Where do I even start with this?
Well, I guess I start with the biggest elephant in the room. At this moment, the most noteworthy thing about this series are the massive delays between each issue (the last issue came out in December of last year). But at this point, I’m not sure how much I should consider that as while the delays have been frustrating, does it really matter when it comes to the quality of the comic?
All Star Batman and Robin has a myriad of issues to the point where it’s almost my go-to whenever I need to complain about bad comics. Yet at this moment, the fact that there were enormous delays between the issues is not as important a talking point. For an example of a better comic, The Dark Age arc of Astro City also took two years to complete although I’m willing to cut that one some slack because a) it wasn’t under a Big Two umbrella and b) it’s actually good.
So, let’s give Batman ‘89 Echoes #6 a fair trial. Because after looking at the evidence there’s a lot of other reasons to complain about this comic that will hold up over the years other than its awkward release schedule.
Yes, this is from this issue, why do you ask?The Last Issue of This Comic Introduces Another Villain. So We’re Basically Reading Sam Hamm’s Batman and Robin (Oh My God There’s Even a Batgirl)
So the very last issue of the comic finally introduces the mysterious Kashif. If you remember who that was, he was a comatose patient at Arkham under the protection of a muscular, non-verbose but very loyal manservant…its Ra’s al Ghul. Yes, this story decides to not only have a Harley, a Scarecrow, a Riddler, and allude to a Hugo Strange and a Firefly, but we also needed a Ra’s al Ghul in this story.
Hmm, a white man writing about a religion that he doesn’t know much about. This is a script from the 90s!Why was a Ra’s al Ghul comatose in this version of Arkham? I’m sure the previous issues may have an answer but honestly it doesn’t matter. At this point, everyone seems to be done with this story considering how sloppily the whole mess has been put together. Maynard has vanished entirely from the story, there are now gangs of “Nightwings” working under Drake (whose charisma was initially appealing but now is just baffling), and Barbara’s whole subplot about her getting investigated is forgotten. Then again remembering story details seems to be too much to ask considering Ra’s facial hair keeps disappearing.
And yes, after teasing it throughout the whole series, we finally get to see Barbara become Batgirl…and it is underwhelming. No buildup, no moment of suiting up, she’s suddenly in the costume and is inside the Batplane for most of her time in it. The whole thing reeks of an obligatory cameo so as to justify her presence on the covers so that the whole thing doesn’t come off as false advertising.
Now, despite my barrage of complaints, I do actually have some positive things to say about this issue. The colors by Leonardo Ito remain a massive draw, giving Batman ‘89 Echoes #6 a unique look that makes it stand out. And this version of Harley might just be the best version of Harley I’ve read about in a long time. Most recent Harley Quinn comics tend to go a bit over the top with her antics or define her by her relationships (be they Joker or Ivy). This Harley is a bit of a crusader (albeit for herself) but is extremely sympathetic. This is shown through her relationship with her former Arkham charges or the fact that she recognizes that Alicia Hunt (Joker’s former lover from the original ‘89 movie) needed the TV gig more than she did. I wasn’t expecting Harley Quinn to be the most fond memory I would take away from this series, but life has a way of surprising you.
Recommended If
- You liked this version of Harley
- You’ve enjoyed the aesthetic of this series
- You were dying to see Barbara in a batsuit.
Overall
Batman ‘89 Echoes #6 sadly continues the trend that this whole series has followed – stuffing as many references as they can in the hopes that something will work out. Some of it does like the depiction of Harley, but most of it doesn’t. Batman goes from the centerpiece to a sideshow attraction in what is meant to be a series focused on him (notice how he doesn’t even get a mention in this review) as the series seemed determined to keep him out of the cowl and out of focus. In the end, it can be hard to tell whose story this is except maybe Sam Hamm’s.
Score: 4/10
Disclaimer: DC Comics provided Batman News with a copy of this comic for the purpose of review.
English (US) · 