As is often the case with this anthology series, there are no new stories here aside from the black and white backup. I’ve made my stance on this wasted opportunity abundantly clear, so I won’t repeat myself here. For the ongoing stories themselves, they offer the same appeal as their earlier chapters: a wide range of different tones that fit into a variety of genres.
Batman: Pygmalion part 3
It’s weird how often I end up reviewing comics where multiple Batmen show up; in fact I have two this week alone. At least this one does something interesting with the concept. Now that Bruce has revealed to our Batman, Frank Freeman (AKA Bryce), that he’s not actually Batman but a thief suffering from amnesia, we get to see how the two play off each other. Honestly, it’s a fun dynamic. As skilled as Freeman is, Bruce is on another level. Guillem March is able to portray Batman as a force of nature to be feared. The way we see him rush through a hostage situation, taking out one gunman after another, is exhilarating. At the same time, there’s an almost casualness to his approach as he’s able to crack jokes in his own, dry humor.
Conversely, Freeman is able to handle the compassionate elements of Batman’s job incredibly well. While he might not be able to take on a building full of armed criminals, he is able to comfort a little girl to make her feel safe. Despite being a thief before losing his memory, he will go so far as to lay his life on the line to make sure no one is hurt. Ultimately, that’s what being Batman is about. March understands the character and what makes him work, whether it’s actually Bruce or not.
Where the story struggles is in the plot itself. Everything about the hostage situation feels as though it comes out of left field. I actually went back to the previous two issues to make sure I didn’t miss anything, but the whole Scarface plotline has next to no setup. I guess the mystery of our protagonist’s identity is resolved, so we needed an exciting climax at the eleventh hour. That means, all of a sudden, the family is taken hostage as part of this elaborate scheme by Scarface to kill Batman for no other reason than it would give him street cred. Catwoman especially seems to just pop up out of nowhere, both in being the person to rescue the civilians and even being given the final page to close out the story.
Overall, “Pygmalion” is a story that does a great job exploring the character and motivation of what it means to be Batman, but struggles to find a well structured plot to attach those observations to.
Score: 7/10
Wild Dog: Here Comes Trouble! part 2
Last month I talked about how “Wild Dog: Here Comes Trouble!” worked as an irreverent satire of the superhero genre. That’s still mostly true this time around, but it’s actually at its strongest when it takes its premise in earnest. That’s not to say the satire isn’t still present. We learn how Wild Dog’s secret identity is a wealthy celebrity who is friends with the head of police in a not-so-subtle Batman lampoon, and there’s more commentary on the awkward legalities that would arise from trying to have a public yet secret persona.
Honestly, the satirical element that didn’t completely land was the interactions with “Alan”. The last issue left a big question as to who this guy was that Mad Dog dreaded so much. What turns out is that he’s a parody of the conspiracy-obsessed, misogynistic creep that is all too present in online spaces. This is the type of person that’s well worth taking down in a story like this, and they’re so absurdly detestable that there are plenty of laughs to be had at their expense. That being said, the way he’s written felt too much like low hanging fruit. He’d just say the sort of awful things that get spewed online, and then we see Mad Dog beat him up for it. It’s cathartic, but not an overly original or clever approach to the concept.
However, as the actual plot develops, it’s almost more engaging if you treat it like a straight forward superhero comic. The underground politics of the various crime lords is captivating in its own right. Seeing how they panic at the arrival of the “costumed” element and try and figure out how to keep their positions of power works with the colorful cast, even if its a premise we’ve seen plenty of times before in various superhero stories like The Dark Knight. The revealed big bad guy comes off as legitimately threatening, and you take their bragging about having taken on “real” heroes seriously. When Mad Dog tries to take them down, it’s interesting because you genuinely care about his character, not because they’re making fun of anything.
Score: 7/10
Aquaman: Communion part 2
It’s funny that DC’s big Aquaman movie, costing hundreds of millions of dollars, came out this weekend and this ten-page story in a Batman anthology is all they have to represent the character. While the entire DCEU project seems to be going out with a whimper, “Aquaman: Communion” does not lack for excitement. While most of the story is an exposition dump to explain what’s going after the big twist at the end of the last issue, it’s the sort of goofy, sci-fi storytelling treated seriously that makes comics what they are. Dissidents from Gorilla City have created a base to try and find their alien progenitors, but everything goes awry when the aliens they contact are the Dominators.
The back half of the story is exciting to read with Gabriel Hardman’s brisk writing and action-packed art. Aquaman and Konar, his gorilla companion, need to disconnect the teleporter pad before an invasion army arrives. The Dominator masters are intimidating in both appearance and demeanor. The Gorillas manage to be both sympathetic and threatening. It’s a short and exciting story for anyone looking for an Aquaman comic after seeing the movie, or anyone who wants to see gorillas fighting aliens.
Score: 7.5/10
Angels in the Architecture
This story is kind of a mess. I had to read it multiple times to fully grasp what was going on in what should honestly be a fairly straight forward plot. A new VR tech suit allows disabled patients the sensation of moving about, but someone has hacked the system to allow them to commit crimes. It sounds like a decent premise for a mystery, but that mystery isn’t why it’s hard to follow. No, it’s rather that the way the story is told throws so much information at you in the strangest way that it’s disorienting.
The panel layout and pacing is constantly shifting between settings, characters speaking, and subject matter. You’re in a constant state of whiplash trying to figure out what is happening on any given page. The first sequence alone can be a struggle, where a combination of the obfuscating rain, jumping dialog boxes from unknown sources, and awkward wording turns even the introduction of the premise into a struggle.
John Higgins is a legendary colorist who was involved with some of the greatest stories of the British Invasion of comics, but in this black and white story that talent has no room to shine. Instead, the illustration layouts and narrative pacing make it a strain to decipher what you’re looking at. There is an interesting idea behind this story, but it needs a lot of work to be properly realized.
Also the software that hacks the system is “Gothimon Go” which I felt I had to call out as an especially outdated and eye-rolling cultural reference.
Score: 3/10
Recommended if…
- You want to see Batman team up with a Batman imposter
- Peacemaker was a fun satire of the superhero genre and you want something similar
- You want to see gorillas fighting aliens
Overall
Batman: The Brave and the Bold #8 mostly just continues the stories from last month’s anthology, and maintains the decently enjoyable quality you saw there. There’s still the range of Bruce Wayne character study, superhero spoof, and underwater sci-fi adventure all in one collection. Unfortunately, however, the black and white story is a major step down from last issue’s, which is a shame because that’s often where you can find the most creative storytelling.
Score: 6.5/10
DISCLAIMER: DC Comics provided Batman News with a copy of this comic for the purposes of this review.
