) is fascinating, as Selina details her previous lives, of which she’s on her last, as she both serves as Luthor’s loyal right-hand woman and subverts him from within. Selina’s always an interesting character as she tries to balance her heroic instincts with her survival skills, and that’s led her to betray her former friends in the Garage – or so it seems. But Selina’s sneakiness opens doors to her, and this issue she finds out exactly what’s giving Luthor his power – it’s not just his own tech, it’s a connection to Darkseid. That ups the urgency of her quest to escape Luthor’s city and reunite with her old friends with all the intel she’s gained. I was surprised to see legendary artist Darick Robertson on this story, and his work is amazing.
The second story, with art by Brian Ching, doesn’t quite click as well. Ching’s art has a charm to it, but it’s a lot more sketchy than you normally see in mainstream comics. Look at some of his background characters – they barely have facial features, and it can be distracting in a few scenes, especially coming right after Robertson’s detailed segment. The story focuses on Lois interviewing members of the Garage as they gear up for war, and the tone is a bit all over the place, with some interviews being affecting and others being almost a parody. By the end of the issue, there’s a major showdown brewing as Catwoman returns to the fray and Luthor’s forces mass on the border – including new warriors Lobo and Black Adam, and Luthor in a battlesuit. This series is still a bit scattershot at times, but when it’s on its game, it’s as good as its sister series Bombshells United. Let’s hope it continues to refine its story and hits those highs more often.
Corrina: Selina’s story is a terrific noir tale, along the lines of the classic spy behind enemy lines and the horrible choices they make to preserve their identity for a greater payoff. You could move this into its own original tale and it would work just as well, especially with how beautifully drawn it is. This story is Gotham City Garage at its finest.
The second tale? First, we have to acknowledge this is a digital-first title, so there will be a difference in tone, especially with an issue containing two stories. Bombshells has a similar problem with abrupt shifts in tone for print readers. As to the story itself, I like it but it seemed more basic than the complicated and intense Selina story. But bonus points for showing us a Lois Lane who is doing her job.
When this series is finished, it’s going to be a must-buy collection.
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Disclaimer: GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
