Batman #4

Writer: Tom King 
Artist: David Finch 
 

I feel like I am the only one who likes this Batman book as much as I want to. On some level I think this is because I truly connect with Tom King’s voice but I also think that he is writing a quality book. Under King, Batman has been a bit of a slow ride but I am never bothered by that when the explorations of themes are front and centre. Batman #4 is where King begins to amp up the tension as his story really kicks into gear. Despite a few stiff moments, Batman #4 is another strong issue in Tom King and David Finch’s Batman run.
 

In this issue, King and Finch have a fantastic play on the iconic scene of Superman saving a girl from jumping off a tower from All-Star Superman. What is so fascinating about this idea is that King is saying that you can’t fix Gotham the way Superman has fixed Metropolis. It just doesn’t work like that in Gotham. The progressing theme of this book is that Gotham is incapable of being truly saved. That is why it spawned a hero without powers that will never be able to fully cleanse it of its darkness. He is the darkness. Batman believed Gotham could bring the light to his city but the former is shown to be the only hero capable of dealing with Gotham’s darkness. Gotham has worked too closely with horrors that he was not made of. He is too close to the insanity to stay sane. King’s commentary on Gotham city is truly fantastic and I don’t think people are giving enough attention to this aspect (the very one that makes me love this story) of the comic.
 

My main problem with this issue, and this series as a whole, has been the looming presence of the monster men. The Monster Men is an upcoming crossover between all the Bat-books but without knowing what the monster men are the constant references to them feel incredibly out of place. This comic is focused on Gotham and his developing view on whether Gotham can be fixed. Having someone reference the monster men always feels like a jarring panel in a comic that finds its main strength in its focused themes. These references put the story out of focus and feel like pure set-up rather than an impending dread that will naturally come out of this story. I hope reading the Monster Men will put all these references into context, but for now they seem like mandatory crossover set-up that the other Bat-books are fortunate to avoid.
 

My first real exposure to David FInch was Forever Evil. I liked his art but the quality of his work declined as the series went on and he fought to keep up with the deadlines. I was expecting Finch’s work to reach that rushed point by issue #3 of this book but the artist has surprisingly maintained consistency until now. Finch can be controversial but his work on this series will undoubtedly go down as some of his best. His Batman is scary, his Gotham is moody, his action is bold and his tone is harrowing. He nails every page of this issue and proves that DC actually made a great decision putting him on this book. His art, partnered with Jordie Bellaire’s colors, is a perfect fit for King’s writing

Batman #4 does not reach the heights of its preceding issue due to some wonky set-up but it remains a good comic nonetheless. Tom King is using this series to explore the relationship between Gotham and its heroes in a fascinating manner. David Finch draws an astounding comic with haunting visuals and phenomenal character work. If King could just make this book’s plot as interesting as its themes, it could be one the best Batman stories of the decade. We’re not quite there yet but issue #4 gives the feeling that King is inching his way there.