Batman #55
DC Comics
Writer: Tom King
Artist: Tony S. Daniel
It’s been a bit of a rough year for Batman. Evil versions of himself invaded his earth. Catwoman left him at the altar. He even had jury duty for crying out loud! Now though, the latest in a line of tragedies, Nightwing has been shot in the head!
After the events of the previous issue, Batman #56 consists of Batman doing whatever he can to track down Anatoli Knyazev, the KGBeast. In between scenes of Batman’s search, we see the KGBeast (apparently just “The Beast” now) drinking with his father. Batman eventually finds his way to the middle of nowhere, ready to confront The Beast.
I’m a fan of Tom King’s Batman. I know people have their problems with it, but I’ve been enjoying his run since the beginning. That being said I don’t really like what’s going on with Nightwing. The whole amnesia thing is kind of dumb. I don’t know whose idea it is, but I guess we’ll have to see where it goes. This issue, while dealing with that, isn’t necessarily about Nightwing though, so I probably won’t mention it too much (probably). But, for being such a big thing, we don’t get any kind of update on this issue.
I like Batman’s response to this situation. It feels really appropriate for the Dark Knight. His first son has been shot, obviously, he’s going to go to the ends of the earth to find the person who did it. This issue that includes literally walking through a Russian blizzard. And then, on the opposite side of the spectrum, we have the KGBeast and his dad drinking together, with both seemingly not enjoying the company of the other. I like the contrast you can see between the two sets of fathers and sons.
Tony S. Daniel’s art is great. The characters are expressive, and the action (where it happens) translates well. Batman searching for KGBeast visits a few places, with each having its own feel to it. While on the other side, The KGBeast and his dad remain in a fairly intimate setting. In addition, the colors by Tomeu Morey work really well and enhance the look of the book. I have nothing negative about the art in this issue. It’s all around good and enjoyable.
Besides leaving us in the dark about Nightwing, this is a great issue. It’s definitely one of the more serious issues in terms of tone. But it’s fitting when you consider what happened to Nightwing. The story is solid and gives us a look into the KGBeast. As well as Batman on a mission of vengeance for his son. And the cherry on top, the art is fantastic all around. If you’ve been enjoying this Batman, you’ll enjoy this issue.
Batman #56
Batman #56 shows us Batman on a mission of vengeance, tracking down the man who shot Nightwing. A good story being told with great art.
-
Story
-
Characters
-
Art