Batman: Fortress #2 – Gary Whitta, Writer; Darick Robertson, Artist; Diego Rodriguez, Colorist
Ray – 8/10
Ray: Last issue of this sci-fi thriller had a surprisingly quiet start, focusing solely on Batman as Gotham—and the whole world—came under attack by a mysterious, silent alien invasion that plunged the whole world into darkness. It was dark, moody, and had some interesting themes about how Gotham reacts in a crisis. This issue is anything but quiet, as Batman meets up with the Justice League and helps to coordinate a massive strike against the alien fleet. Gary Whitta is new to comics, and there are some elements that make that very clear. His dialogue for the Justice League sometimes feel off, particularly an extended riff about Jessica Cruz having blocked the Flash for bugging her on social media. It’s also a little odd to see the League flying into battle alongside the military and having no problem with launching a first strike on an alien fleet that hasn’t attacked yet—but the response makes clear why this was the right move.
Once the action begins, this is an incredibly tense issue as it becomes clear just how powerful these aliens are. Heroes who touch the ship are absorbed by a seemingly endless array of nanobots. Drones fire from the ship at light speed and cut planes in two before anyone can react. Several heroes go missing, and one hero meets a tragic fate in a scene that would be extremely emotional if there was any chance it would stick (and it doesn’t even quite stick through the end of the issue). This issue didn’t quite mesh with the last one and the tone of the story is still a bit mixed, but the issue takes a big step up with the ending—as we learn who’s in the ship, what their business with Earth is, and how far they’re willing to go to achieve it. This story is very clearly out of continuity, and that allows it to be highly unpredictable. The creative team has done more than enough to keep me hooked.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
