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Wednesday Comics Reviews: Batman And Robin #19, Knight And Squire #4

Published Wed, 12 Jan 2011 05:41:24 -0600

Today is the first day that comics are available in the UK on a Wednesday instead of a Thursday. And, thanks to Orbital Comics, I've had a few to read this lunchtime. There may be minor spoilers, but nothing major. So let's look through today's package.

First we have two Batbooks from Paul Cornell. First up, Knight And Squire #4, featuring that old trope with medieval precedent, the armour-powered hero fighting his own armour. Wee that's what happens when you put a mind imprint of yourself into your own suit when you are in a particularly bad mood. But because this is Knight & Squire, this happens in a very different cultural background indeed, that also looks at how Squire brought The Knight back from a very dark place with a combination of her communication skills and bloody minded attitudes.

We also have The Shrike looking like an actual superhero now. There a strong focus on the difference between a British and an American fight, both verbally and physically. In their increasing attempt to introduce new characters, this time including Mad Hat Harry, Paper Tiger andHank Hackenbacker the Knight's American butler. We see a massive jar of Marmite, sorry, Moomite and giant fifty pence piece standing in for the giant dime in Knight's Batcave equivalent – which probably needs a glossary of all its own. And there's also a strange confluence of swear words, with "piss" and "arse" being fine but others… not being. And this Frank Miller-proof Tintin-referencing way of eliminating them.

The pseudonymous Jimmy Broxton gives us a fast and loose, modern-Byrne like approach to the action scenes, but a very detailed look at the English countryside in the background. Just these different approaches really helps slow down and speed up the reading experience when it's suited and it's wonderfully achieved in the first few pages.

One problem with the icon covers, such as with Batman And Robin #19 is that it does make for slight trickiness in finding the book on the shelf you want (even with Orbital's helpful staff) but there's no cover credits. And I'd forgotten Scott McDaniel was drawing this. Scott has managed to adapt both Jim Lee's approach to Batman, especially in the action scene perspective and shading lines across a body, but also Frank Miller's approach to unnecessary lines when faced with a light source. It's a strange meld of the overdraw and the minimalist and it doesn't always work. But when it does, it's a very good day indeed.

The cliffhanger, which seemed to be about to create a new meme Women In Refuse Sacks is dismissed pretty instantly as a fake out. The Absence is not the cruelest of villains, despite that hole through her head and Cornell is trying to challenge our presumptions here. That she might be cleverer than all of them but together. And the realisation that psychiatric care in Gotham probably does lead a lot to be desired, so what are you going to do? Why not invest in some Saw-like trepanning gear? I'm looking forward to her addition to the Batgallery, she's a real keeper.

Damien seems to bring out the best in writers right now, and Paul Cornell gives us a couple of crackers – "If she was a proper psychotic, this would be much less tiresome". But it's the new Batman who is really put through the wringer here, he's a very different man to Bruce.

Comics from Orbital Comics of London, England.