Written by Alan Grant.
Art by Kevin Walker; Curt Shoultz; Frank McLaughlin; Sherilyn Van Valkenburgh; & John Costanza.
Cover Art by Brian Stelfreeze.
SUMMARY:
Entitled “One Night in Slaughter Swamp,” DC Comics released this issue for June 1995. Set in 1895, the prologue depicts despised banker Cyrus Gold’s murder by extortionists (one of whom may be pregnant with his child) in Slaughter Swamp. In the present-day, an amnesiac Solomon Grundy’s resurrection in Slaughter Swamp upends a tourist boat, as he kills at least four innocent civilians. The only escapees are a female park ranger and a now-orphaned young boy.
Converging on Slaughter Swamp, Batman follows Detective Montoya & Bullock’s GCPD team to rescue Grundy’s hostages. Despite the ranger’s compassionate attempts to reason with Grundy, the monster rages over his previous betrayal by Jade (not to mention, his hatred of Alan Scott’s Green Lantern and now Batman).
The Dark Knight desperately takes on Grundy, knowing full well it may be futile. Tragedy strikes amidst Batman & Grundy’s showdown.
REVIEW:
In a manner reminiscent of classic Universal monster movies, writer Alan Grant’s work is solidly plotted. One loose thread that Grant neglects to explain is what exactly prompts Grundy’s return – that is, unless Grant meant to leave this vital element to his audience’s imagination.
Either way, Grant delivers the necessary gothic storytelling, including a chilling irony (read into it whatever you think) at its conclusion. Matching Grant’s creativity is the art squad’s appropriate visuals; after the first few pages, the artwork slips to about a B- caliber, but this crew still gets the job done.
For Bat-fans who like gothic horror (not to mention, the Batman vs. Solomon Grundy match-up), then Batman: Shadow of the Bat # 39 is worth tracking down.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
At a single page, there is a letters-and-answers column.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 7 Stars
