Batman: One Dark Knight #2 – Jock, Writer/Artist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Jock’s solo Bat-epic set off last issue in a big way, introducing us to EMP, a supervillain with ties to one of Gotham’s darkest days. His unpredictable electro-magnetic powers caused a massive tragedy in Gotham that was largely kept in the shadows, and now he’s being transferred to a new specialized facility—overseen by Vasquez, the hard-nosed new Corrections director who seems to have very little interest in cooperating with Gordon on the transfer. Naturally, things went wrong, and the city experienced a massive blackout accidentally caused by EMP. With the city in the dark, Batman has to get the villain to Blackgate safely while being hunted by multiple gangs—one who wants to get their former leader back, and the others who want to kill him in revenge for the last blackout. It’s a tense setup that continues this issue, complete with some of the best action scenes in a Batman comic in some time.
It was hard to tell where this falls in continuity based on the first issue, but this issue makes clear it diverges in some major ways. For one thing, a major Gotham police officer seems to die (or at least be seriously injured) in a segment that comes by surprise. The reveal of a major villain working behind the scenes is probably the most intriguing part of the story, as they clearly have their own agenda and it involves Brody—a young boy with ties to EMP and maybe some of the same abilities. Brody and Vasquez, the two original players along with EMP, make up some of the most dramatic parts of the issue, but the core is Batman as he once again battles against the odds to survive and save a villain who nearly destroyed his city—even as the villain’s very presence threatens to unravel his brain. It looks great, it’s a fast-paced adventure, and it understands that Batman is often at his best when he has no one to rely on.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
