Daddy... Why is Mr. Batman so angry?
Neal Adams' Odyssey takes a strange turn in a story that has so many holes you could drive a train through it.
When we last left Batman he was defying both Commissioner Gordon and Robin's wishes by ignoring the Riddler's attack on the Mint and instead going after the robbers down at the pier. On page one of this second issue Bruce reveals, to the reader, that he had it on good authority that Ra's Al Ghul is behind the heist at the pier. Which, makes the fact that he keeps this information to himself all the stranger. I mean you would think that it might be helpful for both the commissioner and Robin to know that frakking Ra's Al Ghul is back. I don't think either of them would think any less of Batman if he let that card show. Speaking of Ra's Al Ghul, apparently he is in a serious cash crunch, because he has hired two of the dumbest mobsters on the face of the Earth to lead this heist, and the only reason I can think of that he might do this is to save some money. While the goons are distracted by the intricacies of modern hydrogen fuel cells, Batman seizes the opportunity and saves the hostages, only to find himself cornered in an ambush and faced with an unending barrage of gunfire. It is here, inexplicably, that Adams decides to return to the flashback story from the first issue.
So we are back in the past Batman thinks he has the upper hand against... Against the dreaded train blowing up gang that has been terrorizing the west? So in the first issue it seemed that this group of ne'er-do-wells were there to steal the hidden gas truck but as it turns out they just wanted to blow it up. Why, you ask? LOOK A HUGE EXPLOSION... FLASHY.
Now in the beginning of this issue Adams takes great pains to prove how ignorant the common man is on issues of science. So, lets examine the science of the events in this flashback sequence. Now, when a large quantity of gas is ignited typically there is a large fireball, but relatively little concussive force, yet somehow in this story the gas tanker not only has enough force to lift a FRAKKING TRAIN ENGINE, but somehow, again completely defying the laws of physics propel said engine backwards. WTF! Look I am all for suspension of disbelief, but when you spend the first half of the issue talking about the subtleties of bullet physics and the chemical composition of fuel cells to do a complete 180 and expect the reader to just go along with you is just ridiculous. Then to top it all off Adams expects us to believe that at the end of it all Batman gets shot in the EXACT same place as earlier. It is all too much.
The one saving grace of this issue is, of course, the artwork.I don't know if it is all the hair or what, but there is just something about the way that Adams draws a shirtless Bruce Wayne that just makes me smile. I will also confess, that even though it doesn't make any sense in the story, the images of the train exploding are absolutely gorgeous.
Adams is a dramatic storyteller, of that there is no doubt. The problem is in his efforts to get to these dramatic high points, I am afraid, he might be leaving the reader too far behind. We are left as silent observers sitting back as these seemingly random flashes of story whiz by us at such a speed that it is easier to simply turn our head and ignore it then delve in and try to patch the missing pieces together. If Adams doesn't bring some tangible connection the reader soon I think many will simply abandon it.
