Batman has long been considered to have one of, if not the, greatest rogue’s gallery (meaning his pantheon of villains) of all time. If you went out on the street and asked a random pedestrian to name 4 Batman antagonists, they could probably come up with a list rather easily. Now try asking that same person to name four Superman villains or four Hulk villains; Not nearly as easy. Along with Spider-Man, The Dark Knight’s foes are nothing short of iconic. Immortal Legend Batman has proven so far that it can twist the Bat’s baddies into unique “Shadows” of Bruce Wayne, but issue #4 takes the cake with perhaps the most surprising and bold take yet.
In the first three issues, we were treated to unique interpretations of Two-Face, Bane, and The Riddler. This new issue not only gender swaps an iconic female villain to fit the theme of Bruce Wayne’s shadows but also adds elements of a much different rogue to create a terrifying amalgamation. Slight spoilers, although the cover does kind of give this away, the villain in question is Poison Ivy. Dubbed “The Poisoned Man” here, the character is a Bruce Wayne with lavishly long red locks of hair and the ability to control plant life. It’s a very clever way to do a gender-swap, seeing as how the point is the Shadows are essentially clones of Bruce. As for the other villain elements that is injected into Poison Ivy? Well, I’ll let you read the issue for that.
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As with all the previous issues, this tome really shines with its art. Erica D’Urso, Dan Mora, Igor Monti, and Tamra Bonvillain are ABSOLUTELY KILLING IT on this book. The colors are so strikingly vibrant, which just accentuates the story tenfold. Batman’s blues, yellows, and grays are always thrust toward impeccable scarlet reds, greens, and pinks. This book is really one of the best drawn action comics in recent memory, and every issue has been distinct. Batman dukes it out with monstrous plants, meaning he has to adapt to something he has not prepared for, and it works so well! This book should be studied, and that’s not hyperbole.
I also can’t talk highly enough about the characterization of Batman in this series. Each issue has drip fed us info about Bruce Wayne’s history. This culminates here with answers to many questions we’ve been asking throughout. And just like the stellar issue 3, this continues to examine the psyche of Bruce. It doesn’t ask “How?” did he become Batman, it asks “Why?” did he become Batman. The dialogue combined with the art (yes, I’m still gushing about the art) really bonds you to Bruce Wayne. Frankly, I think so many modern Batman comics and media have forgotten this. Batman can be relatable, you just have to find the sweet spot; the emotional tethers. This book succeeds there.
If I have one negative about this book, and this is truly a nitpick that is not essential, its that I think I’d like to see more of our primary antagonist. Since the “post credits” scene of issue 1, we’ve been waiting for a confrontation between Batman and Thomas Elliot (in main continuity, this would be the villain known as Hush). I’m not expecting a big brawl right smack dab in the middle of the story, but I would like to see more of Thomas throughout. I can’t really fault this book for that, though. This is toku-inspired. A lot of tokusatsu does this exact trope. We introduce a big bad toward the beginning of the series, his/her/their “presence is felt” throughout the duration, and then they finally make themselves known at the end. This isn’t one-to-one (Sentai/Power Rangers usually has main villains that appear a lot) but it is in line with stuff like Kamen Rider. Also, I don’t think this “problem” will be as apparent when this book is collected into a trade paperback.
Speaking of the toku elements, there’s still plenty here. In fact, a fictional Sci-Fi element is introduced in this issue with a lovingly tongue-in-cheek name that toku fans will immediately pick up on. We’re still getting some crazy Henshin scenes and Batman is doling out punishment with a variety of special moves. I think this book should be a template for how non-Japanese creators craft a tokusatsu-inspired story. There’s just enough toku, and just enough DC Comics to make a wonderful dish.
This book continues to be a bright spot for me. Killer art, gripping characterization, a serialized plot that constantly leaves you ready for the next issue, and some wonderful interpretations of Batman’s classic cast of bad guys, all make this book a MUST. In a lot of ways, I daresay, this is a perfect comic series. The only thing holding it back (and also somehow keeping it interesting?) is the drip feed of the main villain plot.
Overall Score: 9.5 out of 10
