BATMAN #27

[ BITING BAT BARGAINS ] 

Hey, Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo, that picture looks nothing like me! My chin is squarer. Most of my teeth are in my mouth. And if I do say so myself, my feature's are very similar to that guy who starred in the film 'Dogma'. Huh? What's that you say? DC Comics told you to draw this picture for their comic book published in February, 2014? Damn them. Damn them I say. So speaks the Batman.

To QUOTE Bruce Wayne:  'I'm just going to have to get better at my job, I guess'.

THE STORY:

If you tilt your head sideways and call me 'Shirley', I'm sure you'll be able to deduce, that this penultimate chapter, entitled 'Lights Out', is a tale easily divisible by three.

Now the first part concentrates on telling how Batman comes under heavy fire from the Gotham City Police Department. In the second part the Dark Knights eventual savior, Jim Gordon, tells him how a young Bruce Wayne haunted him into becoming the cop he is today. And in the third and final part of this adventure, Batman ultimately cottons on to who's really pulling Doctor Helferns' strings.

It's none other than... BOOOM!

THE GOOD:

Despite not being very keen on its narrative-structure -- which is a point I'll touch upon later -- overall I'd say that this was a great issue of 'Batman'.

For a start, Greg Capullo's art work was out of this blooming world. And I especially liked the way he drew those brutal introductory scenes between Bat's and the Gotham City Police Department, plus how Greg made Bruce come across somewhat philandering in his approach. Amateurish even.

Scott Snyder's story-line was also very enjoyable too. Mainly because his premise goes to show that if you're willing to put in the work, and properly carry out the job at hand, at the end of the day 'doing right' means more than 'doing might'.

Oh! And while I'm on the subject of ethics, I have to mention that I myself wasn't quite sure about that scene where Gordon told Batman about his 'past transgressions'. I mean, why should he tell him this tale when it's about his relationship with Bruce Wayne? Furthermore, why should Gordon feel guilty for leaving Bruce on that night in question, when all it takes for him to resolve this situation, is to tell Bruce why he did what he actually did?

Know what I mean?

THE BAD:

I suppose the only slight gripe I have with this issue is that its narrative structure -- although very straightforward and easy to follow -- does tonally shift from one segment of the story to another.

Please, don't get me wrong, I really did enjoy reading this escapade an awful lot. It's just that from a narrative point of view, each part of the tale drifted from one scenario to the next, and with it, the story's emphasis as well.  

THE MUSIC:

On an aesthetic level this tale is about two men trying there best to become better people than what they originally were. Therefore, after a modicum of forethought and conjecture, how can I not pair it up with the Tina Turner anthem, 'Simply the Best'!

THE COMPARISON:

OK. I know this might sound somewhat strange, folks. But in my eyes this tale reminds me of pain relief medication, due to the fact that this cleaver substance can heal you, harm you, and make you feel better if used wisely.

THE CONCLUSION:

There was a scene in this story were Alfred Pennyworth told Bruce Wayne that one of the main reasons he became Batman in the first place, was because he wanted to punish those people around him -- like Gordon and himself -- for not helping save his parents.

Now the way I see it, dear reader, is that this is a very intriguing line of thought to purview in the case of the young Bruce Wayne. Well, could it possibly be true that Batman is nothing more than a tool to push those people away from him, who ever try to get too close?  It seems that way, doesn't it? Especially in the light of the more recent 'Death of The Family' bat-saga!

Although another way of looking at it, is that Bruce Wayne conjured up the idea of Batman because it was his own self-defense mechanism, of protecting himself against himself.

Try to think about it for a moment. If Bruce is angry with those people around him for not helping save his parents, wouldn't he also be angry with himself too? After all, he was present at the scene of the crime. Plus he has been known to be harsher on himself than those people he permits into his domain.

Food for though.