Hey, it only took two months to get a new issue of Echoes. And I actually thought the last issue was pretty decent, all things considered. Does the series start moving at a decent pace from here?
The Art Does So Much Work…
Joe Quinones and Leonardo Ito bring their A-game to this issue. It helps that we get a lot of dark environments, letting Ito work his magic with the coloring. The scene where Jeff Goldblum, I mean Dr. Crane, finally lets loose in full Scarecrow regalia looks lovely. But he’s not the only one who gets to put on a costume as we see Dr. Quinzel put on her ‘Harlequin’ outfit that was teased as far back as the cover of #2, and she looks similarly stunning. Also, Duke Winston puts on a mix of what I would call Damian Wayne and Terry McGinnis’ outfits, and while we don’t get to see enough of it within the comic itself, it mostly works for me.
But of course, I know what you’re here for. After all, that’s what I’m here for, too. And I am happy to report that finally, after more than half the series, we see this version of the Micheal Keaton Batman put on his costume. It looks great…to the point that I am willing to overlook that it happens on the last page of the comic.
This just looks gorgeousBut I’m not done praising the art just yet. Joe Quinones really draws some expressive faces, with a wide range of emotions on display, from Alfred’s sarcasm, to the police officers’ reaction of fear after exposure to Crane’s gas, to Skip’s “I’m done with all of this” reaction to seeing Dr. Quinzel and Batman back-to-back, its fun to watch Quinones have fun with this assignment.
…Too Bad The Story Doesn’t
Now, the story isn’t exactly difficult to parse. In essence, this whole issue can be summarized in a single sentence — Crane realizes that his timetable has moved up a bit and proceeds to enact an early Halloween while getting rid of his “test subjects” in the ensuing chaos. And the action scenes in the asylum are mostly fun.
But, oh boy, this issue somehow moves both at a breakneck pace while also constantly delivering exposition. We get a scene with Alfred so he can deliver exposition on a drug. We get a scene with Catwoman and Harley so that we can remind readers about her connection to Barbara (who is a no-show in this issue unless you count a picture in a newspaper). We get another piece of exposition on one of Crane’s subjects which has been the most boring part of this story so far. Still, there are a lot of fun bits that were a joy to read, and the fast pace means things are constantly happening, so you don’t feel too bogged down by the exposition.
I’m not sure how to approach this.Recommended If
- You wanted a new scene where Micheal Keaton suits up as Batman.
- Costumes! Loads of costumes!!!
- You are able to overcome a pace change from a slow burn to lightning speed.
Overall
This book is starting to grow on me. A lot of it is thanks to the amazing artwork by Quinones and Ito, but the story has its fun moments. The slow pace of the earlier issues comes back to haunt this one, but hopefully, from here onward, the pace will manage to even out.
Score: 7.5/10
English (US) · 