The Bat-Man: First Knight #1
Sebastien Cabrera
Recap
WITNESS THE EARLIEST DAYS OF THE DARK KNIGHT! LEGENDARY WRITER DAN JURGENS AND SUPERSTAR ARTIST MIKE PERKINS TEAM TO RETELL ONE OF BATMAN'S MOST INFAMOUS CASES THROUGH AN ACUTELY MODERN LENS! The year is 1939. The world, still reeling from the horrors of the First World War, is on the brink of tipping into an even more gruesome conflict, as fascism is on the march—and gathering strength in America's darkest corners. Against this backdrop, a series of violent murders has begun in Gotham, and the recent emergence of the mysterious vigilante known as The Bat-Man has the power brokers of the city living in fear of institutional collapse. All of the evidence in the murder investigation defies logic: the perpetrators are all men who died in the electric chair. But when the Bat- Man comes face to face with one of these sickening anomalies, he barely escapes with his life—throwing into question his ability to survive in a world that is brutally evolving around him! Legendary writer Dan Jurgens and superstar artist Mike Perkins return to the earliest days of the Dark Knight, retelling one of his most infamous cases through an acutely modern lens, depicting a world paralyzed by anxiety and a desperate populace crying out for release!
Review
When it comes to thinking about the year 1939, we can only really think about what it was like through the words of those boring history textbooks we used at school. History is a big theme in Jurgen’s new writing, and he does it completely right. He takes all of it into context, the Roaring 20s, the Great Depression, and the War to End all Wars. Even in the present year of ’39, while so far away, you can feel the misery bleeding out from Nazi Germany with its despair looming over what feels like the rest of the world, and Gotham is no exception. The world building doesn’t stop there, as people use old-fashioned slang and fashion, and cars are depicted as a thing of luxury, with Bruce Wayne really appearing to be a socialite compared to his more canon, mainline equivalent.
Before moving onto the art, Mike Perkins’ art needs to be admired. While the story takes place in the 30s, the art, and even the colors by Mike Spicer, make me think of reading some solid cliche horror flick from the 80s, which is undoubtedly much more exciting than most art seen in comics today. It compliments Jurgens’ writing in ways that me think of watching some noir-turned-supernatural film, where it all comes alive.
When it comes to characters, there are only two classic Gotham city characters in the story; Batman and James Gordon, both of which adapted to fit the time period. James Gordon is the commissioner of the GCPD and pretty much retains his iconic identity, while Batman, like in every reiteration, undergoes a couple of changes. There is no Alfred, in the lore it’s stated that Alfred eventually went back home after a while. This Bruce Wayne is depicted similar to Robert Pattinson’s Batman in which he wants nothing to do with Wayne Enterprises, loathing the company, but different in the sense that he’s not some weirdo hiding out in the dark all the time.
When it comes to the characterization of Batman, however, we see humble beginnings. It isn’t Bruce’s first time donning the Bat-costume, but a large definitive part of the story is the Bat-Man being an urban legend. This comes to say that unless you’ve caught a glimpse of the half man, half bat crusader, then he really only exists by word of mouth, newspapers, or even radio. There is no fancy technology that current interpretations of the character utilizes.
Regarding the story, it starts off similar to any other detective mystery. Someone gets killed, James Gordon is on it. The victim is a political figure in Gotham. Who’s the killer? It’s the same schtick, but what follows is what really makes the story. Jurgens crafts one hell of a mystery, which can be seen as the villain of the story isn’t some character we’re used to, like the Joker or Riddler or even Bane. It’s the undead, and who is behind bringing the undead back to life is perhaps the mystery behind the story.
Final Thoughts
For as far as Black Label Batman titles go, this was an excellent first issue to set up a hellish word surrounded by the grim and anomalies. The ending is thrilling, and quite frankly, shocking.
The Bat-Man: First Knight #1: Facts of Mass Delirium?
- Writing - 9/109/10
- Storyline - 9/109/10
- Art - 10/1010/10
- Color - 10/1010/10
- Cover Art - 9/109/10
