Batman: The Knight #2 Review

 

Morality Play

Writer: Chip Zdarsky

Artist: Carmine Di Giandomenico

Cover Price: $4.99

Release Date: February 15, 2022

Batman: The Knight is one of those books that has to prove to you why it exists.  Bruce Wayne's trading towards becoming Batman is cool, but most readers have seen it before, but what makes this Chip Zdarsky retelling unique and special.  I can't answer that yet, but the first issue has me excited to find out!

Batman: The Knight #2 opens in Paris, and trouble is afoot.  Or maybe that's "à pied."  Thank you, Google Translate!  Meanwhile, we get up to speed with Bruce through some quick self-narration.  It has been four weeks since he left Gotham to be the best at everything, and he's already bored.  #BruceWayneProblems

Chip Zdarsky sets things up nicely,  as Bruce will cross a bit of the line as he goes forward.  Why?  Because as nobody has ever said, to be better than a villain, you have to run across rooftops in their shoes.

I know that most readers will immediately think this is the part of the story where Henri Ducard trains Bruce, but that isn't the case, at least not yet.  So yes, Henri is in the issue, but in a different role.  We get a brand new character to teach Bruce, and I'm unsure what to make of her.  Zdarsky's dialogue and interactions between these two are the highlights of the issue.  He certainly plays off of Bruce's future to set up an "oh, that's why he's into that" moment that I liked.  But, at the same time, it's all a little too on the nose.

There is a point where I started to realize that Bruce was getting in too deep, and that's when Zdarsky ramped up the tension.  I'll give the guy a ton of credit since we kind of know that things should work out for this billionaire with a dream, but I still got nervous.

The issue ends with things tying into the beginning scene and Bruce looking suspicious as hell.  But, again, Zdarsky's writing allows for a suspension of disbelief even as we know that Bruce is innocent of at least the big, horrific crime.

I liked this issue, even if certain things made me roll my eyes a bit.  Chip Zdarsky shows the morality tug-of-war that Bruce is going through long before doing the same thing as Batman.  He wants to be the best at everything, so it makes sense that he will have to deal with some unsavory types to get there.  It seems like a small thing, but it's the type of small thing that makes this book feel fresh. Plus, Carmine De Giandomenico's art is fantastic.

Bits and Pieces:

Batman: The Detective #2 is another good issue and should convince some naysayers that this is a story worth retelling.  It looks great and is easy to recommend to most readers.

8.8/10