Sunday Classics: BATMAN: IN DARKEST KNIGHT: Father, I Hope You’ll Understand

In the darkest night, comes the Dark Knight. Mike Barr who is no stranger to a good Batman story takes us on a psychological ride through the mind of Batman with a different twist. He’s a Green Lantern. Gotham is still Gotham, Commissioner Gordon has yet to warm up to the Batman and while certain things may be right on track for a run of the mill Batman story, Mike Barr does both Batman and Green Lantern’s legendary storylines supreme justice in this Elseworlds classic.

I like to think this book has two separate stories going on. On one hand, you have Bruce getting the ring from Abin Sur instead of Hal Jordan and we see Bruce go through the motions of getting used to his new persona and dealing with the guidelines of being a Green Lantern and not to mention dealing with the Guardians of OA but also throughout the book we get a glimpse into Bruce’s guilt from the thought of disappointing his parents. The heartfelt snippets laid out in various panels do a great job of sitting you down inside of Bruce’s mind while he deals with his failures as a crime fighter (up to this point) and becoming a trusted member of the Green Lanterns.

As the story starts to gain momentum by weaving familiar tales with unique storytelling the one thing that remains evident is Bruce’s virtue of staying steadfast and pig-headed towards his goal of pursuing justice on his own terms. And it works very well. From preventing the creation of the Joker, battling Sinestro, Selina Kyle is a Star Sapphire, Bruce standing up to the Guardians, Batman: In Darkest Knight is a fun read from start to finish.

The Elseworlds books aren’t for everyone and I get that, however, In the case of In Darkest Knight, it stands the test of time for being a great example of what an alternate reality story should be. Batman: In Darkest Knight is just a fun read that takes you on a trip down a different road and only strengthens the notion that comics are fun.