The Good
This issue gives us a glimpse at Pre-FlashpointDick Grayson and Barbara Gordon as they adapt to life under Brainiac’s dome, and find them doing surprisingly well. Outwardly, at least. This issue mostly covers what’s been going on in the wake of the dome being raised, and goes into some incredible detail as to exactly how it’s been affecting the denizens of Gotham, even the criminal element is experiencing things in a way that one wouldn’t expect. Gail Simone returns to a pair of the characters she helped define, and she hasn’t lost a step. Seeing them together again is nice, and she writes them extremely well as a couple, but it’s truly the rest of Gotham that shines brightest in her writing. The scene with Mr. Freeze is very subtly disturbing, particularly with what we learn of Oracle and when the action jumps off as a pair of ruthless, vicious Thanagarians make their presence known, it feels like Simone has given us stakes worth caring about right away. There’s a great economy to how this issue is written, weaving in character development with flashbacks and even exposition that make it feel like not a single panel was wasted in telling this story.
Jan Duursema does well for the most part on pencils, moving through Gotham with a wandering, almost stargazing, pace that ensures the reader never gets lost while still keeping the pace moving enough that they also don’t get bored. The characters look good, especially in close-up where lost of finer details give a tremendous sense of emotional impact and help communicate without using too much text. Dan Parsons’ inks also help in that realm, making every smile, frown and wistful look have some real gravity and the punches and kicks that define the quick action have a kinetic force behind them. Wes Dzioba’s colors are bright and interestingly contrast the darker, more desolate tone of the story. It’s at the beginning of the issue where these look especially great, lending a sense of dusty dryness to the town.
The Bad
While this isn’t an action issue, the action we do get is overly chaotic and feels posed. Rather than capturing a moment in time, it feels like it’s capturing people who are standing still and when they’re at a distance, the characters become much less distinct and lose a great deal of the detail that makes other panels resonate so well. This wouldn’t be as glaring if the visuals in the issue weren’t so critical to conveying the story.
The Verdict
This is a clinic on how to make an effective, self-contained story. Whether a fresh-faced newbie or a seasoned, salty veteran this is a story that will resonate emotionally. Gail Simone adores these characters and that adoration comes through on the page, but doesn’t stop her from putting them through the ringer and taking them to their limits. The art conveys the writing wonderfully, and the story feels tremendously effective from start to end.
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