Batman Secret Files: Peacekeeper-01 #1 – Ed Brisson, James Tynion IV, Writers; Joshua Hixson, Artist; Roman Stevens, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: This anthology series has been fleshing out the newer members of the Bat-family, but this issue is the first one that gives a villain the lead. Peacekeeper-01’s fall has been a big part of Fear State, as the vigilante-for-profit found himself with a head full of Fear Gas and proceeded to take his madness out on Gotham. But the man inside the armor has largely been a mystery. We knew he was a hero who saved multiple lives on A-Day—and we also knew that he was an abusive guard to took advantage of his power. In many ways, he reminds me of Lock-Up, the obscure Batman: The Animated Series villain who never caught on the way Harley did. This issue, mostly written by Ed Brisson with art by the gritty Joshua Hixson, peels back those layers and reveals someone whose past in Gotham colored them and laid the foundation for them to become a monster—and the roots go back hundreds of years.
The Snyder/Higgins comic Batman: Gates of Gotham revealed some very interesting tidbits of Gotham history in 2010, and it turns out Mahoney’s family roots originate in the people taken advantage of there. Add in an abusive, corrupt cop father, a failed attempt (or six) to join the GCPD, and a link to Mad Hatter dating back to his childhood, and it’s clear Mahoney was a tightly coiled spring long before the Fear gas got in his system. While this one-shot definitely doesn’t really make us any more sympathetic to Mahoney, it reveals that his father may be an even more loathsome individual. This story takes place between the pages of the Fear State issues, sending Mahoney on a search for closure as the fear gas continues to worm its way into his brain. I’m not sure if Mahoney will meet his end in this story or not, but the creative team has slowly turned him into a genuinely terrifying threat—one that feels more real than costumed villains.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
