|
Dave Scrimgeour and Kevin McCluskey   Writer- Sam Hamm Artist- Joe Quinones Colourist- Leonardo Ito Letterer- Clayton Cowles Editor- Andrew Marino Published by DC Comics 14/09/2021 SYNOPSISAfter a disastrous night on patrol, which results in the death of at least one civilian, Bruce decides to step away from his crime fighting alter ego, whilst Harvey ramps up the charm offensive to secure the hearts and minds of the citizens of Gotham City, particularly the residents of his old stomping ground Burnside Park. Meanwhile, unlike Bruce, Drake Winston continues his Robin Hood-style vigilantism, somewhat like Selina Kyle who re-emerges as Catwoman. However, an arson attack in Burnside leads to Harvey performing a heroic action which has dire consequences for the city's premier district attorney. Dave So, here we are, back for 'Chapter Two' now. What are your initial thoughts on the covers? Kev I think the covers are excellent. They really do feel like they just leapt off the silver screen. Or at the very least, your TV if it was an animated sequel. In fact, now that I’ve said that, I really hope DC get around to adapting these ‘89 comics as animated movies. I’d love to see that. Dave I really like the movie likenesses. The Batman pose is copied straight from a photo from the film, and the Billy Dee Williams likeness is great too. And Catwoman as well. Also, Robin has the 80’s ninja likeness to him. He’s straight-up ‘American Ninja’ there. The colours on this cover are a more muted tone, which lends to the atmosphere. In all, they're really cracking covers, I have to say. Kev I never twigged about Robin looking a bit ‘American Ninja’-esque, but you're spot-on. Dave That third page, with Bruce in the Batcave, sitting hunched over is great. Again, it reminds me of a pose he adopts in ‘Returns’ after his first encounter with Catwoman. Which I’m sure was done intentionally here.  A level of remorse displayed in neither of the Burton movies. Kev Oh, yeh. I thought the exact same thing. It was definitely intentional. There’s no messing around by Hamm here, as issue two follows on immediately from where we left off at the end of issue one. This feels very much like it was written for the trade, rather than singles. The third panel on page 2, of the kid being shot, is that classic comics technique of getting around the censors by reducing the violence and gore on a page with the use of a silhouette, and it works every time. It’s supremely effective again here. It stops you dead in your tracks when you read it. Dave As you said, the first issue ended abruptly, and the 2nd issue kicks straight off after that. I will say, the artwork and colours in this issue are superb. It feels that there is more time and attention put into them. Whether that is the case or not, there are a lot of standout colours, and just some visually great panels in this issue. Page 3 already shows that, with Bruce in the Batcave, and then onto page 4, with Dent and Barbara, we get a brighter background colour, which helps to lift the mood of the scene, from Bruce's glumness in the Batcave, to a more playful mood with Dent and Barbara. Also, I like how we see Dent being a bit of a detective in this issue. Kev You're right about Leonardo Ito's colours. That transition from the blues and purples of the night scene and then the Batcave, to the greens of the park with Harvey and Barbara is superb. I'm glad you've pointed that out. Man, the more I’m seeing of Harvey Dent in this, the more I’m gutted that Billy Dee Williams didn’t get the opportunity to see his take on the character through to fruition as Two Face. Dave Totally, this story really leans into giving us a full characterization of Harvey Dent, and I wonder if this idea was sold to Billy Dee Williams to get him to take the role, even if it was meant to be dealt with in the sequel. Also, Burnside is a central part of this issue, as it's another side of Gotham that we get to see. Kev What could have been, eh? Hamm has done a cracking job of making the Tim Burton movie Gotham feel like a fully fleshed-out world. ”But when you rile things up like this……it’s not you and your rich white donors who suffer. It’s not the Waynes and the Shrecks.” References like that, and the expansion of the city with neighbourhoods like Burnside Park, make it feel like more of a real world, rather than some Gothic nightmare of a bad dream. Dave They are creating a grounded vision of Gotham, in all its richness and squalor and the social inequities that go with that as well. Far more so than what was created in the Burton movies. But again, I am loving the artwork and colours in these first few pages. The storytelling in this issue is seamless, it paces along nicely, and the colour transitions are effectively marking the mood and tone for each scene change, even with the introduction to Drake Winston. Also, it's interesting how smart and street wise Drake is. He doesn't really need any training for his Robin role. Kev Damon Wayans was slated for the