Bat-Reviews: Batman #693
Judging a book by its cover isn’t fair practice, but in some cases the exteriors say it all. With Batman #693, the cover art rivals the actual story for the biggest waste of time. That picture of Batman pasted on a disarrayed pile of cards boasting villainous faces? Take that idea and shuffle it, and then say hello to Tony Daniel’s “Life After Death Part 2: Charades.” (And stay tuned this weekend for my review of Batman #694 over at Impulse Creations.)
The previous issue shot off in a fresh direction. After the Harvey Dent fiasco of issue #691, Daniel’s new arc was a pleasant change as it spilled over with brainwashed False Faces, Black Mask and a jumble of fellow evil-doers like Fright and Doctor Death, the revival of the Falcone crime family … and even a, erm, Catwoman copycat. The alliteration might be a tad overwhelming, but the whole package was a decent read with steady footing.
Unfortunately, like all comics eventually do, that bright future crumbled with November’s #693.
So what do you need to know about the issue? Let me break it down into manageable chunks. Damian enjoys mutilating spaced-out False Faces. Dick Grayson loathes socialites. Fright pines over Black Mask, and it’s schemes ahoy for somebody with a dual-personality who relishes a good chess metaphor. Insert filler, filler, and more filler. A bomb goes off and Riddler cracks for no apparent reason, and Batman investigates dock-side homicides and the copycat (emphasis on the feline part). The bulk of the writing resembles soap opera fodder, and nothing worthwhile or terribly interesting happens.
But what could drag down a saucy kiss between Huntress and Dick Grayson? The book is sloppy. Not only does the art feel lazy at times (Doctor Singh is apparently blind, because he can’t see Tommy Elliot two feet in front of him), but after a few pages the story and action become confined to tight little boxes and posed stances. I mean, just check out that wink on “Bruce” aka Elliot. I’m pretty sure the woman in the background shares my chagrin.
One redeeming factor, though, can be attributed to the terse conversion between Elliot and Jeremiah Arkham. Elliot’s overbearing interest in the mechanics of the new asylum might be linked to Dick’s concern about Elliot’s real goal as Wayne’s doppelganger.
Recommendation: On this episode of The Bitter and the Brave, Helen locks lips with the dashing Dick Grayson and things heat up as Oracle gets the first-hand scoop. Plus, Dick looks like “Bruce” and Nigma looks like Elliot … you know, the real one.
Curious how the Bat-books stack up here on the blog? Look here.
