Batman ‘89: Echoes #3 – Sam Hamm, Writer; Joe Quinones, Artist; Leonardo Ito, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: The delays between issues of this miniseries, likely due to Joe Quinones’ hyper-detailed art, are so big that I would just recommend reading the past issues again before the new one. It’s worth it – because this 80s-set movie sequel continues to be a true gem. In classic Batman style, Bruce has found a way out of his enforced retirement by posing as the criminal Firefly, allowing him to infiltrate Arkham Asylum and discover what they’re doing to the criminals there – under the watchful eye of Dr. Jonathan Crane. Thanks to the help of a guard, Bruce and his Robin Drake Winston are able to briefly meet and Bruce lays out his plan, but then it’s back to the asylum – where a puzzle-obsessed inmate seems to be interested in being Bruce’s confidante, and gives us some key hints as to what Crane has been up to. This Asylum is dingy, imposing, and genuinely creepy in places.
The intensity of the Arkham subplot works very well, immersing us in a plot where Bruce is at his most vulnerable. The scene towards the end, where he gets a private session with Crane and we see just how horrible Crane’s “treatments” are, is easily the best of the series. I think the schedule hurts the other plots in the series more, as characters only seem to show up briefly for big developments and then disappear for several months. A perfect example is Commissioner Barbara Gordon, who is on the trail of Bruce and Alfred – only to be interrupted by a sudden arrest due to financial regularities. We don’t know exactly who is behind this or if the “internal affairs” who grab her are on the level, and we don’t know when we’ll find out! I have a feeling that when this is finally complete, this will be another great stand-alone story just like its predecessor and the two Superman stories.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
