Batman: Dark Age #3 – Mark Russell, Writer; Michael Allred, Artist; Laura Allred, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: Mark Russell continues to build one of the most fascinating alternative universes I have ever seen between this and Superman: Space Age. Bruce Wayne has survived prison, survived war, and returned to Gotham with the knowledge of Ra’s Al Ghul behind him. But now, he has a new challenge ahead of him—taking back the city from Wayne Enterprises. Masterminded by Roman Sionis and overseen by a deranged, fatalistic Pariah, Wayne Enterprises has been turned into an elaborate criminal enterprise—manufacturing drugs to get people addicted under the eye of Jonathan Crane, sending them onto the streets to be recruited into the False Face Society, and then sending them to private prisons when they get caught. Partnerships between the business, Carmine Falcone, and corrupt cops keep things running smoothly, and there’s only so much a few honest cops and vigilantes can do.
This issue is as much about making alliances as anything else. This Bruce is an angry, resentful young man, but we see some cracks in that as he and Jim Gordon make peace and he meets with the Justice League for the first time. Something amazing about Russell’s writing is the way all his cynicism and satire fades away when he’s writing Superman. There’s a segment about Superman’s perspective on life and loss that might be one of the most heartfelt pieces of writing I’ve read in a comic in a long time. Even though this series is a spiritual sequel to Space Age, they couldn’t be more different. That was an epic cosmic tragedy. This is a small story of a deeply flawed man becoming a better person, made incredibly compelling by such a fully realized city and supporting cast. The ending reveals another major piece of Bruce’s puzzle with a tragic twist that only makes this whole series richer.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
