So, after taking half the series to do so, Batman: The Dark Age finally began to chart its own course separate from its predecessor. Does that trend continue, or do Mark Russell and the Allreds fall back into old habits?
So This May Come as a Shock, But Batman Has a Tragic Backstory…
I’m being a bit flippant, as I usually am, but I’m not that far off. With the revelation that this version of Martha Wayne was an activist suffering from mental issues as a result of seeing a lot of pain and suffering it actually provides this version of Bruce something that makes him stand out compared to the main universe Batman – empathy for the mentally unwell. Now, I’m not saying that Batman doesn’t care for them in the prime DCU (as not clarifying that could lead to a lot of straw arguments that won’t go anywhere), but we see this pay off later in a big way.
Dark Age continues to do a decent job of playing around in the world it’s established. As I said all the way back in the review for #2, this is a different version of Batman. So the fact that Ra’s al Ghul is a bloodthirsty, ex-C.I.A. agent whose sole purpose in life is to get Bruce to take a life works well here. It takes the core characteristics and motivations of the mainstream version of the character and alters a few cosmetic details to make him a compelling figure. And even though some will feel that C.I.A. agent is a bit of a downgrade from leading the League of Assassins, this Ra’s isn’t playing around and manages to be more than a match for Bruce…by taking a toll on him both physically and emotionally.
Spoiler
Dr Chase Meridian is killed off in a fire that Ra’s had set in Arkham Asylum. While she is killed off-panel and the argument can be made that she died to motivate Bruce, the sudden death did resonate with me, considering how well she had been developed. For me, at least, this death worked because it was sudden. Not everyone’s story comes to a satisfactory conclusion, and the ultimate tragedy of death is not seeing that story get the resolution it deserves.
Strange Bedfellows
As the solicit for this issue teased, Batman does work with his Rogues Gallery to fight Ra’s al Ghul. I was very skeptical of this turn of events, but then I remembered what I had forgotten – this is a different version of Gotham and her denizens. This is not the same Penguin and Riddler, whose only on-screen crime in Dark Age was stealing a painting, which is relatively tame. While a part of me still isn’t completely convinced that everything they do should be waved off as them being eccentric oddballs, it makes sense why Bruce would sympathize with them, given his backstory.
All that for two goons. Never change Riddler.However, Mark Russell does do a lot to convince the reader of the team-up as well. Batman earns Catwoman’s trust so she vouches for him later, puts the more dangerous criminals like the Mad Hatter away, and also doesn’t have much backup due to the League not being available (uh-oh, my Superman: Space Age senses are tingling). All this, and also being depicted gorgeously by the Allreds, was enough to keep me satisfied.
Recommended If
- You like to see Batman and his rogues team up.
- This version of Ra’s al Ghul has intrigued you.
- You want to read a compelling, Silver Age style Batman story.
Overall
Batman: The Dark Age has gone from strength to strength with each issue, to the point where I didn’t even mind when the Pariah subplot crept back into the story. Its only real flaw is that the story did not pace itself well in its previous issues, but I am unwilling to blame this issue for it. Delivering some shocking deaths, shocking team-ups, shocking backstory changes, and, of course, a shocking cliffhanger, this series continues to be a pleasant shock to the system.
Score: 9/10
English (US) · 