Batman: Fortress #1 – Gary Whitta, Writer; Darick Robertson, Artist; Diego Rodriguez, Colorist
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: This comic asks a fascinating question—what happens when Batman is the only person around to take on a threat far out of his power level, like an alien invasion? But anyone expecting to see Batman punching ETs in this first issue might be disappointed. It starts out in a very traditional way, with Gotham City hit by a massive blackout. Some goons break into Wayne Manor and Bruce and Alfred handle them with style and snark, but it soon becomes clear this is much more than a blackout. Not only is the whole city down and all the Arkham inmates on the loose again, but Batman’s backup power supply clues him in that this isn’t a Gotham problem—it’s global, as some sort of massive alien ship is shutting down the world in advance of a possible invasion. But as big a threat as that is, it’s not the pressing concern—that’s keeping Gotham safe, one piece at a time.
This issue has some fantastic scenes, especially between Batman and Gordon and one scene where Batman is forced to save the Joker in front of a group of kidnapped children. It shows him at his darkest, and at his kindest. There is some author-on-board, particularly in one scene where Bruce discusses his feelings towards looters, but it overall works. The dialogue as a whole could use some work, as the characters feel overly jokey and snarky at points, but Whitta—who I don’t think has ever written a DC Comic before—clearly gets the character’s core. We don’t see the aliens or even their ship this issue, but we do get a brilliant sense of growing tension thanks to Darick Robertson’s gritty art. The story’s only begun by the end of the issue, and I think it might have benefited from a double-sized start. But it’s set up an excellent concept that I am very excited to see play out.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
