This week we have two comics that both ended their current arc. Wrapping up a story is make-or-break, and I’ll analyze how well each issue performed.
Batman and Two-Face #28 by: Peter J. Tomasi, Patrick Gleason, and Mick Gray
3 stars
With two big reveals, “Batman and Two-Face” #28 should have been a smash, but instead ends with an awkward close.
The book opens with Batman racing to free a captured Two-Face who is about to be assassinated on live TV by the Irish mob. Three villain cameos by Penguin, Man-Bat, and Killer Croc, who are watching the program, add a nice flavor to the story as it begins.
Before McKillen can play any role in this issue, Batman ejects her from the Batmobile and she is captured by the police to be barely seen again. Two-Face and her differences remain unresolved.
The first reveal that we learn, as Batman and Two-Face are having their little chat in the middle of a firefight, is that Two-Face has known Batman’s identity all along. “If YOU only KNEW the battles I’ve fought in MY head to keep you alive these last few years,” he explains to Bruce. This is a nice touch on the character to show how Harvey has been sticking up for Bruce all these years. But is still seems a little shallow, because Two-Face has always tried to kill him anyway.
Gordon and Two-Face have their confrontation later—which is very “Dark Knight”-esque. I have to give credit to colorist for the way the panels jump back and forth between red and blue with the cop-car lights. It displays the duality of the character in a very physical way.
The throwback scene at Wayne Manor was a little too sentimental to me, and didn’t add anything to the plot. It only showed that Bruce is a “really nice guy,” because he introduced Harvey to Gilda all those years ago.
Erin McKillen is an interesting character. She has minor scarring from acid, and because she was a former twin she recognizes duality similar to Two-Face. And even more similiar, as she makes it very clear in prison, is that she has chosen the side of evil. I enjoyed her character despite her being rather two-dimensional (she is always overly angry and rude), and I am excited to see more of her.
The final scene with Harvey was excellent, but where did this come from?!?! I am so skeptical by comic-book deaths, that I wish creators would just stop doing them altogether. There is not a shred of doubt in my mind that editorial will bring this character back within the next two-years, and that is a shame. “He didn’t shoot himself in the head as the panel implied, he shot a hole in his hand to further disfigure himself to complete his transformation,” they’ll explain.
Patrick Gleason’s artwork remains the main aspect that keeps me coming back to this book. Despite my love for his dark cartoony-realism and harsh shadows, I do find some of his layouts to be awkward and confusing. On page three there is a wide panel that is only about half an inch high, that communicates three things: Batman driving up to the film studio, Batman ejecting from his car to fly towards the studio, and Batman blowing a hole into the side of the building (for his entrance). This is a little much for such a tiny panel, and I had to flip back to study it when I realized that I had no idea how Batman ended up where he was next panel.
There were multiple instances of shaky panel movement. Gleason’s art is fantastic to see, but he needs to make sure that he connects all of the dots along the way. Even one misstep in panel continuity is very dire.
The issue was a nice read, but ultimately did not serve as a satisfying conclusion.
Quantum and Woody! #8 by: James Asmus, Ming Doyle, and Jordie Bellaire
4 stars
This issue wraps up the arc with a smooth finish and lots of dialogue.
“Quantum and Woody!” #8 is a very text heavy issue. The banter back and forth between each character is so rich and funny though, that it never feels over-done or too heavy-handed.
This issue finds Quantum and Woody in the position of defending a group of white supremacists. This is only because the government organization attacking them is attempting to frame them for terrorism so that they can reap the rewards (only in this book). It is an even more funny situation, because the people love Quantum as a hero, but are not as big of fans now that they realize that he is black.
The part that I enjoyed most is the moment of humanity for the ever-joking Woody. In this issue he realizes that he is in fact a hero to certain people. This adds a bit of depth to his snarky personality, and lets you know that he won’t (always) let his half-brother down. As he charges into battle, he exclaims, “Well, too bad for them. Because I’m a %#@%&$ Super—“ right before he gets smashed to a pulp by mercenaries.
The book is written very well, and the art and colors are delivered with excellent skill. Jordie Bellaire is my colorist hero right now and she knows exactly how to set the tone for a book. The sketchy cartoony lines from Ming Doyle only add to the comedy.
In the end, we find that the boys are getting a new HQ, thanks to Woody’s girlfriend (also a clone of one of their villains). I look forward to the future for this great Super-Hero comedy.
Final note: throughout this arc, there have been flashes of a new villain that I don’t quite understand. The book has not done a good enough job of connecting this together so that the reader stays engaged with this off-panel menace. For instance, on this final page, a fax goes off to reveal a evil looking Cyborg-esque robot character named Max-Beta. I have no idea how this is connected to anything.
We shall see what happens in the coming months, but until then, “Quantum and Woody!” stays on my pull list, and it is with enthusiasm that I wait for “Goat #0”.
Transformation of Things 