The year is 1939. The world, still reeling from the horrors of the First World War, is on the brink of tipping into an even more gruesome conflict, as fascism is on the march–and gathering strength in America’s darkest corners. A series of violent murders has begun in Gotham, along with the recent emergence of the mysterious vigilante known as The Bat-Man the power brokers of the city are living in fear. The Bat-Man: First Knight #1 kicks off a retro adventure that evokes the pulp serials of yesteryear.
Written by Dan Jurgens, The Bat-Man: First Knight #1 is a fantastic debut with a style that’s new meets old. Jurgens masterfully weaves in real-world history with this early adventure of Bat-Man as he must deal with perpetrators that defy logic.
The Bat-Man: First Knight #1 has a feel about it that not only flows like a modern comic but it also invokes pulp adventures of the past that used to be serialized and played as shorts in theaters or listened to over the radio. You can almost imagine this adventure being acted out with special sounds to punctuate the action and suspense.
The story itself is fun, with a mix of superhero and horror as Bat-Man comes face to face with unexplained beings as they attempt to strike the powerful of Gotham. We also get a Bat-Man who is early in his career and not quite adept at battle.
Where the comic shines is Jurgens’ use of real history. The Great War is over and the boom after has turned into the bust of the Great Depression as the world gets dragged into further war and the hate of the Nazis is on the rise not just abroad but here at home in the United States. Jurgens reminds us that threats exist under our nose and out in the open.
The fun and excitement is enhanced by Mike Perkins‘ art. With color by Mike Spicer and lettering by Simon Bowland the look perfectly matches the tone of the adventure. There’s a slightly dark tone to it all but things aren’t overshadowed by that making the comic feel gloomy or hard to tell what’s going on. Instead the comic uses these darker tones to enhance the depressed and violent nature of Gotham and the world at this time. The action feels grounded as well with fighting and acrobatics that are much more realistic than the superhuman nature of today’s Batman. Bat-Man here is beaten and has the bruises to show for it.
The Bat-Man: First Knight #1 is a great start with a debut that makes me feel like I should be sitting around the radio, tuning in, and enjoying the show while drinking my Ovaltine. There’s a nostalgic aspect to it that captures a tone that you just don’t see much of today. It’s a hell of a start that has us excited to see what comes next and already hope we get more.
Story: Dan Jurgens Art: Mike Perkins
Color: Mike Spicer Letterer: Simon Bowland
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0Recommendation: Buy
DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle
Source: Graphic Policy
