Two-Face #1 – Christian Ward, Writer; Fabio Veras, Artist; Ivan Plascencia, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: Two-Face has always been one of Batman’s most fascinating villains. He’s distinctly ruthless, coming very close to being the first Bat-rogue to kill a Robin – but in the back of his mind and Batman’s, there’s always Harvey Dent. Is Harvey a victim of Gotham, turned into a villain against his will, or was the madman always ready to come out from inside the brilliant attorney? That’s the question this first solo seeks to answer, as Two-Face is back working among the villains – but not as a crime-lord or enforcer. Rather, he’s the chief defense attorney in the White Church, a unique legal venue where the criminals of Gotham can adjudicate disputes, under the stern eye of the masked Judge Reaper (likely not the same one from the famous Batman story, of course). And in his latest case, Harvey is tasked with proving the innocence of an accused killer of a mob lieutenant – Victor Zsasz.
Should be easy – Zsasz is only the most feared serial killer in Gotham’s history. But Dent pretty quickly starts poking holes in the case, preying on Zsasz’s own obsessions that make him more likely to only kill a certain way – and more importantly, showing who would stand to benefit from framing him. The White Church is an appealingly chaotic venue, showing how concepts like law and order can still work for the lawless. But the most interesting part of this series is playing out behind closed doors, as Two-Face and Harvey Dent’s ongoing war has taken an unexpected turn – one that reminds me a lot of Bruce Banner’s ongoing war with the Hulk. Their uneasy detente may be about to turn into a full-on war, and Christian Ward has done an amazing job of putting us into the head of one of the most twisted minds in Gotham. New characters, new settings, and new mysteries – this is a pretty great first issue kickoff.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
