Well, here we are. The first series I reviewed on this site from start to finish comes to a close. And hey, it’s been getting mostly better issue to issue. So, let’s see if it can end things on a high note.
Is This a Sequel to Superman: Space Age or Not?
The biggest issue I have with this series is that it never was able to shed the shadow of its predecessor fully. While that wouldn’t be a problem if this were a direct sequel or a look at how things played out in the original story from Batman’s perspective, that isn’t the case in this series at all. The story constantly pulls from Superman: Space Age but tweaks certain events that happened to the characters. So, if you’ve read both, you get the weirdest feeling of deja vu, as if you’re misremembering something.
The most note-worthy example of this is the character of Pariah. While he was kind of helpful to Clark in Space Age, he has pretty much been an antagonist throughout Dark Age. Except it is implied that this is the same Pariah who did all the things he did in the previous story as well, and he’s stuck in some sort of loop. Unfortunately, because Mark Russell was having a lot of fun writing Pariah as this guy cosplaying as an evil mastermind, he ran out of time to pay that off satisfactorily.
I’ll admit this was pretty funnyOk, Let’s Talk About the Artwork
I have really liked Mike and Laura Allred’s artwork in this series, just as I enjoyed their work in Superman: Space Age. However, I have come to dislike the Bat-outfit in this series. On its own, it’s not that bad, but whenever Batman is next to Catwoman, the two outfits look too similar to each other. The choice to make the ears more bat-like is probably why I didn’t like it as much, but I get why other people may end up liking it.
Another thing that I have occasionally talked about is how the faces look a bit uncanny at times. However, this works really well for the Joker, as the combination of his facial makeup and how his face is drawn make him look really distinct.
So, The Story is Trying to Say Something
I’m wary of social commentary in comics as, more often than not, the writer just uses the characters in the story to state the ills of society and how they need to be addressed. This isn’t a bad thing, except a) there are rarely any solutions offered, and b) the story does not take place in our reality. Batman: Dark Age falls in the middle of this as it does make an effort to address mental health but also forgives those who commit crimes if they are mentally unwell (or deemed as such) as long as their crimes aren’t severe enough. Or even if they are, as it turns out, by the end of the story.
I was going to go into detail about how Batman’s rogues are not a real depiction of mentally unwell people and how they are usually the victims of violent crimes rather than committing them, but we all know this. This is not new information at this point. However, the choice to write Batman’s rogues as criminals who only commit crimes due to their mental illness, childhood trauma, or both keeps happening. In this story, Batman is even willing to not deal with them, as long as they only target people rich and strong enough to fight back. You know, like his parents.
Cool, so guys our next target is Wayne ManorRecommended If
- You liked Superman: Space Age but wanted to read a version of the story with Batman as the lead.
- You love the Allred’s artwork.
- You want to see how it all ends.
Overall
Unfortunately, Batman: Dark Age not only failed to stick the landing, but it somersaulted into a web of confusion made up of all the tangled plot threads the series has been juggling so far. The art remains decent, and I like the journey this Batman went through, but the similarities to its predecessor and confused social messaging hold it back too much for me.
Score: 6.5/10
English (US) · 