Written by Peter J. Tomasi
Illustrated by Brad Walker
Published by DC Comics
I swear that writer Peter J. Tomasi is trying to kill me.
The comic books that he was written lately have been just excellent. It is on this title however, that he is really just blowing my mind.
So with that, I think he’s trying to give me a heart attack. The stories have been so damn exciting that I can barely catch a breath up to now.
But we do get a breath at the beginning of the issue.
Batman and Robin are talking to Jeremiah Arkham. He then recounts the full origin of the person in the Arkham Knight suit. It’s a pretty horrifying story.
We see this person from birth. We see them raised as a child. They had an upbringing that involved them being alone a lot in Arkham Asylum.
They got to know the denizens of the Asylum as well. And at one point, this person was even kidnapped by the Joker.
Through it all, this person basically grows up in and around the asylum and witnesses the lifestyle there.
They start to see the world through the resident’s eyes. And they start to hate the Batman, who goes around scaring the inmates.
This person trains. This person is committed in the way Bruce Wayne is committed. And they eventually grow up and become the Arkham Knight. Tomasi does a great job explaining this all and makes some excellent choices as a writer.
Batman and Robin meanwhile, decide that it is time to fight back. This leads to an exhilarating cliffhanger where it looks like a final confrontation is going to happen. The way that it’s set up is starting to look pretty epic as well.
This is another fantastic issue. While you are able to catch a breath or two, the story doesn’t lag at all. The art by Walker is tops, too. This is another spectacular chapter of this title. It hit me on every level and I want the next issue in my hands as soon as humanly possible.
RATING: A
