Timala Elliott
Timala Elliott
I Am Batman #1
DC Comics
Written by John Ridley
Art by Oliver Coipel
Colors by Alex Sinclair
Letters by ALS’s Troy Peteri
The Rundown: Batman interacts with the community. Two detectives discuss Gotham City’s current situation.
Jace details his present relationship with his father. Later, he and Vol discuss alterations to his Batsuit and methods to evade the Magistrate. Then Batman hits the streets in an attempt to protect the citizens of Gotham and gain their trust. Soon a violent confrontation leads to an interesting exchange with police officers. Finally, Batman has a conversation with Vol and discovers a lead on someone he is investigating. Elsewhere, Detectives Chubb and Whitaker note the negative changes in the city. And later, they discover something unexpected while working a crime scene.
The Story: Ridley adds another entertaining and thought provoking chapter to the adventures of Jace Fox. I really appreciate how Ridley chooses to use Gotham City as a reflection of our current society. In several instances, he addresses the fear, anger, and hopelessness of a group of people constantly on edge. The similarity between Alleytown’s relationship with the police and the various social justice movements taking place around the U.S. is unmistakable. The same is true for Jace’s confrontation with a right wing zealot. I feel that Jace’s unique position speaks to the idea that in order to make positive changes, one must adapt to new situations and reach out to the community in an interactive manner. I am interested to see how his story will play out and look forward to the next episode.
The Art: This is a good looking issue that features bold coloring and detailed drawings. The action scenes are very well done, and there are certain action panels during confrontation scenes that look like paintings. I feel the illustrations do an amazing job of capturing the tone of the tale and eliciting an emotional response form the reader.
I Am Batman #1
