Comic Review: Batman: Last Knight on Earth (2019) #2

Batman: Last Knight on Earth #2

DC Comics

Writer: Scott Snyder

Artist: Greg Capullo

Batman: Last Knight on Earth #1 was a great introduction Scott Snyder & Greg Capullo’s apparent “final” Batman story. Of course, with an excellent introduction comes the question of whether the streak of goodness can be continued. So, did Snyder & Capullo manage to knock it out of the park with this issue too? Or did they crash and burn spectacularly?

Let’s face it, it’s Snyder & Capullo, you already know the answer to that.

Batman: Last Knight on Earth #2 is great, while not as brilliant as the previous issue (in my humble opinion). It continues with the incredibly interesting, incredibly disturbing plot from the last issue, with Batman found to be a clone, and the world essentially in pieces. The book picks up from the ending of the last issue and shows us what other members of the DC Universe are doing in this apocalyptic vision. As it turns out, it’s nothing pretty. The issue also continues the mystery of what actually happened to this world to make it so desolate, and while it gives no answers, it teases a big confrontation to come next issue.

The art is great, with Capullo being as amazing as ever. His vision for the end of the DC universe is as brilliant as it was last time, with it becoming even more screwed up with the addition of a flash powered hurricane that ages everything it that it hits in its path. It’s sorta disturbing to see the usually happy and hopeful DC universe (with the exception of certain eras of DC that shall not be named) become a dystopian cracked mirror version of itself, and Capullo captures this perfectly. His depiction of what became of Wonder Woman, and Lex Luthor in this universe are wonderful, recognisable, yet not too comforting.

The back and forth banter between Joker in a Jar (I don’t care if that’s not the official name, that’s what I’m bloody calling him) is amazing, with Joker constantly asking Batman whether or not he can officially become a Robin (the mere thought of Joker in a Robin suit is, coincidentally, hilarious), is brilliant. Scott Snyder is always at his best writing Batman, and he’s at his peak writing Batman here, in Last Knight on Earth. I’ve always liked Snyder’s writing, even in his somewhat controversial Justice League run. After all, my first big foray into Rebirth DC was Dark Nights Metal, so I’m always going to have a soft spot for him.

Overall Batman: Last Knight on Earth #2 is an excellent issue, raising many questions and piquing my curiosity for the final part of this series. While it’s not as great as the previous issue, it’s certainly still a worthy addition to any Batman fan’s collection.

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