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Reviews tagging 'Blood'
Batman: Shadows of the Bat: the Tower by Amancay Nahuelpan, Max Raynor, Ivan Reis, Mariko Tamaki, Danny Miki
1 review
billyjepma's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
3.75
I was optimistic about this event since it didn't hinge on dozens of tie-ins and spin-offs, unlike most events. And that's exactly what it does and why it was such a fun read. Tamaki's run on Detective Comics has been solid, but this is where it feels like she comes into her own in a bigger way. The plot itself isn't groundbreaking. Neither is it all that surprising, ultimately. The fun comes from Tamaki's measured pacing and enjoyable character dynamics, which give the familiar story a nice balance of freshness and comfortable familiarity. She also gives Huntress a nice spotlight, continuing the trend she started in prior volumes. It's also refreshing to read a 12-issue story that doesn't require much (any?) additional reading. You can jump in, pick up on the basics (Batman is not in Gotham, and Arkham Asylum is out of commission), and enjoy the ride.
The different artists are all good, too, and the shift in styles was never jarring, thankfully. Like the story itself, nothing on the page is notably memorable, but it's consistently solid, and there's some impressive spectacle to enjoy. What surprised me the most about the story is how effective Tamaki's antagonist(s) were, especially considering that the primary instigator is a brand-new character. She gives him interesting motivations and is less put-together than most antagonists we see in Gotham. The obvious highlight is seeing his scheme gradually back him into a corner and unravel in dramatic, explosive ways. Some of the supporting villains are less interesting, but I did like how Tamaki connected her new character to existing ones—it's one of the better executions I've seen in recent memory.
With every Batman story seemingly attempting to reinvent the character, reading a straightforward adventure that leans into its simple strengths was refreshing.
The different artists are all good, too, and the shift in styles was never jarring, thankfully. Like the story itself, nothing on the page is notably memorable, but it's consistently solid, and there's some impressive spectacle to enjoy. What surprised me the most about the story is how effective Tamaki's antagonist(s) were, especially considering that the primary instigator is a brand-new character. She gives him interesting motivations and is less put-together than most antagonists we see in Gotham. The obvious highlight is seeing his scheme gradually back him into a corner and unravel in dramatic, explosive ways. Some of the supporting villains are less interesting, but I did like how Tamaki connected her new character to existing ones—it's one of the better executions I've seen in recent memory.
With every Batman story seemingly attempting to reinvent the character, reading a straightforward adventure that leans into its simple strengths was refreshing.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Blood, Death, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Self harm
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