Review: Batman: Urban Legends #12

Overview: In Batman: Urban Legends #12, John Constantine joins Batman and Zatanna on their adventure. Meanwhile, readers are treated to more of the mystery surrounding Wight Witch, as well as another installment of Ace the Bat-Hound.

Editor’s Note: Due to the anthology nature of this collection, we will feature a synopsis and analysis for each short story, rather than breaking up the synopsis and analysis. Spoilers are sure to be revealed.

Story #1: Batman and Zatanna in “Bound to Our Will” Part 2 by writer Vita Ayala and artist Nikola Čižmešija

Synopsis: The first story in Batman: Urban Legends #12 sees Batman down, and Zatanna is holding off monsters. Zatanna tries to show Batman what has happened, but some force interferes. The monsters grow angrier. They join forces to try to close the rift. The white-coated villain from the last issue appears in a different location with a red-eyed being in tow. The latter is Eos, and the villain is Celeste. Eos welcomes a dog and somehow drains its lifeforce using his eyes. Elsewhere, Zatanna patches Batman’s back at a historic building he owns. They discuss the energy surge they both felt until perimeter alarms go off, and Batman goes to check it out.

Batman swoops down on the intruder, who uses magic to ward him off. Zatanna appears and recognizes the stranger: it is John Constantine.

Analysis: Unfortunately, part two is not much of an improvement. The writing feels dull and forced; the relationship between Batman and Zatanna does not spark, and I found myself struggling to care much about the story itself as well as dreading the time and pages it will take to complete the arc.

That said, the chronology is clearer in part two, and there are no extraneous Justice League or Superman appearances that served mostly to confuse in part one. There is more promise of unraveling the mystery driving the narrative, although I am not particularly excited by the appearance of John Constantine.

Story #2: Wight Witch in “Stigma” Part 2 by writer Ram V and artist Anand Radhakrishnan

Synopsis: The second story in Batman: Urban Legends #12 sees the Wight Witch, Rhea Sinha, awaken with electrodes attached to her head and begins to be questioned. The questioner shows her an image and asks if Sinha recognizes the image. She does; it is an image of herself (or a prior version of the Wight Witch) in the snow. She remembers various missions in the mountains in winter, as well as some of her team, one of whom seems to be Minkhoa Khan (Ghost-Maker). Sinha begins to get upset and the questioner, Dr. Delacroix, is called off by Simon Saint himself. He approaches with a firearm and a shot rings out.

Dr. Delacroix is sitting across from the next version of the Wight Witch and says that she wants to help but that Sinha must remember. She hands Sinha a book and tells her to read and remember. Saint walks in and shoots Sinha in the head again.

Analysis: Although I did not find Wight Witch compelling in Catwoman, Ram V is almost preternaturally skilled as a writer. The tripartite structure of the story helps, as it forces Ram V to shape the narrative with relative efficiency. Unlike many of the six-part stories, this narrative is moving along and does not feel cryptic or elongated solely to fill pages. I find myself drawn into the limited sets (interrogation room and snow-covered mountains only) and the backward linking to “Fear State” is deftly done. I know that he is polarizing, but I genuinely like Ghost-Maker and am pleased to see at least one writer working to integrate him beyond the end of Fear State.

Artist Anand RK’s horror tones and permeable lines are consistent with the fear and trauma narratives driving Fear State. This is a solid story, and even without a significant interest in Wight Witch, I am fascinated to see how part three completes the arc next month.

Story #3: Eternity in “Eternity in Gotham” Part 2 by writer Mohale Mashigo and artist Arist Deyn

Synopsis: The next story in Batman: Urban Legends #12 sees neighbor Regina wake Christopher at 04:00 and says that she heard screams next door. They break in and find that the occupant, Hannah, is dead. Freeman gives a statement to the police and leaves Regina out of it. In the morgue, Freeman begins the process of talking to Hannah. First, he has to retrieve her soul. Next, Freeman and Hannah’s ghost head to the scene of the crime to try and piece together what happened. Hannah’s memories are jumbled, but he is shocked to see Regina in one of them as a threatening figure approaches Hannah, hands outstretched.

Analysis: The story loses a bit of steam and intrigue from part one, although we do get a better sense of how Eternity’s powers function. Writer Mashigo continues to exercise tight control over the narrative, which I appreciate. The chronology is clear even with memories and flashbacks, and there is no confusion with scene-switching. The linework is sharp and realistic, which I also appreciate.

Story #4: Ace the Bat-Hound in “Hounded” Part 2 by writer Mark Russell and artist Karl Mostert

Synopsis: The final story in Batman: Urban Legends #12 starts at the Gotham Pet Cemetery and Crematorium, as Herbert Schwann is comforting a woman who is burying her pet. He reassures her but brings the body to the crematorium as soon as she departs. Schwann is joined by “Oleg,” who works for Mr. Tarkov and wishes to know what to do with Batman’s dog. They discuss cognitive enhancement and Schwann introduces Oleg to “Licks Luthor,” who was specifically trained for Lex but who had to be returned because Lex is allergic to dogs.

Batman is being held in the basement of Club Siberia in Leningrad. He is being taunted by Mr. Tarkov’s thugs. He reminds them that cages are built to convince their captors that escape is impossible. But this is not so. Ace proves this by escaping his cage, freeing the enhanced chicken, who promptly inputs the code that frees a captured bear. A squirrel master thief (we kid you not) astride a speedy tortoise creates a diversion, and Ace and the bear deal with the guards. The animals escape just as Schwann accepts an award for humanitarianism in Gotham.

Analysis: This story is growing on me, but I still think six parts for an Ace the Bat-Hound story is too much. I like Batman’s idea about the cage, which reminds me very much of the famous aphorism from Wittgenstein: “A man will be trapped in a room with an unlocked door so long as it does not occur to him to push rather than pull.” Batman is also no doubt correct in the notion that “how we treat animals tells us everything we need to know about ourselves” – a point that animal ethicists and animal rights advocates have long emphasized.

Editor’s Note: DC Comics provided TBU with a copy of this comic for review purposes. You can find this comic and help support TBU in the process by purchasing this issue digitally on Comixology through Amazon or a physical copy of the title through Things From Another World.