Timala Elliott
Timala Elliott
Future State: Gotham #1
DC Comics
Written by Joshua Williamson, Dennis Culver and Katshiro Otoma
Translation by Jo Duffy
Art by Giannis Milogiannis
Letters by ALW’s Troy Peteri and Bill Oakley
The Rundown: A former member of the Bat Family is tasked with hunting down the newest Batman. Batman faces off against a serial killer.
A masked vigilante has a showdown with Arnold Wesker. Afterwards, he has a conversation with Peacekeeper 03 about his actions. Then, a deadly event occurs. Some time later, the vigilante goes to the Magistrate’s headquarters after a meeting with a mysterious ally. During a consultation with Peacekeeper 03, the vigilante’s true identity is revealed. He makes a deal with the peacekeeper and goes on a mission where his met by someone unexpected.
In the B story, Batman is called to the scene of a murder. During a verbal confrontation, the killer makes a thought provoking suggestion. He then escapes. Later, the killer is involved in an altercation with the GCPD, and Batman rushes to the scene.
The Story: I’m always fascinated by the way the Magistrate operates in Gotham. The heavy handed way the Peacekeepers make threats does not inspire loyalty. Yet, the continuous use of former masks drives much of their efforts to rid the city of both heroes and villains. It will be interesting to see how this new storyline develops.
The Third Mask has an interesting premise. And, I like the way the reader is left to decide what happens at the end. This one issue short was fun to read.
The Art: The use of black and white in both stories gives a nice cohesion to the issue. The A story uses a minimalist design, while the B story is filled with tight, detailed drawings. Both styles are fun to look at and capture the tone of their individual tales.
Future State: Gotham #1
