A fun satisfying ending to a great mini-series
I have thoroughly enjoyed "Batman: Gates of Gotham". It's been a history lesson of sorts on one of Batman's most important characters - Gotham City. It has cleverly told parallel stories that came together last issue but is dealt with in this wonderfully structured finale. Kyle Higgins, Scott Snyder, and Ryan Parrott are the architects behind the story and I have loved their resourceful use of flashbacks mixed almost perfectly with the current day pages . With the exception of last issue, this series has moved at a ideal pace, never stumbling over itself. This book is the inevitable showdown issue so we get plenty of action but it's balanced with some very well written and emotionally satisfying dialogue. The ending almost feels like a setup for the upcoming relaunch which added yet another layer to an already excellent finale.
I was really glad to see Trevor McCarthy's name back on the cover. I've been mixed on his art style but the last issue clearly suffered in his absence. One of my gripes has been with McCarthy's action pages. In the previous issues they sometimes felt cluttered and at other times underdrawn. But here his action sequences look much better and are really the issue's strongest visual moments. I do still struggle with his occasional unusual facial expressions. Yes, I know they are a part of his style but they just don't work for me. But as a whole, McCarthy's work is good here and gives the book the look that it was missing last issue.
My hat is off to this remarkable creative team. This is a very well done ending to what's been a rock solid mini-series. I'm really anxious to read it again as a collection because I feel there's even more to glean from the series. Not only does it give us a look back at Gotham's history but it also opens up several doors leading to some potentially great storylines. What a fun ride.
