Writer: Tom King / Artists: Lee Weeks & Jorge Fornes / DC Comics
In a story that’s sold itself on being bizarre, Issue #67 may be the pinnacle of the arc.
The issue continues the “Knightmares” storyline, which is presumably taking place in Batman’s mind after he’s been knocked unconscious. As one would imagine, Batman’s subconscious is everything but stable and predictable. So far we’ve seen a bloodthirsty butcher, a homicidal orphan, and an inquisitive interrogation.
Now, we’re presented with a challenging chase that takes Batman from the rooftops of Gotham to its sewers.
The issue starts with Batman face-to-mask across from a murderer, a corpse laying between them. Much to Batman’s surprise, the assailant jumps off of the roof. A chase taken straight out of an action movie begins. They crash through windows, propel down fire escapes, and interrupt countless Gothamites’ otherwise peaceful evenings.
The most interesting part of all of this is that not a single word is said between the two. Outside of “Beep Beep.”
As you follow the chase scene and see the assailant escape from Batman’s best tricks at every turn, it becomes reminiscent of the Looney Tunes you may have watched growing up. In this instance, Batman is Wile E. Coyote and the masked assailant is the Road Runner.
There’s a nice cameo/callback in this issue as the chase eventually ends up in Porky’s — which I personally hope becomes a permanent part of Batman canon going forward. As the issue ends with a very unexpected turn, I was reminded that this isn’t a real chase. It’s still happening in Batman’s mind.
Oh, and only about 10 words are spoken in the entire issue. The art more than gets the job done, though.
Reading Batman? Check out BNP’s other reviews here.
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