I just finished Act 3 and I want to say that I enjoyed the story. Although I felt like it started to meander a bit after act 1. I like seeing Batman up against mobsters and Gotham during a gang war is an interesting premise. I’m not sure how I feel about Spoiler’s death but I think there’s an argument to be made that it works thematically.
What does everyone think the theme of this story is?
I think the authors are trying to convey that war is not merely an intellectual exercise but is visceral and has real consequences. For about the first two thirds of the story Batman seems to be treating the gang war almost as a game of chess; as long as he gets all his pieces in place things will work out. That turns at the beginning of Act 3 and we start to see the consequences.
Hopefully I haven’t been too pedantic.
2 Likes
I just realized that I never commented on Act 2. Odd, I thought I had. Hope I didn’t put it in the wrong thread!
I liked it. Sure, it wasn’t as good as the set up in Act One, but it was “okay.” I was starting to get a bit tired of Batman not really doing much other than putting out fires here and there, but nothing to deal with the problem overall…even though he obviously had a plan for this situation ready to go.
Black Mask has never been a big favorite of mine, but he worked well here as a wild card screwing everything up.
2 Likes
Yeah, I also got a little tired of Batman not really addressing the root cause.
Your comment brings a question to my mind: From a big picture standpoint, what changes in this story if Batman just stays home? Batman does save Tarantula’s gang and Oracle. It’s arguable that Tarantula’s gang wouldn’t have been in danger if Batman hadn’t ticked off the police. Spoiler, Orpheus, and Darla still die, Black Mask still ends up on top. Batman failed to save his city.
2 Likes
Well…he saved Oracle. That’s kind of the only thing I can think of.
A couple of questions: why did Scarecrow become some type of monster? Think I missed a plot beat there.
And, was this that time they forgot to tell Gail Simone that they were blowing up the Clock Tower? Doofuses.
Also, that page where Batman is saying goodbye to Stephanie mad me dislike Didio again. Of course, she was a real Robin, ya dum-dum!
2 Likes
That’s a plot point from the first story arc in Judd Winick’s run, “As the Crow Flies.”
1 Like