Put on your dancing shoes, because it’s time to do the time warp and send ourselves back in time for another adventure in Victorian Gotham! Last time, I found myself pleasantly surprised at how much I found myself enjoying a series I had had middling to negative feelings about so far. So, what say you? A simple fluke, or a sign that things might just be getting better?
Gaslight crusaders
I was recently organising my comic collection (alphabetically by publisher and then alphabetically by title, if you must know. Titles like The Adventures of Superman get put under Superman, The Adventures of, for the sake of keeping characters together.), when I came across my copy of Gotham by Gaslight. Seeing as I’m covering this series, I thought I’d give it another read. After doing so, my opinion remains largely the same. The story is nothing to write home about (pun intended), but Mignola’s art really is incredible. That then got me thinking about this series and my issues with it.
Now Leonardo Fernandez is no Mike Mignola. Their styles are relatively different, and Fernandez doesn’t try to emulate Mignola’s. However, in GTG, the artist gets so many opportunities to show off his talent. The flashbacks, the trial, all things that lend themselves to a very visually rich story. Because these last two GTG stories have been so expansive and fast-paced, they don’t have time for intimate little moments that stand out, in story or in art. Now that we’ve slowed our horses, both writer and artist have time to really showcase their talents. Not only do we get to swing around the streets of Gotham again, but we’re also treated to desert landscapes and some more Smallville locales. Is it bigger in scope than the original? Yes, but it’s now more focused than the last issues, where we’d get up to give different locations every time and not enough time in any of them. It’s just nice to read a book where I could fully appreciate the art again. Fernandez is great.
More powerful than a locomotive mech
The story is also given more time to showcase its characters and their relationships. It’s maybe a little step down from last time because it has the job of wrapping up some loose ends, but in a way that makes me feel like it will affect the next issue well. Clark’s interaction with Chief Black Condor is a nice little moment and an appreciated nod. We get some more great Martian Manhunter moments when he and Victor Stone enter Jay Garrick’s mind. Between this series and Absolute Martian Manhunter, the guy’s really had his time to shine recently.
However, the inclusion of characters like Victor and Jay makes this start to feel a little overstuffed for my tastes. As well as the members shown before, we get Victor, Jay, the return of Adam Strange, John Constantine, and Selina Kyle. Not to mention a Huntress appearance as well. There’s nothing inherently wrong with having a lot of characters, but the checklist of old plot threads stands out in an issue that is generally slower than the rest. The saving grace for this is the fact that I’m actually intrigued to see these new heroes in action. Ye olde Flash? A steampunk Cyborg? Sign me up!
Recommended If
- You’re a Leonardo Fernandez fan
- Victorian era Cyborg, Flash and Zod sound cool
- You want to see the League officially together
Overall
Nothing makes me happier than seeing that last month’s issue was no fluke. At the end of the day, I really enjoy the concepts for this series, and I’m glad to see them executed in a way I enjoy reading and want to see more of. It’s had its ups and downs, but overall, I think this series is back on track. Looking forward to the next one!
Score: 8/10
DISCLAIMER: DC Comics provided Batman News with a copy of this comic for the purpose of this review.
English (US) · 