Review: Batman: Beyond The White Knight #2
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Sean Murphy
Artist: Sean Murphy
Colors: Dave Stewart
Letters: AndWorld Design
Reviewed by: Carl Bryan
Summary
“Leave me alone” – Bruce Wayne
“You need my help Bats” – Jack Napier
‘No, I don’t…And Neither Does She!!!” – Bruce Wayne
Batman: Beyond the White Knight #2 – The humble beginnings of Terry McGinnis are revealed as Bruce Wayne becomes Gotham’s most wanted man!
With the GTO on the case, does Captain Dick Grayson have what it takes to bring down his old mentor? Especially given this conflict has taken its toll on his relationship with Barbara Gordon.
It’s father versus son in the next chapter of this fan-favorite series! Plus, an unexpected ally from Bruce’s past could hold the key to saving the future.
All this and Harley Quinn is back with some surprising news!
In this thrilling sequel to the blockbuster comic book hits Batman: White Knight and Batman: Curse of the White Knight, writer/artist Sean Murphy invites the audience to go beyond the Gotham they know to discover an engrossing new take on the city and its heroes. Welcome to Neo-Gotham and the world of Beyond the White Knight!
Positives
Sean Murphy. Right when I think that Scott Snyder or Todd Taylor is having a LOT of influence on the direction of the comic world, particularly in the realm of Batman, Sean Murphy reminds us that he is creating an entire universe for Batman.
What he has done with Joker/Jack Napier, Bruce, Dick, Babs, Jason, Freeze, Azrael…the list goes on. Or does it? Picture a Batman buffet, but Murphy takes only select characters and blends it with his own secret herbs and spice recipe. Hungry yet? You should be…
This installment gives us back Jack Napier…huge plot twist that you will not get from this reviewer. Was I excited about this? Yes…did I expect it…No!
Dick and Babs…sigh…What Tom Taylor giveth in his books, Sean Murphy gives us what could have been, had Dick (THE SECOND ROBIN mind you in Murphyverse) not been so stubborn. Again, you need a bit of a scorecard to keep up with how Murphy has scrambled the eggs.
Not to worry though…he provides a wonderful letter to the readers explaining how the Robin order came to be. It’s like watching a football game with access to the play calling.
Sean Murphy doesn’t disappoint in hiding new Easter Eggs. Batman Beyond combined with Batman with some cinematic flair. I can only wish he would give us a special issue where we see all the hidden homages.
I feel like I am missing something old within all of his takes. You want to eat every morsel of his frames!
Positives 2.0
Art…Murphy pulls off the hardest double in comics. I’ll keep singing his praises as he really captures a Blade Runner Gotham with a true elder statesman, Bruce. His lines are sharp!
His work with shadows…or rather silhouettes behind our characters. This gives new meaning to foreshadowing…or perhaps “post shadowing”.
And as always Barbara and Harley…sigh Harley…this is the Harley Quinn I wish we had in the main timeline!
Negatives
Batman: White Knight Presents Red Hood #1 is mentioned again. Sigh – we want that now! Again, the blending is wonderful, but also, this is an elder Bruce. Can Murphy keep everyone’s interest going as this is a huge flash-forward? This universe should be craved by fans of the Bat…let’s hope there is a LOT more in store from Sean Murphy!
Verdict
Sean Murphy delights the hard-core book, after-school cartoon, and cinema fan who adores the Bat. It was about time there was a reboot/refresh that we can all stand behind. After all, Murphyverse gives us all the Easter Eggs we adore so we can play Detective too! But that Harley…sigh! Buy all the White Knight installments!
