The Bat-Man: First Knight #2 – Dan Jurgens, Writer; Mike Perkins, Artist; Mike Spicer, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: Dan Jurgens and Mike Perkins continue to reinvent the Dark Knight for an earlier era with this pre-WW2 set noir thriller that picks up with Batman in a perilous position – being electrocuted in the electric chair. How? After Batman foiled a shady execution, the corrupt police and guards at Blackgate tried to take their revenge on him, something which is foiled by Gordon as a burnt Batman slinks off to lick his wounds. This is a Batman who is more alone than we’ve ever seen. Alfred is nowhere in sight, Gordon doesn’t know his identity, and a potential budding relationship with Julie Madison is… complicated, to put it lightly. So as he battles life-threatening injuries and a city that seems stacked against him—complete with resurrected monster-men—t’s a grim picture and one that only seems to get grimmer.
But what sets this book apart is how much it’s about shining a light in the darkness, no matter the odds. Gordon, here a grizzled WWI veteran, is very reminiscent of some of his earlier portrayals. Meanwhile, this continues to be the most Jewish Batman book ever written, even though we still have no confirmation that this Bruce is Jewish. The character of Rabbi Cohen, who finds himself under attack by Nazis as he works to help the homeless, is potentially Bruce’s most compelling connection so far, and the odd partnership he has with a particular Gotham rogue takes on a new element when we learn something about that criminal’s past. The ending is controversial, to be sure, but what sets it apart is that it’s actually paying tribute to a thorny era of Batman’s history. After decades of writing the brighter side of the DCU, Jurgens continues to prove that he has a brilliant take on Batman in him and I hope this is just the beginning.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
