Immortal Legend Batman #5 – Kyle Higgins/Mat Groom, Writers; Erica D’Urso, Dan Mora, Artists; Igor Monti, Tamra Bonvillain, Colorists
Ray – 9/10
Ray: For the first four issues, Batman has been on a quest across the known universe for answers – in search of Bruce Wayne. Someone is impersonating his alter ego, creating chaos in his name. Now, the battle shifts back home, as he’s joined by his Robins, and the threat comes home as well. This is the most action-packed issue of the series so far, as we’re taken to Thompkins Island – a twisted den of sin perverting the name of one of Batman’s closest allies and creating a haven for the rich to do anything they want. Some of the fighting in this segment is very cathartic – and that’s before we meet the new villain. Because we’ve seen some twisted reinventions of classic Bat-rogues, including a version of Riddler who is a digital monster creating a house of mysteries for Batman to solve. But we haven’t seen anything like this world’s version of the Joker.
Sure, anyone creating a new Joker right now is up against the absolute horror (pun intended) created by Scott Snyder, but the Man Who Laughs, as he’s called here, is quite a contender on his own. This twisted mastermind is supernatural in origin, but he’s also a calm and ruthleess villain who is far more strategic than most versions of Joker. He’s partnered with Tommy Elliott, who masterminded the attack on Bruce Wayne’s legacy, and as the issue goes on he becomes less and less human. There are some great creepy moments in this issue, with a tense battle that leads to an excellent cliffhanger. As we get to the close of the first arc, it’s clear that this is one of the most ambitious new Elseworlds DC has created in a long time, and we’re just starting to explore some of the larger elements here. Turns out that combining Batman with gonzo futuristic sci-fi was a match made in heaven.
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