The Empty Conspiracy
I'm not sure if it was intentional or not, but the use of two artists actually works very well in this issue on a pretty deep level. For one, the art duties are divided down the middle, not spattered back and forth alternating at random intervals. But really, the division separates the two halves of the story, childhood and manhood.
Expanding upon the small flashback in The Court of Owls, we see a young Bruce Wayne, parents freshly murdered, and he's convinced there's a conspiracy. Young Bruce doesn't bring up The Court of Owls, but we've seen that side of his investigations. Here we see him taking a much more direct logical approach, asking around the alleyway and learning a very harsh life lesson. I'm a little confused at the random janitor Bruce talks to afterwards, but his words are key, telling him not to lift the rose colored glasses of youth.
Mico Suayan's artwork in the first half of the issue is a lot more simple in tone. It's got a lot of nice details, but very thin line work and heavily washed colors. It FEELS like the way a young boy would see the world, or perhaps how we'd remember seeing the world as a kid. Things aren't so heavily defined and set into their ways. And there's a haze of innocence or memory hanging over everything. It's almost dreamlike in a very subtle way.
And as Bruce grows into a man, the art changes to Juan Jose Ryp, sharper details, thicker well defined lines, more complex and self contained colors. It's more 'real,' Bruce has lifted the rose colored glasses off his head and returns to the scene of his tragedy after all these years to make a second attempt at solving a murder he never once forgot about.
And his return brings him to the conclusion we all know. Joe Chill was a man. Just a man who made an impulsive decision to steal a lady's pretty pearls. No conspiracy. No deeper meaning. Just a random act of violence that happens every day. This realization is key to Batman's character, as it grounds him. Just because his father was such a big important man, it doesn't mean he's above the potential for a completely ordinary death. Everyone can be a victim. And anytime someone can be a victim, thus creating the need for Batman.
In Conclusion: 4.5/5
Ryp's art is a little off when the action scenes come around, and the beginning of the issue drags on a bit with loads of dialogue, and I still have no idea who the janitor Bruce was talking to was or why Bruce trusted him; but the overall tone and message of this story is excellent, and it establishes a truly vital piece of the creation of Batman as we know him.
