The Knight looks within.
Warning: this review contains spoilers for the events of the Arkham Knight video game!
DC’s Arkham Knight prequel comic has already spawned the Arkham Knight: Genesis spinoff mini-series, and now readers are getting another dose of the Knight in this standalone annual issue. If you’re craving a little more insight into what makes the villain tick and what drives him in his vendetta against Batman, this issue has something to offer. Just not enough to fill an almost 40-page comic.
Like the main series, this issue takes place during the lead-up to the game, as the Knight and Scarecrow continue preparing for their assault on the city. The opening pages are interesting in how they showcase Jason returning to his vigilante roots, even if his motives are far less noble. These pages do sort of beg the question as to how he kept the Arkham Knight’s existence so perfectly shrouded in mystery when he’s running around in broad daylight and interacting with police officers.
From there, much of the issue unfolds as a nightmare sequence as Jason is forced to confront his fears and his Batman-related emotional baggage. Writer Pete Tomasi ties this material in nicely with his work on Arkham Knight: Genesis (of which this really feels like a lost issue) by returning to the theme of Gotham’s inescapable gravity. Tomasi revisits Jason’s parents while also exploring his jealousy over being replaced and forgotten by Bruce. But ultimately, the emphasis is on the idea that Jason is his own worst enemy. Once again, Tomasi is providing the character work the game really should have included.
Artist Stephen Segovia is right at home in the Arkham-verse. What his figures lack in finer details and emotion they make up for in power and energy. Segovia really shines during the extended nightmare sequence, especially with an intricate splash page showcasing Batman in his many incarnations.
Again, the real problem with this comic is that it doesn’t have quite enough meat to fill its three dozen pages. The story is very straightforward and the characterization, while solid, doesn’t do anything radically new with Jason Todd we aren’t already seeing in Genesis. It would have been nice to see a more ambitious conflict or a tale that had more to add to the larger Arkham mythos.
If nothing else, DC’s various Arkham Knight prequel comics have been helpful as far as fleshing out the titular villain and his rivalry with Batman. This annual issue continues that trend. The catch is that the story is too light and straightforward to really justify the length (and therefore the cover price).
