Batman ‘89: Echoes #1 – Sam Hamm, Writer; Joe Quinones, Artist; Leonardo Ito, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: The first series in Sam Hamm’s sequels to his original Batman film was excellent, but it was also a little hemmed in by previous plans—the goal was to finally give Harvey Dent, set to be played by Billy Dee Williams, his due. And it did, in a deeply tragic story that might have been a little too cerebral to get the big budget for the big screen. But now, Hamm is free to go in completely new directions, and he does, with a kickoff issue that introduces no less than three major Bat-villains. It’s been two years since the events of the first mini, and Batman is nowhere to be seen—except in the costumes of hapless losers who put on the costume to try to fight crime and wind up gunned down by odd-acting criminals. When this happens for the fourth time, Commissioner Barbara Gordon—carrying on for her late father—pays a visit to Wayne Manor for answers, but there are no answers to be found.
That’s because while there is a lot going on in this issue, one thing that isn’t present is… Batman. The Caped Crusader gave up his activities as part of his deal with Barbara, and according to Alfred Bruce Wayne disappeared a few months back. That leaves Gotham mostly unprotected as a madman called Firefly threatens the city with a dirty bomb. But he might just be a piker, as two other figures pose a bigger potential threat. TV personality Harleen Quinzel, still coasting off her dalliance with the Joker, does not take kindly to being preempted by breaking news, and oddball Arkham Asylum doctor Jonathan Crane has some unusual ideas of how to help patients. That’s right, we’re finally headed to Arkham, one of the most important locations in the DCU, and the big twist right at the end sends this comic to another level. This and the Superman counterpart are some of DC’s most underrated comics right now.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
