Batman #12
Writer: Tom King
Artist: Mikel Janin and Hugo Petrus
It is a testament to the incredible talent of writer Tom King that the themes prevalent in this issue – suicide, self-loathing, and self-harm, personal connection and self-reflection – work together in such a profound fashion to bring us a new dimension to this ages-old character, adding yet another piece to the controversial thematic direction that has become characteristic of King’s entire run on Batman to date.
As in Batman #10, the format of this issue is presented in a rather unconventional way. Rather than text-boxes and speech bubbles, the story almost in its entirety is in the form of an emotional love letter juxtaposed over full page action sequences depicting Batman’s brutal journey into the heart of Santa Prisca. In issue #10, that letter was from Selina Kyle – the Catwoman - to Bruce Wayne. In Batman #12, we read Bruce’s reply to her.
In many ways, Batman #12 is not only a love letter from Bruce to Selina, but also a love letter from King to Batman’s intrepid fanbase. Many would agree that Batman’s impenetrable emotional divide is one of the cornerstones of his character. In this issue, we see an immaculate subversion of this trait as Bruce opens up to Selina in ways never before seen, while at the same time addressing some of the questions that we as fans have been thinking about for years.
Perhaps most touching is when Bruce reveals to Selina that there never was a man behind the mask, just a ten-year old boy who had long ago tried to commit suicide. While bleeding out, Bruce realizes that his pain and grief is endemic to the people around him, and this connection to the people of Gotham catalyzes the transformation from a grieving young boy to a hero with a mission.
Also, fans of Catwoman should rejoice, as by the end of the issue we get tantalizing hints that Selina’s uncharacteristic mass murdering spree likely isn’t what it seems to be.
Batman #12 is a triumphant display of Tom King’s incredible ability to dissect a character to its core and give us a yarn that can resonate both emotionally and intellectually. On display also is Mikel Janin’s immaculate artwork, which brings us Batman’s journey into the heart of Santa Prisca in an incredibly colorful and detailed manner. For fans of Batman stories that are just as mentally engaging as they are entertaining, Batman #12 is required reading!
Artist: Mikel Janin and Hugo Petrus
It is a testament to the incredible talent of writer Tom King that the themes prevalent in this issue – suicide, self-loathing, and self-harm, personal connection and self-reflection – work together in such a profound fashion to bring us a new dimension to this ages-old character, adding yet another piece to the controversial thematic direction that has become characteristic of King’s entire run on Batman to date.
As in Batman #10, the format of this issue is presented in a rather unconventional way. Rather than text-boxes and speech bubbles, the story almost in its entirety is in the form of an emotional love letter juxtaposed over full page action sequences depicting Batman’s brutal journey into the heart of Santa Prisca. In issue #10, that letter was from Selina Kyle – the Catwoman - to Bruce Wayne. In Batman #12, we read Bruce’s reply to her.
In many ways, Batman #12 is not only a love letter from Bruce to Selina, but also a love letter from King to Batman’s intrepid fanbase. Many would agree that Batman’s impenetrable emotional divide is one of the cornerstones of his character. In this issue, we see an immaculate subversion of this trait as Bruce opens up to Selina in ways never before seen, while at the same time addressing some of the questions that we as fans have been thinking about for years.
Perhaps most touching is when Bruce reveals to Selina that there never was a man behind the mask, just a ten-year old boy who had long ago tried to commit suicide. While bleeding out, Bruce realizes that his pain and grief is endemic to the people around him, and this connection to the people of Gotham catalyzes the transformation from a grieving young boy to a hero with a mission.
Also, fans of Catwoman should rejoice, as by the end of the issue we get tantalizing hints that Selina’s uncharacteristic mass murdering spree likely isn’t what it seems to be.
Batman #12 is a triumphant display of Tom King’s incredible ability to dissect a character to its core and give us a yarn that can resonate both emotionally and intellectually. On display also is Mikel Janin’s immaculate artwork, which brings us Batman’s journey into the heart of Santa Prisca in an incredibly colorful and detailed manner. For fans of Batman stories that are just as mentally engaging as they are entertaining, Batman #12 is required reading!
A Look Inside
