Batman and Robin #28 – Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Writer; Stefano Raffaele, Artist; Marcelo Maiolo, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Phillip Kennedy Johnson is wrapping up this run in February, as the story of the Quiet Man comes to an end, so we’re getting pretty close to the endgame here. The titular villain, a mysterious hitman who seems completely normal but is ripping his way through Gotham’s underworld in pursuit of the man he holds responsible for the death of his son, makes a compelling villain who is unraveling the loose alliances among the various rogues. And at the core of this, Ventriloquist – or rather Arnold Wesker, who is seemingly cured and living a quiet life as a woodcarver with his therapist Blair. Neither of them know that they’re being hunted – or that Two-Face and Penguin have decided to cut Arnold loose and let him take the fall. As Batman races against time to save a former enemy of his, he becomes a little unhinged himself – after all, Two-Face nearly killed Robin last issue.
Not that it’s fazed Robin much – he’s busy working with the Gotham City Irregulars to investigate the Quiet Man, and they uncover a complex network of betrayals dating back to a heist several years back. This is a really interesting look at how ordinary, low-level criminals get pulled into the orbit of these costumed monsters and wind up having their lives ruined. The Quiet Man himself doesn’t appear all that much in this issue, mostly being…well, you know, and stalking his target, but as Wesker and Blair wind up as sitting ducks for his rampage, we start to notice some unusual things about the two of them. The twist ending here isn’t completely out of the blue, but it’s one of the most effective versions of this story I can remember seeing, with a great scare at the end. Overall, this is a great second act to Johnson’s run, and I’m excited to see what he does over at the competition.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
