Review – Batman: The Knight #1
Review – Batman: The Knight #1
Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Artist: Carmine Di Giandomenico
Colours: Ivan Plascencia
Lettering: Pat Brosseau
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: January 19, 2022
Issue 1 Variant Cover Artists: Jonathan Glapion, Greg Capullo, Gerald Parel, Manix Abrera
Part 1
The origin of Batman and his never-ending fight against crime in Gotham City is modern mythology, but what of the story in between? How did an angry, damaged young man grow into the most accomplished detective and crime-fighter the world has ever known? How did the Dark Knight…begin? Superstar writer Chip Zdarsky (Daredevil) and acclaimed artist Carmine Di Giandomenico (The Flash) will take Bruce Wayne on a fraught journey, making allies and enemies, on his training to become Batman in this definitive new series!
Writer: Chip Zdarsky
A young Bruce way attends therapy with Hugo Strange to address his anger, nightmares and thirst for vengeance. The issue flicks back and forth between his time at school and as a young adult at Gotham University. Alfred shows his young ward an empty Wayne Manor library and tells him they will fill it together. The older Bruce is concerned about his girlfriend Dana, whose family is rich, but something is eating away at her.
Zdarsky finally starts to ask (and answer) the question about Bruce using his resources to help rather than attack poor people. In this story, the murderous thief got away with just $150 and a few pearls and Alfred tries to desperately show Bruce how he can never understand some of the actions of poor people without learning about them rather than fighting them “You’ve been given everything! Prove you deserve it!”
Bruce also tells Dana he wants to become a cop, and she laughs at him he’ll never be taken seriously with his wealth, image and status and this comic starts to show the first tentative steps towards the cape and cowl. This is proven a few pages later when he’s let go after being arrested at an underground bare-knuckle boxing event, the cops let him go just because he’s a Wayne while still keeping the rest locked up.
Artist: Carmine Di Giandomenico
Di Giandomenico’s artwork shows some amazing aside such as the nightmarish gunshot that killed his parents (slowing coming in and out of existing in six perfect panels.) The rain batters down on Gotham and the car scene with Alfred drawn from both above and side perspective helps put over the gravity of the situation.
Overall Thoughts
I was very sceptical going into this mini-series, we’ve almost every minute of Batman’s origin and all that was left was the toilet breaks it seemed. Zdarsky though takes a bit of a fresh look at the rich, broody kid and finally starts to answer some of Batman’s harshest criticisms. How can a spoilt rich man exact justice on many whose only reasons for crimes are survival? This teenage Bruce make mistakes and acts petty sometimes and the steady, realistic tutelage by Alfred will take time to develop a more human Batman.
[yasr_multiset setid=1] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=1]I hoped you’ve enjoyed my review of Batman: The Knight #1 and look out for this comic at your Local Comic Shop
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