The Psychotic Perspective: Gotham Spirit
Gotham Spirit
Legends of the Dark Knight has quickly become my favorite Batman comic simply because it always tries something new. The rotating creative roster is perfectly suited to an online weekly comic, and I love never knowing what to expect.
In this issue, Batman responds to a call for help at a liquor store. He soon begins to subdue the thugs.
The Not So Beautiful Letdown
I’m sad to say that this issue was a bit of a letdown. The premise of this story is pretty much this entire story. Batman beats up four thugs…one of which he has to actually track down. End of story.
In all the previous issues, Legends of the Dark Knight has focused on rarely used characters or brand new concepts which explore the nature of Batman and his supporting cast, but this issue is not burdened with originality. This one is about as plain as they come.
Even the dialogue in this issue seems canned. “Keep your hands where I can see them,” “Oh, please, no!” and “Get him Batman,” all sound like the kind of things a ten year old would come up with if they were writing a Batman story. I’m not saying they are necessarily bad dialogue choices; I suppose all of them are plausible lines, but it ain’t Shakespeare, that’s for d*** sure.
Nice!
The one standout feature is the artwork. Somehow, I got a distince seventies feel from the sketches, but sadly, I do not have enough artistic knowhow to explain what gives me that impression. Regardless, the art is very well done, and I actually would like to get a screen cap of the panel where Bruce lands on a car. Beautiful! Great work Hardman and Breitweiser. I’m tempted to pick up some issues of Hulk just so I can marvel at the work these two did together.
Conclusion
This issue was a big disappointment. It’s not awful, but there is nothing standout about it except for the art. That being said, the art saves the issue. If you are a big fan of Legends of the Dark Knight or just want to read a simple, well-drawn story where Batman thrashes some scum, pick up this issue. Otherwise, save your money.