Comic Review: The Batman Who Laughs: The Grim Knight (2019-) #1

The Batman Who Laughs: The Grim Knight (2019-) #1

DC Comics

Writers: Scott Snyder & James Tynion IV

Artists:  Eduardo Risso & Dave Stewart

Okay, so can we just take a second and appreciate that is a one-shot tie-in to a six-issue miniseries?  In most cases, this is something I’d complain about.  Tie-ins usually just feel like filler cash-grabs.  But the previous Dark Knight tie-ins from Dark Knights Metal were top notch.  Each issue told the origin story of one of the Dark Knights.  And thankfully, The Grim Knight #1 is just as interesting.

Even though this issue doesn’t really advance the plot forward, it does give us the Grim Knight’s origin story.  I think the Grim Knight is one of the most interesting Dark Knights yet.  With the resources of Wayne Industries, the Grim Knight is able to take control of the entire city.  He uses satellite technology to spy on Gotham, he donates equipment to the GCPD to keep them in line, and he creates bat-drones to patrol the city and kill criminals.  The Grim Knight is like Kingdom Come Batman took to the extreme.

Easily my favorite part of this issue was how it mirrored the start of Batman’s career, arguably my favorite part of Batman’s story.  Several scenes in this issue directly parallel Batman: Year One.  We even get to see some of the characters from Batman’s past like Detective Flass and Rupert Thorne.  Adding these scenes and characters really makes the Grim Knight feel like a twisted version of the Bruce we know.

Similar to Year One, this story is also largely about Jim Gordon.  The only person willing to take down the Grim Knight on his Earth is the Commissioner.  As a big Jim Gordon fan, it’s great to see him get the spotlight in this issue.

The art in this issue is also really well done.  I like the difference in textures between the present day scenes and the flashbacks.  Even though the art isn’t the greatest I’ve ever seen, it does a great job at setting the mood for the story.  In fact, it doesn’t feel out of place next to Jock’s artwork in the main series.

Overall, this issue was a great exploration into the Grim Knight.  Just like the rest of the Dark Knight tie-ins, Snyder does a great job at building interesting characters.  But this issue doesn’t really add anything to the story.  Most of what happens in this issue was hinted at earlier in the series.  This is more for those who want to see how those things played out.  Although it won’t hurt to skip this issue, it’s definitely great origin for a great new character.

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