Not only does this string of “Batman” issues have more Bruce Wayne than I’ve seen in a while but it also has a critical mass of Matches Malone! It also has Bruce in blackface for a panel which is, to put it mildly, YIKES.
Cover by Patrick Martin
& Scott McDanielWritten by Brian K. Vaughan
Penciled by Scott McDaniel
Inked by Karl Story
Colored by Roberta Tewes
Separated by Wildstorm FX
Lettered by John Costanza‘Close Before Striking’ part 1! Things get weird when Batman comes face to face with Matches Malone! But isn’t Matches just an alias of Batman?
Did I possibly bury the lede in who wrote these three issues? Mmmmmmm, probably. I hope you’ll forgive me.
It was a bit of a shock to find out that celebrated writer Brian K. Vaughan did three issues of the main “Batman” title during Ed Brubaker’s tenure and I was even more shocked to find out that this was so early in his career he had yet to write “Runaways,” ‘Y the Last Man” or “Ex Machina.” His biggest project before this was a short “Swamp Thing” run and a Cyclops mini-series. That just doesn’t happen anymore! It’d be like if they gave a young James Tynion IV a short arc in the middle of ‘Night of the Owls’ instead of a few backups.
This is based purely on conjecture but I guess “Batman” wasn’t as much of a juggernaut at the time. Pre-The Dark Knight and far enough away from the Tim Burton film, this must not have been as risky a move as it seems to me now. Sure, Vaughan has grown into one of the best comics writers out there but this is early days and, like with Tynion, early days are not always indicative of future prowess.
OK. Enough stalling. What did I think of “Batman” #588-590? I think they’re fine issues but nothing to write home about. This isn’t some hidden gem of Vaughan’s nor is it a particularly innovative “Batman” story. It’s got good stuff in it just as there’s some mediocre stuff and some bits that have aged like milk.
The thrust of the story is that Batman based his Matches Malone persona on a real man who he presumed was dead. After burning the identity with Scarface & the Ventriloquist by doing what Batman does too many times, the real Malone turns back up only to get shot and killed. Batman goes on a vengeance quest against Scarface and it’s up to Nightwing to keep him from crossing a line.
All that stuff is actually pretty good. It’s clear that Vaughan has a good understanding of what motivates Batman and Nightwing, the core of their characters, and uses their slight differences to highlight why, even now, they’re a dynamic duo. Bruce wears many masks to not be the boy he once was and is prone to losing himself in them. Dick sees Nightwing as a performance, a brightly colored show that has a start and an end; in other words, it’s his job and not his obsession. Batman takes things more seriously but Nightwing is able to keep him from being too serious and thus a delicate balance is struck.
I also like the idea that Malone was a real person and that Batman failed him in some way during his early years. It paints Batman as a person and not infallible. Sure it’s pretty contrived and convenient to have him show up only to die again but them’s the breaks for characters like Matches. He is a plot device, plain and simple, and that’s OK if it’s done effectively, which it is. You feel for the character and you understand why his death would send Batman over the edge, albeit temporarily.
This descent, however, where McDaniel’s shortcomings as an artist hamper the arc.
The physicality and framing of his characters aren’t the issue. As I’ve pointed out before, he is quite capable of action and has only gotten better at crafting a clear and creative fight scene. Page 12 in “Batman” #590 is a great example of a non-action scene that illustrates this. It’s got good flow and a bouncy rhythm, helped by Costanza’s lettering, and conveys the ominous nature of Bruce’s transformation into Matches. It also doesn’t rely on facial expression to sell the scene, which isn’t true of other scenes in the issue.
Continued belowMcDaniel only has a few faces at his disposal and it causes the more intense scenes to suffer. Characters feel too reserved, even as they’re screaming or supposed to be crazed with anger. There’s no cold fire behind Batman!Matches’ eyes. There’s no worry on Nightwing’s face, just a slight bit of distrust and concern. It becomes a glaring flaw when the style usually pushes posing and stretches models to better represent the feel of an action rather than the reality.
Vaughan’s writing doesn’t come out unscathed either. The arc is languid despite the density of events. I think much of it is due to the dialog’s functionality. It’s fine for conveying information but can be a bit workmanlike. For all the understanding of the characters he’s got, giving them clearly distinct voices is not something he’s gotten down yet. Scarface’s tick of not being able to say “b”s also wears thin really fast. It feels ill-considered and unnecessary.
I also wonder who’s idea it was to have a throwaway panel of Bruce in blackface with a joke about Al Jolson. Clearly it wasn’t an accident if that line was there! That may be the worst thing in the whole three issue arc because of how uninterrogated it is. It feels like something Bruce would do, being a sheltered rich white kid early in his crime-fighting career. Having it appear as a joke is a bad choice all around and should have been cut by editorial or the creative team.
Matches Malone would know better and he’s just some two-bit crook from Hoboken, apparently. Do better Bruce. And stop flicking those matches everywhere! You’re gonna burn the manor down and Alfred would not appreciate it.
