At last, the final arc of Tom King’s run on “Batman” starts with ‘City of Bane.’ If this issue is any indication, this will be a worthy closing chapter to this long narrative, with hints and elements indicating that all major plot points are converging.
Written by Tom KingCover by Tony S. Daniel
Illustrated by Tony S. Daniel & Mitch Gerads
Colored by Tomeu Morey & Mitch Gerads
Lettered by Clayton Cowles“City of Bane” begins! Bane’s minions have moved into Gotham City, taken control and are ruling with an iron fist—including rounding up any villain who refuses to sign onto Bane’s program—and Batman is nowhere to be found. At least not the Batman anyone knows. It’s like someone has replaced the real Gotham City with a twisted funhouse-mirror version of it.
There is a specific quality to alternate reality or alternate scenario type of stories. The freedom the creative team is given to reimagine familiar settings and relationships, to explore how things would be different if intent and scope are skewed even slightly. That is certainly the case with “Batman” #75, which asks the question of how Gotham would be if its main protector was cut from a very different cloth. While set firmly within the DC universe proper, this alternate set of situations is a fertile ground for King, Daniel and Morey to be unleashed (noting that Gerads is the artist on an epilogue chapter).
First of all, it is impressive how the artistic pairing of Daniel and Morey design two quite opposite backdrops, that of a busy metropolitan Gotham City, and that of a snow-barren outpost. While page and panel design are similar across both moments, Daniel loads them with multiple characters, props, and details on the Gotham portion, while leaving the snowy sections far more empty. The intersection of these disparate visual styles contributes to both of them, making them feel even more busy or even more desolate. On this same vein, Morey enhances the art with his usual great skills, with Gotham feeling alive, bright, and chaotic, with the outpost bits feeling calm (even if in anticipation of the proverbial storm), emanating a sense of sound and peacefulness.
Back to design choices, Daniel is quite creative rethinking how some staples of the Batman mythos (the vigilante, the sidekick, the friendly commissioner) would be portrayed on this doppelgänger of a city ruled by Bane. These all remain consistent with their past representation, but readers can quickly connect what new role they are assuming by visual cues alone. It speaks of a deep understanding of what makes these characters unique, but also what make these “jobs” special.
For all the merit of the visual artists, a tale such as this one, setting the tone for the true ending of a long run, would most likely fall flat if plot and script were poorly executed. Thankfully, this is King at his best, weaving elements from all (yes, all) past arcs of his narrative into a coherent whole. Long-time readers will enjoy this the most, realising how even some small components rise to the stage at this endgame, but newer ones should also appreciate this story for the classic confrontation being set up.
King is particularly effective on framing the story through the eyes of two Batmen, that of Bruce and Thomas Wayne, each on their own part of the world… and with their own objectives and views of said world. How much each of these men are willing to compromise to reach their objectives, their core values being shown by their action, it is quite a study worth revisiting by multiple readings. The development lent to more ancillary characters (even if quite famous ones) is equally impressive. While each of them is given limited screen time to show their part in this city, such time is used wisely, with sharply written dialogue and action scenes provided just enough context to not become overly-expository.
The epilogue to the story, which loosely connects ‘City of Bane’ with ‘Year of the Villain’ (the Luthor-centric tale presented by “Justice League”), feels a bit shoe-horned. Mind you, it is beautifully rendered by Gerads, and the dialogue between Bane and Luthor is impressive, but it still comes across as a mandatory explanation as to how this story can be happening in parallel to the other.
Despite this minor quibble, ‘City of Bane’ is surely a welcome addition to King’s run, and one that is setting the stage for a grand confrontation among two very different families. Maybe even more than characters at war, what King is setting up is the confrontation of two genius minds, hellbent on their viewpoints and strategies. Readers should be certainly excited for what is coming next.
Final Verdict: 8.1 – “Batman” #75 is quick to establish the scope and stake of ‘City of Bane,’ and it serves the purpose of ranking up excitement as any opening issue should.
