Batman: The Imposter #3 – Mattson Tomlin, Writer; Andrea Sorrentino, Artist; Jordie Bellaire, Colorist
Ray – 8/10
Ray: This three-part Black Label miniseries has been trying to create a more grounded take on Batman, one that reflects what his war against crime would have been like in “the real world.” And it seems the answer is horribly depressing and likely failed. It’s hard to argue with that, given that he would likely be public enemy #1. This story mostly focuses on three characters—Bruce Wayne, Leslie Thompkins, and new character Blair Wong. Alfred has noped out of the situation long ago, Jim Gordon lost his job, and this is no place for Robins. And as the vicious impostor killing in Batman’s name escalates, Bruce has been forced to take actions that push his ethical lines just to stay one step ahead of the villain. He even was forced to assault Blair and her fellow officers last issue, something that leads Leslie to warn him that he’s close to a path that there’s no coming back from.
This series has been rather melancholy and cerebral over its run, spending a lot of time in therapy sessions and dark reflection. But when the action picks up, it REALLY picks up. Andrea Sorrentino is a master of comics, and his brutal fight scenes manage to capture every nuance of Gotham’s darkness. The whole latter half of the issue is one brutal chase and fight scene that delivers in every way. The problem is, as high-quality as the book is, it still leaves you feeling sort of hollow. There are no easy answers here. There’s just a deeply disturbed man in a city full of them, fighting against the tide to make the world slightly better. Does he succeed? There are some positive indications by the end, but he personally has to lose almost everything to do it. It’s an interesting psychological exploration of the world of Batman that makes the character darker by going quieter and sadder, not louder and more explosive.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
