Absolute Batman: Dark Victory by Jeph LoebMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Dark Victory follows up on the Loeb and Sale collaboration, Long Halloween, by showing what the next year in Batman's career is like. Despite the capture of Holiday, Batman still has his work cut out for him. Between the fall of Harvey Dent, the breakout at Arkham, and a new DA who doesn't appreciate the Dark Knight's methods, Batman is already pushed to his limits. When a new serial killer appears to be targeting members of the law enforcement community by hanging them on holidays, Batman is forced to reevaluate his solitary campaign.
Dark Victory is a strong entry in the Batman mythology, and fans of the Long Halloween are sure to find a lot to like here, as well. Sale's visuals continue to impress. He offers unique interpretations of the usual cast that might not appeal to fans of more traditional versions, but it's hard to argue that he doesn't have a strong sense of his characters. Even the "normal" characters have strong visual identities under Sale's capable hands.
Sale craftsa Gotham City full of long shadows, strange angles and shapes, and odd perspective shifts that create a strong German Expressionism meets film noir aesthetic that serves the story well.
This aesthetic is carried over to Loeb's writing, as well. This version of Batman is the tough-fisted detective, through and through. He doesn't get the colorful dialog that Marlowe gets, but he spends more than a little time butting (and busting) heads with the various crooks and gangsters that populate Gotham city.
While some of the scenes featuring Batman's more eclectic rogues gallery do feel a little tacked on (perhaps there was a Batman villain quota that they were trying to reach) and the central mystery seems to take a little too long for Batman to figure out, this is another solid Batman story for fans of the darker interpretations of the character.
If you're looking for a slightly pulpy version of the character, look no further!
View all my reviews
No comments:
Post a Comment