role at one point in the films, right? Dave Actually, it was Marlon Wayans who was meant to be playing Robin. Damon Wayans was a bit old for the role at that point. Kev Marlon! Yeh, right enough. I always get the Wayans brothers mixed up. I can never remember who played who in 'Don't Be A Menace To South Central Whilst Drinking Your Juice In The Hood.' Dave I like how Drake hesitates, and essentially refuses, to help Harvey, calling him a "cop." Even if he was a nice cop, he's still a cop. The old street instincts kicking in. Kev Totally. Drake's way too street smart to be taken in by Harvey's politicking BS. I think Drake speaks for us all when he says, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, blah, blah, blah,” at Dent and the members of The Council as they politic their way through the “two Gothams.” Drake's “B” jacket is fantastic. Not only is it in the traditional Robin colours, of course, but as a period piece, fashion artifact, it’s absolutely spot-on. You couldn’t move for jackets like that in the early to mid ‘90s. They were everywhere. Even in the City Of Discovery.  "I have a dream." (Or, "Can you dig it?") Dave Also, we get to see that, for Dent, it's not so easy trying to reach those from the same area that he is from, as he is so accustomed to "political speeches," he is not sounding genuine to those from his neighbourhood. I do like that "blah blah blah," yeah. And the R on the Robin coat is a nice touch indeed. Kev I think Drake's crime fighting hoodie/poncho is reminiscent of David Dunn’s from ‘Unbreakable.’ I don’t know if that’s deliberate, but either way, it’s a nice little touch. Dave What I like, is how this issue captures the regular life in Gotham so well. There is a good pace to the narrative, kind-of film-like in how well it jumps from scene to scene. And as we find out later on, the novelty of the crime fighting Batman as a heroic figure has worn off. Which is probably how people would actually be in this situation. It seems like Dent does want to make a difference, but is constantly being mocked for being another political hack. Kev Yeh, Dent is struggling to reconcile the two parts of himself. Which is the whole point of his character, of course. And we love to build people up just to pull them down, right? Although, Bruce's guilt at his earlier error is a pretty legitimate reason for people to have cooled on the Batman thing, to be fair. Dave The Batman wannabes are a colourful looking bunch. The colours are very muted at stages, and this night time shot, as Drake confidently strides past them, works well. Kev Yeh, Ito's colour work is outstanding. “Gamestation!” Ha, ha! I like that it’s a PS1 though. Sorry, GS1. “Well Batman never meant jack to me.” “Straight-up racist. That sucker was simple and plain. Motherfuck him AND John Wayne!” Drake is clearly a Public Enemy fan, as well as an Ice-T one, as we also see a bit later on, with the P.E. poster on his bedroom wall. This kid loves his hip-hop. Dave Good reference to Public Enemy there, keeping the references current to the time frame of when it's set. Coming back to Bruce's guilt, this is more accurate, as we know Batman doesn't believe in killing. I know this was overlooked in the Burton films, but him taking a back seat as the Bat here makes sense. Kev Absolutely. Burton played a bit fast and loose with Bruce's no guns, no killing rules. The mishearing of Drake being called “Robin,” as opposed to “he was robbin’ the store” is a cute piece of writing by Hamm. And yeah, Bruce wanting to sit out definitely “makes sense.” Dave Yeah, I did like the little comical touch with the two kids talking about "Robins" name. A bit of humour to lighten the mood up, and I do like that panel from the aerial view, of Robin standing there, on the street, ready to jump into action. The colours are quite muted, in general, in this issue, so the likes of the yellow on Robins outfit works well against the darker background. That’s a nice kick by Robin, to the face of the robber.  "Most of my heroes don't appear on no stamps." Kev Yeh, that Robin yellow pops against the bleakness of Burnside Park alright. I love the delivery of the big coin to the Batcave. That’s a brilliant little piece of business and a fantastic reference for such a throwaway scene transition. I hadn’t even twigged that it was the coin from last issue to start with. That’s REALLY good world building from Mr. Hamm. Plus, the significance of the coin to Harvey Dent as well. Excellent stuff. That’s another good touch; the fact that there would probably be so many people claiming to be Batman, like Elvis, that it’d actually help mask his identity. Dave What do you make of the Robin outfit? Kev I really like it. I think it's a great starting point for it to develop into a full-on Robin costume. And the fact that it reminds me so much of 'Unbreakable' is just a bonus for me. Dave This is quite a fast paced issue, as the scene jumps are quite frequent here, and again, I think that this could have been an intentional choice to keep the story moving onwards, but by no means does any scene feel rushed. Kev Absolutely not. For example, there's a point coming up where Hamm and Quinones fit an entire scene, with the Batman gang in the pool house, into two panels, and for it not to feel cramped or rushed is just masterful comicing. Dave That whole jump to Wayne Manor, again, is another great example of how the subtle changes in background colours, and the main colours, help elevate the mood of the scene. And that is another nod to Keaton’s classic ‘89, hanging upside down pose, with Bruce doing his crunches hanging upside down as well. The mask analysis leads to some interesting observations. A "sexual kink," or in this case, a "Bat kink."  "Your bullets cannot harm me. My wings are like a shield of steel." No! BatKINK! Not BatFINK! Kev There was definitely more of an exploration of the Bat-kink once Joel Schumacher took the director's chair. Although, to be fair, Burton did start to lean into it a fair bit in 'Returns' as well. Dave Is the psychologist supposed to be Lesley from ‘Year Two?’ Kev No. I think it's Harley Quinn. "Doctor Q." Dave Right enough, Leslie is the interviewer. I’ve got to say; Harley is looking very glam for her TV appearance. Kev Yeh, before she went all electro-goth courtesy of The Joker. Dave Her speech about masks, and getting tied up was cut off too quickly. I would have liked to have seen where this analysis was going. Kev Ha, ha! Yeh, it was getting quite hawt, wasn't it? Dave "Brighten up the place a little.” That’s a nice little bit of humour from Bruce about the coin in the cave, whether he meant this intentionally or it was unintentional, it was funny. Kev Yeh, I really enjoyed the whole bit with the coin. Dave That scene in Wayne Manor/ Batcave is a nice little exchange between Alfred and Bruce. It’s always good to see their interactions, and again, Alfred is a pearl of wisdom to Bruce, giving him another perspective on what has occurred. Kev Yeh, I love seeing their little, familial interactions as well. Although, “On those rare occasions when vigilantism fails……you can always resort to philanthropy.” Hhhmmmm! I’m not so sure they are “rare,” Alfred. Maybe you have those two the wrong way round. Dave There are a number of great panels on that page, particularly the one where Bruce is standing near the edge of the cave with the upward view. In fact the artwork and colours have really elevated the whole issue. I can't praise it enough.  Batbod. Kev This really does feel as though it has leapt off the screen, straight into your hands, eh? Quinones and Ito have done an outstanding job with this. It fits in perfectly with the movie adaptations of 'Batman' and 'Batman Returns.' Dave And again, another scene jump to the review of Dent’s speech, as he recounts how well it went. "Threw my notes away and said what was in my heart.” I like how that panel keeps the background plain white, almost like it's giving a heavenly feel to this moment. Kev Yeh, I like that too. I think this is really interesting; pitching Dent as a sort of Martin Luther King style character, as well as playing off the juxtaposition of his origins versus where he has ended-up in life. More duality for this eventual “...two-faced bastard.” Dave Yeah, I did like that interjection to that scene. It’s a real back-to-reality check for Harvey. Kev And Barbara wondering if Harvey kept her out of sight, simply because she is white, and he was trying to play to a black audience, the “optics” of Black Lives Matter versus Blue Lives Matter or All Lives Matter, and Harvey admitting that he has been “code-switching” his entire life. This is all very complex, race politics, stuff we’re touching on here. Fucking woke nonsense. Keep your politics out of my Batman comics. Why can’t he just punch the underclass in the face? Dave Haha! Harvey the code shifter. Yeah, it's going pretty in depth here about this stuff. I get that he has his public image and his personal feelings to deal with, but I suppose his pissing people off is leading to the birth of Two Face. Kev Barbara's look is based on Winona Ryder, right? Dave Good spot there. I wasn't sure who she was based on. Kev I just had a look, and yeh, according to Wikipedia, Barbara was “designed to be portrayed by Winona Ryder.” Apparenently Quinones himself confirmed this. Dave That's the staircase where Joker flings his deadly pen at the mobster in ‘Batman.’ A little homage there also.  