By Luke Abbott
Previously on Batman Eternal, we saw Jim Gordon go from hero to villain, when he fired at an unarmed suspect, resulting in a catastrophic accident in the Underground. Batman is hot on the trails of the culprit, seeing as the police aren’t asking too many questions. Last issue ended with Batman realising that Carmine Falcone had one of his men on the scene, and the reader learns that that same Falcone is now getting close to the Mayor, which is bound to cause some trouble for Gotham in the next, few issues.
The good thing about Batman Eternal is the weekly series element. Even if one comic is slightly mediocre, we are willing to wait a few more issues to see the bigger picture. Other comics, like Harley Quinn, need to impress us time after time, as there are only out once a month, but there is a massive amount of freedom for the writers with Eternal. For example, the reveal of Falcone was a little unsatisfying for me (the way Batman trembled, you assumed it would be someone bigger), but it didn’t phase me too much, because Issue #3 was out before I could let the disappointment linger too much.
Issue #3 is still setting the scene really. We see Falcone make a move on Gotham and how everyone reacts to this. Batman is struggling to keep up with the onslaught of crime erupting from Gotham, the few remaining good cops are caught in a sea of corruption and a famous figure from Batman’s rogue gallery struggles to hold his dominance as Falcone turns up the heat. Looking back, this issue is little more than moving chess-pieces into position, but it still is an exciting read. The suspense and tension is dialled up to the maximum and we are clinging onto every thread of the story.
My favourite moment in the comic was the addition of the Cluemaster. Everyone has a good, little chuckle, as Cluemaster’s teenage daughter accidentally walks into one of his secret meetings. It is a very funny moment. And then that scene gets dark very quickly, in a way that only the Noir world of Batman can get away with. I know very little about the Cluemaster, but he seems very interesting, especially with some of his actions here. He doesn’t seem like a massive threat, but he seems an interesting character to explore at the very least.
Quote of the Week:
Great introduction to a favourite villain. (REDACTED VILLIAN): Oh, my dear, sweet girl. What kind of monster do you think I am? I fed him to an elephant seal three hours ago.
For more comic views and reviews follow Luke on Twitter at @LukeBbtt and check out his website at www.oracleoffilm.com
Posted on April 26th, 2014
Category: ORACLE OF COMICS, REVIEWS
Tags: Batman, Batman Eternal #3 Review, Comic Blog, Comic Reviews, DC Comics, James Tynion IV, Jim Gordon, Luke Abbott, Penguin, Scott Snyder