The Bat-Man: Second Knight #1 is written by Dan Jurgens and published by DC. Artwork and main cover are by Mike Perkins, colours by Mike Spicer and letters by Simon Bowland.
The Bat-Man: Second Knight #1 is available from today, in print and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your physical copy from Forbidden Planet or on digital from Amazon Comixology UK.
Synopsis
The year is 1940. Most of the Western world is embroiled in a war against a fascist regime whose march across Europe shows no sign of defeat. With the specter of global war looming, it’s a time of fear and paranoia for those living in Gotham. It’s only been a few months since the city was rescued from undead monsters by the masked vigilante known as The Bat-Man, but a vicious killer has been on a murder spree that’s taking the city to its breaking point. Bodies are turning up in theatrically gruesome ways… all staged with the killer’s calling card: a hangman’s noose. While The Bat-Man endeavours to solve the spate of murders, a young reporter from the Daily Star named Lois Lane arrives in Gotham. Meant to cover a movie premiere, it doesn’t take long for Lane to find herself caught in the grips of a new villain in Gotham. One whose mastery of fear will plunge the city into chaos!
Review
Gotham. 1940. It’s been months since a mysterious vigilante rescued the citizens of the city from a wave of undead monsters. But the world is no longer at peace and a new serial killer now stalks the streets. Dan Jurgens returns to Gotham for a sequel to his critically-acclaimed The Bat-Man: First Knight which promises an even more personal and deadly story.
First Knight brilliantly framed the Batman story in its period setting. It presented a post-depression Gotham struggling to lift itself back up. Its people were struggling. Its cultural divides ran deep. But they were brought together by the story of a vigilante protecting their streets. First Knight also succeeded by telling a completely original story which side-stepped much of Batman’s A-list rogues gallery. But what is clear from even this first book in Second Knight is that Jurgens had plenty more to say. Having created a version of Gotham which was so rich the call to return was just too strong to resist.
So now we find ourselves in the midst of World War II. America sits watching from the sidelines though it’s clear that their involvement is inevitable. But Gotham is distracted by other matters. Unemployment continues to be rife but an even more lethal foe is lurking in the darkness. Book One opens with a striking murder, an innocent man strung up inside the bell of the Gotham clocktower and left to be crushed to death. The latest in a line of seemingly innocent Gothamites slain in increasingly gruesome ways.
Jurgens leans even harder in to the nostalgia of the Golden Age of DC, bringing back the supporting cast from First Knight but adding to them with a number of classic DC characters. There are some incredible deep cuts in here which show Jurgens’ really striving for authenticity in twisting the era in to a deeply rooted horror story. Long-time fans will get a kick out of seeing some of the bigger names who come in to play this issue. Those with a keen eye for detail will certainly appreciate some of the lesser known faces Jurgens has added to the cast. Outside of being a compelling Batman story, there’s now the opportunity to expand the First Knight universe in to something even wider for DC.
Just as with First Knight this new story is exploring Batman’s capabilities as a detective. His appearances are used effectively to expose his process in putting together the evidence. But unlike his mainstream comics’ counterpart this Dark Knight is prone to a little more aggression in his approach. Jurgens writes plenty of opportunity for Bruce to shake up Gotham’s still very seedy underbelly. It immediately continues all of the moodiness of the first series without skipping a beat which I really appreciate.
Where Second Knight differs from its predecessor is by introducing a more familiar foe for Batman. It appears there are multiple killers on the streets of Gotham. One is certainly much more recognisable to the audience although their appearance here is certainly more menacing. It’s cool to see Jurgens taking these established core elements of the Bat-franchise and painting them with such a darkness and unpredictability. It all leads in to a dramatic cliffhanger which should ensure Book Two starts at full speed.
Verdict
The return of The Bat-Man immediately proves why this series needed a second run. It’s dark, gritty and features all the best elements of horror and film noir. The new killers on the streets of Gotham certainly set up a compelling story moving in to Book Two.
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