Unlike Legion of Doom last week, the Batman Knight of Vengeance series has been exactly what I expected and hoped for from the Flashpoint alternate reality storyline. In issue one, we found that Thomas Wayne is a darker, more extreme Batman. He owns casinos to keep a close eye on Gotham’s underbelly. Oswald Cobblepot is his personal assistant/business manager. He’s privatized Gotham’s police force and has his best friend, James Gordon running it.
Batman Knight of Vengeance #2 is b.a. (bad applesauce). One, it satisfies what every alternate reality series should – alternate versions of heroes and villains. I don’t want to spoil anything, but there are two reveals in this issue that are amazing adaptations. Two, the Joker in this series is just as sinister. What he does to James Gordon in this issue surpasses The Killing Joke in its atrocity and depravity.
*If you don’t care about spoilers, then scroll to the bottom of this article because I’m dying to rave about them.
One reason this series is so good is that it isn’t directly tied into the Flashpoint storyline. That’s because Batman is an integral part of the Flashpoint title storyline (of which issue 3 is also impressive). So this series is free to tell an independent storyline that doesn’t get bogged down by backstory. It isn’t going to cram too much into three issues. It won’t be choppy as it jumps around to keep up with the main storyline.
This issue completely redeemed all the garbage from last week. I’m even willing to give Legion of Doom a second issue. But there better at least be a Giganta or Toyman sighting.
Other Good Buys:
Abin Sur the Green Lantern #2 – the hippy lantern gets his keester handed to him by Sinestro at his most sinister.
Flashpoint #3 – Superman’s ship crashed into Metropolis and killed 35,000 people. So he’s been locked in an underground facility until freed by Bats, Flash, and Cyborg. Like BKofV, this is how you do alternate reality.
Moonknight #3 – Does anyone write dialogue better than Brian Michael Bendis? This series rivals Uncanny X-Force as the best Marvel has to offer. The art is just as gritty too.
Comics I’m not exactly ashamed I bought:
Fear Itself #4 – Big surprise! Bucky is dead and Steve Rogers is Captain America again. Just in time for the film.
Fear Itself: Uncanny X-Force #1 of 3 – A zealous religious cult that hates mutants. Unheard of! At least Deadpool and Fantomex are at their wittiest.
*SPOILER – Oracle is none other than Selina Kyle. It’s implied that she too was paralyzed by the Joker. But in the Flashpoint-reality-is-much-darker trend, she’s a quadriplegic. But the most shocking reveal is that the Joker is really….No I can’t ruin it for you. You HAVE to see it for yourself. It’s too perfect.
Informative article…