Gotham Underground #2
Writer: Frank TieriArtists: Jim Calafiore & Jack Purcell
Our look at Gotham's underworld continues and less happens here than did in issue one. In issue one we met Tobias Whale, saw Matches Malone get captured, saw that Penguin betray Two-Face to the Suicide Squad, and Jim Gordon asses Robin's dissapearing skills. In this issue, Robin sets out on his own to follow a hunch as Dick goes undercover at Penguin's iceberg lounge looking for Bruce, while Bruce is in prison, unaware that someone has it out for Matches Malone. It's not a bad issue, it's just that more setup for later issues does not make a good single issue. Here's hoping it pays off. Tieri is certianly using the Bat-Villains available. The new Ventriloquist (from Dini's Detective Comics) makes an appearance here, as well as the riddler, Lock-Up, firefly, Killer Moth, and some others. The series is keeping my interest for now, I just can't say for how long unless something pays off in the next issue. Jim Calafiore returns on art, and does the same capable job we've seen him do on Countdown, and the previous issue of this series. His angular style is a mixture of Dustin Nguyen and Ramon Bachs, two artists who I liked on other Bat-books previously, so I've nothing really to complain about there. I'm awaiting the next issue, hoping that this isn't one of those series that reads better in trade form. C
