This week we start off a new adventure in Legends of the Dark Knight with part one of Aaron Lopresti’s I, Batman. This story itself is gripping right from the first sequence. We get the Joker on the first page of the comic and you can not do much more than that to get my attention. Although the Joker is used as support and not the featured part of the story it is still an enjoyable way to start the story. We also get appearances from Killer Croc and Clayface in this issue as well as Mr. Freeze being name checked. All of these appearances are to set up the main story but they are still fun to read and contain some great action. Other writers should take some notes here. If you need to set up a sequence of events that readers would normally not be interested in try giving us some high end guest stars and all of a sudden you got something that is pulling you in. I understand that some people may view these type of sequences as a type of stunt casting but for me they just make the issue that more enjoyable for me.
The thread that runs through each of the before mentioned encounters is that someone has been going behind Batman and collecting his blood. Batman has been leaving an immense amount of DNA all over the city for years now so I suppose it was about time that someone did this. It is in this part of the story that we meet Norman. He is the inept and or insane scientist that has been following around the Caped Crusader with swabs and test tubes collecting his DNA. We may feel like we have seen this type of Batman obsessed individual over the years but it this one is still has my attention. And he is made even more interesting from the cliffhanger ending. I find these types of cliffhangers to be the best. If one of our heroes are involved in a live or die cliffhanger we already know that they are probably going to be okay. But here we are left wondering exactly what Norman has been making with that DNA.
The art in the issue is well done as well and I enjoy seeing the Joker with his face still attached. The issue is good start to the new story and has plenty of things going on to keep you interested.
Legends of the Dark Knight Chapter #66:
Reviewed by Ed Grause
