Batman/Dylan Dog #2 – Roberto Recchioni, Writer; Gigi Cavenago, Werther Dell’Edera, Artists; Giovanna Niro, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: The first issue of this odd Italian crossover set up an interesting dynamic, as Batman’s nemesis Joker went on a European vacation to team up with the mysterious Dr. Abraxas—the nemesis of paranormal investigator Dylan Dog. That sent Batman abroad, as the two very different crimefighters formed an uneasy partnership and chased down their enemies. But at the end of last issue, both Batman’s love Catwoman and Dylan’s assistant Groucho (long story) were kidnapped and infected with a new form of Joker serum that would turn them into zombies. It becomes a race against time to save them, especially the Joker-fied Groucho, but they’re successful—and then the battle shifts to finding the villains before they add a deadlier third to their alliance. Because while Abraxas is Dylan’s most famous enemy, he’s not the deadliest. That’s the serial killer Christopher Killex—but he’s already dead.
And that means that they’ll need a heavier tier of paranormal hero for this mission—into the underworld. One thing I observed about the first issue was that Dylan Dog felt a lot like John Constantine in his interactions with Batman, so bringing the real Constantine in is an interesting contrast. This version of Constantine feels very faithful to the more rugged, amoral version we saw in the original Hellblazer run, and he’s the perfect guide for an alliance with Etrigan and a journey down to a very British version of hell. The first issue of this series was compelling enough, with an interesting look into a world of comics most Americans have never seen, but this one feels much more rooted in the world of the DCU and Vertigo in particular—a world where Dylan Dog and the scumbags he fights feel right at home. At 60 pages of story per issue, this is a strange journey well worth taking.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
