BATMAN #653 REVIEW
This Post Submitted by Knightwingbk
Batman #653
Writer: James Robinson
Artists: Don Kramer & Wayne Faucher
From the cover, it looks like Two-Face is back, but is he? Last issue in the Face-the-Face arc, we saw Harvey Dent, newly healed talking to Two-Face in a mirror. Like that scene? That is this whole issue. Dent, talking to himself, recalling events and feelings, until he snaps... again. But he's way more fucking sick though.
This issue is different from the other parts of the storyline because there is no murder mysteries, no Batman, no Robin, no Commissioner Gordon, anything like that. This issue is a character study of Harvey Dent, newly pronounced sane and face fixed. We see Batman come to Harvey and ask him to protect Gotham while he is away. C'mon Harvey Dent? You kidding me? Here's why:
"Robin & Nightwing are going, you say? What about Batgirl?"
"I'd Rather not discuss her"
"Huntress."
"How effective was she even prior to everything?"
"The Creeper's back in Gotham."
"Yes, and have you ever tries talking to him?"
Right. So no other options. Batman trusts pre-Two Face Dent, but does he really know post-Two Face Dent? Apparently not judging by Batman 652. The art is spot on, as usual for Don Kramer in this series. I think this issue would've worked better with half the issue as the Dent stuff, and the other half as our standard Batman & Robin adventures that we've been loving for the past 5 issues. C+
A month of training with the Batman, can you imagine what kind of shit Batman would put you through for a month? Much less years. Oh how much ass we could kick with a month of training from Batman. I hear a new workout routine coming. Maybe this could be Robin's new job. The host of the Bat-Workout. Batty.
I'll agree with you, the art was good but, the story was just crap. We know Harvey Dent isn't right in the head, and let's be honest, the dialogue he was having with himself...we've seen it before ,A LOT. I mean need I mention the story arcs: A Lonely Place of Dying, Batman: Jekyll & Hyde, etc. This whole entire issue reads like something someone would like, if they knew NOTHING and had read NOTHING of Two-Face. The only thing useful I got out of this issue was the fact that they revealed how Batman came to Dent and offered him the job of protector of Gotham while Bruce was gonna be away. I think this 8-part series is gonna be alright, as long as they don't have any more issues like this one, that just seem like...well filler.
We all knew he was going to be Two-Face again - it was so obvious you could see it from space. But cutting himself up? I was hoping for some big, tragic event to happen to him, just like before, but possibly in the line of doing his new hero duties.
Also, it would have meant WAY more (to me, at least) if we'd actually seen more of Harvey's good side since he got "cured" in HUSH. As it stands, he's cured, he disappears, he's back, he's evil again. It lost too much impact. And who in the blue hell keeps acid and scalpels in their bathroom cabinet???
All in all though, I like the arc. Just a shame to have Two-Face back so soon.