Have all Batman stories been told? Between murder mysteries, high action, espionage, and the true absurd, have creative teams run out of tales to weave? Tynion and the creative team behind “Batman” #91 seem to differ.
Written by James Tynion IVCover by Jorge Jimenez
Illustrated by Rafael Albuquerque, Jorge Jimenez, Carlo Pagulayan & Danny Miki
Colored by Tomeu Morey
Lettered by Clayton CowlesTo save Gotham City, Catwoman will have to commit the greatest heist in the city’s history! But hot on her trail are the Penguin, the Riddler, a horde of assassins, and the master criminal called the Designer! And the most dangerous person standing in her way is the man she’s trying to save: Batman. And what complications will his arise from his new sidekick, Harley Quinn?
“Batman” #91 is a good example of how to maintain a certain level of uniqueness for a single issue, despite it being smack in the middle of a much longer arc. This issue is actually part six of the ‘Their Dark Designs” arc, and one that follows a dramatic cliffhanger from the preceding issue, where the goals of the new bat-villain seem to be revealed. It is by a clever design (pun intended), that new writer James Tynion IV succeeds on making this special.
First of all, the writer is actually telling three stories in one, and is able to keep the balance of them all in tandem, from issue’s beginning to final page turner. This is at the same time a slow burner of a Joker story, a character examination for Batman, and an odd-couple heist featuring Catwoman and Harley Quinn. Let’s explore them individually.
First up, actually opening the issue, is a short introduction by the Joker, with artist Jorge Jimenez at the helm. Readers of the recent “Justice League” arcs might link Jimenez to explosive action, dynamic panel and page layout, and a knack for the explosive nature of comics. It is refreshing, then, to see him flex his muscles on a much quieter moment, subdued and cryptic even, with the clown prince of crime taking the segway from “Batman” #90 and linking it to the present day. The eerie examination of the Joker as to what is the nature of the devil, and how even the best plans can fall into chaos, is made more effective by Jimenez terrifying interpretation of the villain, even without any crime taking place.
Pagulayan and Miki join Tynion on the kinetic segment featuring Catwoman and Harley Quinn. This new dynamic duo has almost as many blunders as successes, but it is their off dynamic that shines the most of this portion of the book. This narrative has been building since the beginning of there arc, and of Catwoman’s larger role on the Batman’s mythos. And even if the plot pacing slows down, with little forward movement, it remains a visually strong narrative, with plenty of action and well-choreographed fights, to the credit of the illustrators.
Perhaps the best piece of the puzzle, the long fight between Batman and Deathstroke, with Rafael Albuquerque is as much action as it is exploration of the deeper motivation of hero and villain. Tiny concocts a striking balance between these two men, how their relentless world view pushes them forward, and how one chooses to look sideways and change, while the other is adamant on his conviction. Albuquerque carries a heavy load, of transmitting raw emotion from two masked adventurers, but he succeeds in spades. The fact that he still makes it look beautifully fluid in terms of how the fight transitions from place to place, is a much appreciated added bonus.
Tomeu Morey, in more ways than one, is the glue that ties it all together. His masterful skill weaves the three stories together, respecting each artist’s style, but making it all cohesive with his palette. It is also a positive that he collaborated on the previous run so often, so the overall identity of the book is smooth from Tom King (the previous writer) unto Tynion’s run.
All that said, it truly is the well-designed script that brings it all together. Tynion is no stranger to Gotham City, having written an excellent run on “Detective Comics,” but this is his first time of “Batman” proper and fully. This feels at the same time a grand adventure, a mystery, a character exploration, and just sheer fun. It will be better to judge the overall success of the arc once it finishes, since so much hinges on the underlying secrets and reveals, but this issue (and those that came before it) are surely paving a beautiful road. Readers should be excited from what is coming next, both from a mystery and artistic perspective.
Final Verdict: 8.9 – By balancing several elements that make the caped crusader such a seminal comic character, Tynion and the creative team seem to be building up to something truly special on Batman’s mythology.
