Batman Eternal #8 - A Review

Batman's war with mobster Carmine "The Roman" Falcone continues to take center stage in this week's issue of Batman: Eternal.  It is a war that Batman doesn't realize he is losing, as unbeknownst to him - but knownst to us - the new Police Commissioner is in Falcone's pocket.  Worse, he's instituted a new policy of refusing to arrest any criminals Batman brings down.


The script by John Layman does a good job of balancing multiple subplots that mix and mingle throughout the issue.  Vicki Vale - still pursuing her story from several issues early - runs into honest cop turned flummoxed rookie Jason Bard and the two interact for a bit before getting on with their respective bits of business.  But it isn't all interaction and the issue concludes with the series' most thrilling action sequence to date.


The artwork by Guillem March seems reminiscent of the early works of Todd MacFarlane in terms of design and detail.  Some sections seem a little rushed but the pencil-work is largely excellent.  The only real flaw to the artwork is the washed out palette, full of dirty browns and greys, used by colorist Tomeu Morey.  Even the blue of Jason Bard's uniform looks more grey than blue.    

Batman Eternal #5 - My Review

The best parts of Batman Eternal thus far have little to do with its central mystery.  This is not to say that the mystery isn't engaging but to note that the detail work around the plot is of greater interest.  The world of Gotham in the New 52 universe is still largely unexplored and this series has done a good job of filling in the gaps.


This issue focuses upon three characters we have not seen in this series so far - Red Robin, Vicki Vale and Harper Row.  The issue shows those of us who haven't been keeping up on Teen Titans how the relationship between Tim Drake and Bruce Wayne is quite different in this new reality.  The interludes involving Vicki Vale give us our first glimpse as to how journalism functions in Gotham City.  And Harper Row makes an appearance, showing that she has been personally touched by the mystery that Red Robin and Vicki Vale are both investigating and that she has begun training to take a more active role in helping Batman.



The artwork this week - provided by artist Andy Clarke - proves less conflicted than the art in last week's issue.  Clarke's style is consistent, though some of his proportions seem a bit off.  Torsos become oddly elongated in some panels, while the limbs attached to them seem to be of normal size.  Despite this incongruity, Clarke does a fine job of displaying intricate details without cluttering up the panels.