Look at those faces in that crowd. All they hear is, "Blah, blah, blah!" It's like a Keir Starmer speech. Kev Right enough! So it is. Good catch. I completely missed that. Dave I do like the resemblance to Keaton’s Bruce here, as he meets Harvey. Stick the old glasses on him, that'll do the job. Kev Yeh, Quinones does such a good job of capturing the essence of the characters AND the actors who played them. Dave Again, the scene jumps are quick, as we go from the Bat copycats, back to Bruce and Harvey. I like the colour palette in the panel on that page, with the red background against the "Royal” sign. That’s a great little panel. Kev It's great, isn't it? More of that expanding and world building that we've been discussing. And there are some cracking quotes on page 16. “You understand that our problems run deep. Just throwing money around is not a solution.” “No, Ma’am. Systemic problems take generations to fix……but there are some problems you can fix with money. That’s where I can help.” “Philanthropy is a function of inequality. Feeds on it. Perpetuates it.” Dave It does raise some good points and, to be fair, Bruce's idea is a bit over-inflated to say the least. Kev Yeh, Bruce's privilege is betraying him a bit here. I like that call back. Plus, the guilt of having cost people their lives earlier on is clearly weighing heavily on Bruce's mind. You can't buy a clear conscience I'm afraid, Bruce. Sorry. Dave I like how Drake is giving it, "blah blah blah" again. The sentiments of many, I presume. Kev Well, they do say that repetition is a form of comedy. Ha, ha! Dave Again, there’s the white panel background, on Bruce this time, as he talks about losing "members of his own family to gun violence." It works well in highlighting him as he is talking. I like how, at the bottom of the page, Harvey says, "The thing about Bruce is he means well...and he's got more money than sense." In that instance, I can understand where his whacky idea for funding everyone in education comes from. Kev Oh, definitely. And considering the information Harvey has, or doesn't have, available to him, it's arguably, a very astute observation of Bruce. Dave As Bruce rushes to the scene of the fire, and puts on the balaclava, I see a bit of a nod to ‘The Dark Knight Rises,’ when Bruce visits Gordon in hospital. And the kids arguing about who is the real and who is the fake Batman, is another nice little touch to that scene. As is Dent initially being startled by, "Hey, Batman!” Kev Yeh. A little bit of a nod to 'Year One' and 'Mask Of The Phantasm' as well. This is an interesting take on the origin of Two Face as well; with Harvey being a hero. Literally running into a burning building to save a young man’s life, and two-facing the consequences for it. No good deed goes unpunished in Gotham City, I suppose. Dave And we also get a full page pose of Catwoman as well, so we have more characters quickly getting flung into the mix here.  Me, Oww! Kev Yeh. Selina seems to have lost her trousers though. Dave Maybe she’s been listening to the full Harley Quinn podcast, and decided to change her look. That's a good page, with the Catwoman appearance. The use of the red throughout is great, and I like how she is literally dead centre, and the rest of the panels that surround her still carry the story. That's a visually great page. Again, events in this issue are happening quickly. This has been full of quick scene changes, from Catwoman popping up, to Harvey running into a burning building and taking a sudden fall. It certainly does go for abrupt endings.  Kendrick Lamar last summer after he released 'They Not Like Us.' Kev Yeh. This definitely feels like it was written for the trade rather than singles issues. It feels like one continuous story that's been sliced into six parts, rather than something that has been written as six individual chapters. Maybe that's why each chapter doesn't have its own title, right enough. Dave True. I suppose it’s finding that point where to break it up that’s the trick. Kev Absolutely. Although, every 20 pages or so works, I guess. I like Drake’s posters in his room. Public Enemy is a good shout. What looks like Scottie Pippen. Again, another good shout. I’m not sure who the one of the woman is though. Any ideas? Toni Braxton, maybe? Dave Hard to tell really. So what did you make of this issue then? I really liked this one. It flowed together so well, as I mentioned, and it had such a good pacing to it, coupled with some genuinely excellent artwork and colouring. This issue really picked up the story for me. I felt the first part didn't really kick start in any way, and that is fair enough, as it is just setting the scene and character dynamics, but this issue is taking the story onwards and upwards, and I really liked this chapter as a result of that. Kev I completely agree. The first issue set the table, but it's this one is where we really start to get into the meat of this story, its themes, characters, plot, and so on. I think it's excellent, and it has me really looking forward to reading the next issue. And the other four as well, to be fair. Dave If the other issues can maintain their stride, like this one does, then it's going to be some series. Kev Yep. It's looking good, and shaping up to be a fine continuation of the Tim Burton Bat-Universe. If such a thing is even considered to even exist. And even if it didn’t beforehand, it does now. (D) & (K) Next: 'Scars Run Deep!' 
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Back issues
December 2025
|
RSS Feed