The DC3 decided to take on the Herculean task of covering DC’s weekly books! Our coverage will rotate between creator interviews, issue reviews and annotations, and long-form pieces on featured characters. This, friends, is the DC3kly!
Batman Eternal #7
Written by Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, and Tim Seeley
Illustrated by Emanuel Simeoni
On the Cover: The Penguin swims away as his Iceberg Casino is annihilated. I (along with fellow DC3 contributors) have found several of the covers for “Batman Eternal” to be underwhelming, but Andy Kubert is settling into great run. The perspective for the cover is terrific, with Cobblepot stroking forward, seemingly reaching out to the reader. His grotesque form is accentuated by his frantic struggle, while he comically clings to a hint of dignity by continuing to smoke his cigarette.
How is the Story Progressing?: This issue focuses on the mysterious explosion that was only teased in issue #6. As Batman races to the source, Catwoman seeks out Penguin regarding a string of disappearances in the Gotham Underground.
Regarding the disappearances, Penguin is appalled at the very premise of being connected to the underground, admitting that his only connection was a deal made with Dr. Phosphorus. As you may recall, Phosphorus bit the dust early in the series thanks to an encounter with Deacon Blackfire. This doesn’t necessarily confirm that Blackfire is behind the disappearances, but it certainly seems the most likely.
Batman finds that the explosion occurred at one of Pyg’s labs, leading to an altercation between the two. However, it seems the explosion was just a distraction by Falcone for a larger attack against the Penguin. The end result of the attack sees Falcone’s grip on Gotham become even tighter, but at the cost of creating a number of deadly enemies.
New 52 Debuts: “Batman Eternal” #8 sees the addition of two obscure Bat-villains to the New 52; Orca and Roadrunner. Orca in the pre-New 52 was Grace Balin, a paralyzed marine biologist who transformed into an orca-esque monster following experimental gene therapy. The character that appears in this issue isn’t specifically referred to as Orca. However, the character’s hulking aquatic exoskeleton and apparent ability to control aquatic life indicates a possible connection.
Roadrunner, a character introduced in Scott Snyder’s beloved “Detective Comics” run, was an exotic car dealer turned gun runner. He retains his salesman background here, but takes on the role of courier/messenger for Falcone. The character has also gained cybernetic legs, granting him super-speed in the manner of his cartoon namesake.
Finally, while I haven’t kept up very well with the Penguin’s New 52 appearances, is this the first indications that he actually does have penguin soldiers?
“Batman Eternal” Debuts: Joining Roadrunner is another Snyder creation; Tiger Shark. This modern day pirate/wild cat fanatic previously appeared in Snyder and Capullo’s “Court of Owls” storyline, wherein the character attacked Bruce with, well, a tiger.
Visuals: Sadly, this is one of the more disappointing issues of “Eternal,” artistically. Simeoni’s pencils occasionally are reminiscent of Yannick Pacquette’s work on “Batman Incorporated,” and it’s in those instances the art shines. The artist presents some great action set pieces, particularly the fight between Batman and Pyg. Colorist Blond does a terrific job accentuated the scene with intense and vibrant reds, both from the surrounding explosions and the Dollotrons’ fiery locks.
However, there are a few cases where things just feel off. This is most evident in the character’s faces, which are often over-lined and over-inked. Finally, and I know, this horse has long since been beaten to death, Simeoni’s Catwoman design is quite over-sexualized, in a way that arguably disservices the character. The rat-stomping boots don’t help matters either.
Three Big Questions:
1. “The Real Rulers vs. The Freaks”
In a grand, operatic villain’s speech, Falcone proclaims “The real rulers of this city will have taken it back from the freaks by dawn.” He’s speaking about costumed heroes and villains like Batman, Catwoman, and the Penguin, but it’s interesting who he is making the statement to. Falcone clearly isn’t above working with costumes, employing the likes of Professor Pyg, Tiger Shark, and Roadrunner. However, one has to wonder how deep his resentment of the costumed element runs.
Continued below2. Has Falcone made a dangerous enemy?
In this issue, Batman coerces Pyg into the realization that he has been manipulated by Falcone, thereby taking him out of play for the moment. However, by issues end Pyg has gained a new and deadly sense of purpose. By manipulating Pyg and choosing to focus on Falcone, has Batman made a far more dangerous enemy than he realizes? Seeley certainly seems to be setting Pyg up for a major rise, with some Joker level theatrics.
