Written by Brian Azzarello
Art by Eduardo Risso; Patricia Mulvihill; & Clem Robins
Cover Art by Dave Johnson
SUMMARY:
Published by DC Comics for December 2003, it’s the opener of the noir-like “Broken City” storyline. Narrated by Batman, amidst a Gotham City storm, he is searching for car magnate Angel Lupo’s missing sister, Elizabeth. Interrogating her likely murderer, Killer Croc, the Dark Knight gladly busts his adversary’s new dentures.
Locating Lupo’s femme fatale girlfriend, Margo, Batman trails her to an elusive Lupo’s hideout. Upon thwarting Margo’s attempted rape by a thug, Batman realizes that she has alerted Lupo to flee. Yet, a double-homicide leaves the Dark Knight eerily transfixed, as history seemingly repeats itself.
REVIEW:
As the intriguing noir-like cover implies, writer Brian Azzarello is evidently aiming to make “Broken City” a nod to Mickey Spillane and Dashiell Hammett-style mysteries. However, Azzarello’s half-serious narrative (i.e. Batman’s inexplicable use of puns) stumbles because such dialogue isn’t consistent with language that Batman (or even Bruce Wayne) generally uses. Further, Azzarello doesn’t divulge much in the way of details: i.e. why Batman is on this particular case, or even how he snares Killer Croc for their upside-down chat. Though the full-page last image is effectively haunting, this nasty first chapter is underwhelming.
Even though it’s perfectly attuned to Azzarello’s gritty script, the deliberately ugly and unnecessarily sexualized artwork doesn’t provide much incentive to seek out more of this grotesque storyline. Frankly, the disappointing Batman # 620 is hard to justify as readable Bat-entertainment.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
The single-page “DC in Demand” column hypes that week’s various new issues and a briefing on Batman # 621.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 3½ Stars
