THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS
Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason continue their solid Batman & Two-Face run with another great issue. There’s a revelation from the past, danger looming in the future, and a Batman who is desperately trying to live in the present.
POSITIVES:
This might be the best work Patrick Gleason has done since Damian Wayne’s death. Every page has at least one great panel, surrounded by good supporting work. Batman often looks menacing, but the use of darker tones in this issue specifically work to make him more frightening than usual. Gleason’s style fits well for the generally dark Bat-verse, and it certainly shows in this issue.
Tomasi wrote quite a few issues of this run (previously known as Batman & Robin) where Batman dealt with the issues of losing Damian. These issues usually contained some out-of-character moments for Batman—whether it be going through that fateful day in a virtual reality or by dissecting Frankenstein to try and find a secret to resurrect his son. In Batman and Two-Face #27, Batman acknowledges his out-of-character activity in previous issues, and claims that this is just another side of him—one that he is at war with often. It’s a great character moment that might seem a bit out of place, but nice to see nonetheless.
Also contained within is a revelation that puts some of the blame for Harvey Dent’s mutilation on Bruce Wayne’s shoulders. This sets up the issue to be something of a redemption for Batman. He was responsible for Damian’s death, and is similarly responsible for Harvey’s transformation into Two-Face. In a way, Batman is responsible for Harvey’s ‘rebirth.’ Batman now needs to save Dent, if only to redeem himself in some way. It’s a loose parallel, but it’s definitely there.
NEGATIVES:
The implementation of Batman’s character moment mentioned earlier is haphazard. It’s in the middle of what amounts to a warzone, and honestly seems like a forced inclusion. It’s difficult to understand why the decision was made to put it in the middle of this already over-packed issue, seeing as it could have made more of an impact in a chapter less focused on action.
Batman depends on luck this issue, at least seemingly. That’s not exactly how Bats rolls, and it’s definitely an odd element.
VERDICT:
(4/5)
Batman & Two-Face has been good so far. If you’re a Bat-fan and you haven’t been reading it, you are certainly missing out. Tomasi is crafting something that has capabilities of greatness, but for now, Batman & Two-Face is definitely worth checking out, though not yet a must-read.
