Becoming a member of the family.
Warning: this article contains spoilers for the events of the Batman: Arkham Knight game.
DC’s ongoing Arkham Knight prequel comic has a lot going for it, but the series often feels aimless in its attempts to set the groundwork for the events of the game. This spinoff comic doesn’t have that problem. This series has one goal – fleshing out the tragic history between Bruce Wayne and and the Arkham Knight – and it does it well.
Issue #2 continues the approach of focusing on flashbacks to Jason Todd’s early career as Robin with a few pre-Arkham Knight scenes used as a framing device. The framing device is the one area where this issue is less successful than the first. Whereas issue #1 added more context to Hush’s role in the game, the Arkham Knight/Deathstroke team-up doesn’t really bring anything new or compelling to the table. It’s mainly an excuse to showcase Slade fighting Dick Grayson and Tim Drake at the same time. Which certainly has its appeals. Allison Borges’ brings a fluidity to these fight scenes that really sells the physicality of these fighters. Borges’ art has its quirks when it comes to perspective and framing, but the action and motion stand out.
The real meat of the story lies in the flashback scenes. This issue actually addresses the key flaw of the first, which drew too much inspiration from the New 52 comics in terms of treating the Robin mantle more like a job or internship than a familial relationship between heroes. Here, Pete Tomasi explores the evolution of Jason from Bruce’s colleague to someone he chooses to share his home and life with. Tomasi handles their relationship and its ups and downs very well. Jason is an endearing young hero, even as his flaws and failures allude toward the dark turn his life is about to take.
If anything, it would be nice to see the series slow down and savor these early years more. But there’s a lot of ground for Tomasi to cover in the remaining four issues, so it’s hard to blame him for keeping a quick, rapid pace.
Arkham Knight: Genesis continues to be a worthy companion to the game. It fleshes out a relationship that probably should have been more of a focus in the first place, while tossing in a healthy blend of superhero action for good measure.
