Arkham Unhinged #51
The Slough of Despond
Just when I had given up on this series, it surprised me with a truly excellent issue last week. The Bookbinder seems to be intent on teaching the world painful truths one victim at a time just like a less bloody version of Jigsaw from the Saw movie franchise. Traviss does not do a good job explaining away the fundamental problems of Arkham City's plot, but perhaps that is an impossible task. She has, however, done an excellent job creating a new villain for the Batman universe. Does the Bookbinder continue to teach Gotham the hard truths, or has this teacher run out of material?
In this issue, Bookbinder forces the Gotham hygiene inspector to admit to taking bribes while Batman mounts a rescue operation.
Bookbinder Can Still Teach
References to Arkham City and martial law were blissfully absent this time around as Traviss continued to focus on her strongest plot element, Bookbinder. There are many attributes that make Bookbinder a fairly unique character, but the one which I am enjoying the most is that he is truly unpredictable. With enough appearances, no doubt this criminal will develop a MO just like every other, but for the moment, I never know what to expect from him, and I love that.
Traviss continues to handle all characters well, and she takes plenty of time to show how Bookbinder's antics are affecting the city. My only complaint is that the story seems to be taking a little too long to get to its destination.
Conclusion
Traviss makes me seriously wonder if I have misjudged her writing skills. It is impossible to tell if the arc will finish strong, but for the time being, I am extremely entertained by Arkham Unhinged.