3. The Penguin, the hero?
Over in “Justice League,” Lex Luthor is currently trading out is mad super-villain cap for that of a hero. In this issue, it looks that Mr. Cobblepot might be starting down a similar path. Though he’s nowhere near true heroism, he certainly sees himself as the hero Gotham needs right now, having already ousted Falcone once before. If nothing else, perhaps the “enemy of my enemy” principle will soon see Cobblepot on the side of the angels, at least for a time.
Final Verdict: 6.0 – There’s some fantastic character work here, but issues stemming from pacing and visual story-telling hold this issue back immensely.
Batman Eternal #8
Written by Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, and John Layman
Illustrated by Guillem March
On the Cover: This is pretty much what I meant about underwhelming covers. Batman beats up on some cops and SWAT guys. Not much to see here.
How is the Story Progressing?: In the aftermath of the destruction of the Iceberg Casino, Batman goes on a night long crusade against Falcone’s men. This leads Falcone to push Commissioner Forbes to put a stop to Batman, once and for all.
The issue sees the corruption of the GCPD become more overtly apparent than ever, with Jason Bard caught in a struggle between doing is job and doing what is right. Likewise, Batman is forced to come to grips with the fact that the police force is no longer on his side, after a long night’s work proves fruitless.
Bard makes a connection with Vicki Vale over an unsolved homicide case, which in turn brings us back to Stephanie Brown’s story. By using this flashback technique to catch reader’s up on Stephanie’s plight, Layman and company are able to keep suspense high. It’s also interesting to see the threads of the various players begin to converge in a meaningful way.
Learning that Falcone spent his time away from Gotham building a criminal empire in Hong Kong, Batman sets out to learn all that he can about the returned foe.
New 52 Debuts: This may be the first issue of “Eternal” to not feature and New 52 character debuts.
“Batman Eternal” Debuts: Ditto on the “Eternal” debuts. “Batman Eternal” #8 focuses on the pieces already on the board, rather than introducing new ones to the fray.
Visuals: This is, undoubtedly, some of March’s best Batman work as well as the best looking issue of “Eternal” to date. There are so many small but wonderfully brilliant touches on display in this issue, making it an absolute joy to not only read, but to pour over. Take a look at this page, early on in the issue:
It’s such a simple sequence, but combined with Layman’s snappy captions, it gives Bruce’s night time escapades a comical storybook tone. That tone wonderfully contrasts the fact that those escapades consist of vehicular gun fights and bashing peoples skulls in.
The artist’s ability to capture emotion, mood, and tone through his character’s facial expressions is delightful. From a tearful and frightened Stephanie, to a mortified thug, to a thoroughly determined Bruce, March packs an impressive amount of story into just a few lines.
Later, the artist presents a stunning rendition of the Gotham skyline. Line-ridden clouds reflect the shining Bat-signal in a dark twist on “The Starry Night.”
Sealing the deal is colorist Tomeu Morey. Between his recent collaborations with March and Tony Daniel, Morey has cemented himself as one of DC’s strongest colorists. The artist’s color choices give March’s pencils a vibrant pop. In a sequence where a thug recounts a run in with the Gotham PD, the blue of an officers uniform contrasts with the sky blue view from Falcone’s window, while the warm tan brick of buildings plays against Falcone’s skin tone. The artist also uses color to accent particular characters, with Stephanie Brown’s scenes drenched in a violet glow.
Continued belowThree Big Questions:
1. What’s going on with Stephanie Brown’s parents?
Stephanie’s parents really don’t like her, yeah? I mean, her dad is a supervillain, and her mom is obviously in league with him, but what kind of parents have such a flagrant disregard for the life of their teenage daughter? The plot point strains credulity, leading me to wonder if this is truly her biological family? Could there be even more secrets in Stephanie Brown’s life?
2. Jason Bard=John Blake?
The “Batman Eternal” team seems to be taking a heavy cue from Joseph Gordon Levitt’s Dark Knight Rises character. Bard shares Blake’s youthful outlook and strong moral compass, and also looks to play the role of Batman’s inside in a Gotham under siege. It’s an interesting take, for a character that could easily become a James Gordon Jr. (not the crazy one).
3. Why is Catwoman already in Hong Kong?
As Batman flies to Hong Kong to learn more about Falcone’s time away from Gotham, we find that Selina has already beat him there. Furthermore, she doesn’t seem too happy that Bruce is on the trail. What secrets could Selina have up her sleeve that she doesn’t want Batman stumbling on to? Is this what leads to her rise as the new Kingpin of Gotham? The web continues to tangle…
Final Verdict: 9.0
The Series So Far: 7.5 – Buy. Even with a few bumps in the road, “Batman Eternal” remains a consistently engaging book, with an impressively diverse but coherent creative vision.
