The Good
Having the name "ARKHAM KNIGHT" slapped across the cover of this digital comic guarantees I'm going to check it out. I mean, as someone who loves Rocksteady's work with Batman, how could I resist a prequel to their upcoming game, especially when it's just $0.99 per chapter? The thing is, digital comics tend to be hit or miss. I guess that applies to most things in life, but it's clear some digital comics are worth following and others, well, let's just be nice and say you can live without reading them. However, one thing -- well, one person -- gives me hope this digital comic will be able to keep my attention beyond the second chapter: Peter J. Tomasi. That's right, the writer of the very awesome BATMAN AND ROBIN run has the opportunity to write the Dark Knight again, yet this time it's in a totally different universe and with a totally different cast.
Tomasi's name being in the cover raised my expectations. I mean, the guy's already doing a terrific job with the Bruce over in the New 52. Thankfully, he once again proved why I have high hopes when it comes to him writing about the world of Gotham. Aside from not being a fan of the ending, this is a great script. It capitalizes on the Bruce and Alfred relationship in a funny and slightly emotional way. There's a line in here that made me laugh -- something that was completely unexpected going into this one -- yet it doesn't take away from the weight of the conversation. You can still feel the bond they share and Alfred's remarks give us a nice amount of buildup. We know there's some tough times right around the corner for Bruce -- it was revealed today that the game's story will get pretty dark and heavy -- and Alfred's remarks feel well-earned, not forced. It's a little tough to fully appreciate them since, for many of us, it's been so long since we've witnessed what Batman went through in Arkham City, but it's easy to remember the highlights and that's more than enough to remind us just how crazy and punishing his recent mission was.
Another welcome surprise is the brief yet fun appearance of a new villain. Technically, they take a name you're already familiar with and it humorously ties back to one of the most epic boss battles in the franchise's history. It's an amusing little dose of action and it's used to set up something much bigger and way more attention-grabbing. Here's hoping we'll begin to see that element fleshed out a little more.
The Bad
Viktor Bogdanovic, Art Thibert and John Rauch's pages aren't bad, but the visuals aren't exactly the highlight of the story, either. I appreciate just how much time went into bringing the city to life and much of the work is solid -- especially the coloring in the earlier sequences -- but it never really drops your jaw, either. Some of the character work is a tad stiff and occasionally facial structure seemed a little odd. They're minor gripes, but the point is this is a book that's going to sell you with its writing.
Personal criticism, a.k.a. I'm sure some of you will strongly disagree and that's fine: I'm really not a fan of the ending. Joker has received more than enough love in this franchise and Arkham City gave him a great end. To give him even more material feels unnecessary to me. Right when we chimed in on his autopsy, it was blatantly obvious something would go wrong. I'd much rather see the story move forward with the new narrative instead of taking a step back and focusing on a way to use the Clown Prince of Crime yet again. Who else would have loved to see a strong cliffhanger with the Arkham Knight or another villain lurking in the city? I get Tomasi can't reveal too much about the new character -- he needs to leave gamers with plenty of mystery when they're playing Arkham Knight -- but something new would have been greatly appreciated.
Minor gripe: Fellow BATMAN AND ROBIN fans may think Arkham Knight's debut feels a little similar to Nobody's debut. Still, it has me excited.
Minor inconsistencies: In the opening sequence, Batman seems to roughly drop Joker's body -- so hard that it gets a "SLAMM" onomatopoeia. But in the game, I remember the Caped Crusader gently laying down his enemy's lifeless body. It shows that even though this is a despicable and beyond evil person, Batman isn't one to be disrespectful. Also, the damage to Batman's body was different. Here, he has a bloody wound on his chest and leg and not much elsewhere. I remember him having several tears in his armor, yet no blood, and several of those are missing. Look, I know this is nitpicky, but if you're going to leap back into such a memorable ending, a little more attention to detail would have been cool. I appreciate the settings were the same and it's neat they follow-up at that point, but those few small things stood out to me.
The Verdict
Sure, they want to create a satisfying story with this series, but I'm guessing the primary goal is to make sure the upcoming video game remains on our radars and, when it comes out, we'll shell out whatever it costs to buy the game. So, does this opening chapter get me even more excited for Rocksteady's final Arkham game? Yes, I'd say it does. It thrives because it's able to embrace the city and cast we've come to know so well while also offering some great dialogue between Batman and Alfred. I'm left wanting more. I want to see Batman interacting with his other allies; I want to see which other villains will pop up and how they'll be handled; I want to see more exploration of the city I was able to glide around. And I'm left really wanting to play Arkham City all over again. ARKHAM KNIGHT is off to a strong start and it should absolutely be read by fans of the video game franchise. This doesn't feel like a blatant cash in; it feels like a passion project.