Comic Info
Comic Name: Batman: The Dark Knight
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Paul Jenkins/David Finch/Judd Winick/Joe Harris
Artist: David Finch/Ed Benes
# of Issues: 9
Release Date: 2012
Batman: The Dark Knight #6
Reprints Batman: The Dark Knight #1-9 (November 2011-July 2012). Batman is facing one of his biggest mysteries yet. The White Rabbit is tied to a superhuman explosion which leaves the infected with superhuman powers. Battling some of his biggest enemies, Batman seeks out the true villain behind the superhuman power-surges and has help from Flash and Superman. Batman also finds himself up against his old enemy the Mad Hatter and an angry Talon as the Night of the Owls commences.
Written by Paul Jenkins, David Finch, Judd Winick, and Joe Harris, The Dark Knight Volume 1: Knight Terrors is part of the DC Comics New 52 relaunch following Flashpoint. The collection features art by David Finch and Ed Benes.
Batman: The Dark Knight is one of the weaker New 52 titles and probably the weakest of the Batman titles. I have really liked some of Paul Jenkins stuff in the past (like the original Sentry limited series), but must of his work since has been quite bad. Finch is a decent artist and I don’t know how involved he is with the story, but if this is a sign of his writing, he should stick to art.
Batman: The Dark Knight #9
The problem with the series is that the opening story is such a generic Batman story. The cliché “Arkham Escape” storyline has been done over and over again, and I had hope that it would be something new and exciting (much like Snyder’s work on Batman). Instead, we get more of the same Batman with very little development.
Part of the whole purpose of the New 52 was to streamline DC’s stories and serialize the titles so they worked together instead of standing alone. Batman: The Dark Knight doesn’t seem to do much to help this since sometimes the story synchs up with other Batman titles, but usually it functions and tells a story that doesn’t work with Batman’s other appearances. If Batman: The Dark Knight felt essential to the Batman storyline, it maybe would feel like more of a necessary comic book instead of just another Batman title released by DC.
Batman: The Dark Knight 1: Knight Terrors is a sad start to the Batman: The Dark Knight series. The generic storytelling isn’t very compelling and this title just isn’t worth the time or money. Batman: The Dark Knight Volume 1: Knight Terrors is followed by Batman: The Dark Knight Volume 2: Cycle of Violence.
Related Links:
Batman: The Dark Knight Volume 2: Cycle of Violence
Batman: The Dark Knight Volume 3: Mad
