Batman and Two-Face 26
(Batman and Robin)
Peter J. Tomasi, Patrick Gleason
Spoiler alert! You have been warned!
This series is amazing. And even though they’re changing something that doesn’t need to be changed (Two-Face’s origin), it’s still top-notch storytelling. Peter J. Tomasi is unrivaled in his characterization of the Batman universe of characters and Patrick Gleason is perfect in all things comic booky, ranging from facial expressions to explosions. This is the book that everyone’s reading but no one’s talking about. It’s (dare I say it) just as good or maybe even (gasp!) better than the Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo Batman title.
Erin McKillen is a great character. She’s got the necessary depth that all villains should have, but also the obnoxious foul mouth and now, after this issue, an endearing back story. We learn that District Attorney Harvey Dent had her and her twin sister locked up for various crimes and, after countless failed appeals, her sister committed suicide, part of their pact. Dent is not-quite villainous yet, but still ominous in his portrayal. And the scene with the broken glass, splitting his face into two separate images? Brilliant. So when we get over the Bruce Wayne and Matches Malone are the same person nonsense (because hey, it’s a comic and hey, he’s also Batman), we have a great cliffhanger ending at the grave of Gilda Dent, the woman Erin murdered in front of the man who she made into Two-Face. A betrayal and a Batman later, and we’ve got some pretty serious three-way fighting going on. I don’t know how they’re going to possibly end this without some more bloodshed, but Tomasi and Gleason have crafted yet another masterpiece.
And it’s just a bonus that it features my all-time favorite character. Not just as a villain, but also in enough flashbacks (where he is supposed to be a hero, but we’re not quite sure if he is or not). The humanity in this series is what makes it amazing. It’s epic in scope with the storylines, yes, but the little scenes like Titus eating off the floor when Erin spills her plate or Alfred correcting Bruce when he tells the story about the Native Americans as a warning to Erin… That’s what makes this book great. It reminds us that yes, he’s Batman, but first and foremost, as much as he doesn’t want to admit it, Bruce Wayne is undeniably human.
My Rating: 5/5
