Legends #24
Unnatural Selection
Last week's Legends of the Dark Knight featured a bizarre tour of the world of cryptotaxidermy and a creature born out of the mind of a SyFy horror movie director. This week features the conclusion of this two part tale. Is it a monster movie smash, or a B-movie flop?
In this issue, Bruce tracks down the location of the Barghest and discovers that Garfield the taxidermist has learned how to bring mystical creatures to life.
A Still Beating Heart
This issue works better than the last in part because it has an emotional aspect to it. I did not really expect anything tender in this issue, but that is just what we get. Do not get me wrong, you will not be shedding any tears, but there are several sad moments at the end of the issue.
There are other good elements. Garfield is a somewhat interesting nemesis though it is disappointing that he was not given more time to develop. The action is a tad better, but it still feels a little clunky compared to the quite fluid drawings found in most comics. Somehow, the artist, Sandoval, fails to convey motion very well. His still shots are excellent; Batman's entrance into the work room at the abandoned school was especially nice, but movement just feels a bit rough.
The only part of the story I would say is definitively bad is the coloring. Almost everything has a blue tint to it, and I find it very dull. A few panels have red overlays which is no doubt meant to convey especially powerful moments, but it failed as far as I am concerned.
Conclusion
This story is worth reading. It is not the best Legends has to offer, but it is a solid addition to its library.