The end of everything.
Creative Staff:
Story: Ray Fawkes
Art: Juan E. Ferreyra
What They Say:
The final battle for the soul of Gotham City begins, and The Spectre might be facing more than just the ancient spirit called Ikkondrid. What will Corrigan and the Midnight Shift do if they discover that The Spectre is on the wrong side of this fight after all?
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
While I’ve avoided the Batman books in general for several years now, since I’m not that into the interconnected nature of them all, the “fringe” books has been where it’s at, for me at least. Gotham by Midnight draws to a close with this installment and it’s the kind of ending that, while not rushed, feels a little more final than it should be in some ways rather than giving us hope for it to be resurrected in another form down the line. And that actually works fine because the twelve issues here from Fawkes and the excellent artists he’s worked with feels like a strong overall narrative that I hope people discover when it gets a complete collection at some point with a little extra push I hope.
There’s been a lot of craziness going on with the book throughout the run and the last couple of issues has really upped the ante for the threat that Gotham faces. We’ve had all sorts of threats over the years and I’m usually not big on the kind that are city-ending since they’ve long felt too commonplace, especially after reading comics for decades. Fawkes makes it feel meaningful, however, because through Ikkondrid and what’s been drawn out here, we have a problem that has gone without being dealt with for essentially the entirety of Gotham’s existence. With Ikkondrid drawing out the souls of those that died over those years, whose stories we got told in brief a bit before, it made an impact in really saying that there are so many stories that exist but are untold that need some sort of closure. Some sort of acceptance. And, as we discover here, comfort.
The story of Ikkondrid is one that’s more about the Spectre and the relationship with Corrigan and part of what I’ve struggled with about it is that I’ve got far too many miles on the tires with the character to disconnect all that’s come before in my view of him. So seeing it come together here with Corrigan coming to understand what it is that not only Ikkondrid needs and those that died but also the Spectre – and truly, himself as well – it works very well. There’s a kind of weight lifted from his shoulders as he accepts what has happened, the failure of the Spectre throughout the years with it, and the way that residents of Gotham are forced to accept it themselves and to really become far more embedded and true citizens because of how it’s resolved. It’s eerie and there is very much a disturbing layer to it, but it’s also very intriguing if it’s ever dealt with further down the line.
In Summary:
Gotham by Midnight has been a strong series as a whole and this finale does some really good stuff in giving us closure while also being open-ended enough that whoever works these characters next are free to really move them forward. I’m naturally disappointed that the book drew to a close because the idea of working half year arcs of a supernatural design within Gotham with the crew put together here is just fantastic stuff. It’s the kind of thing that I’d want to see translated to the small screen, to get novels of, to really dig into and enjoy. Fawkes and Ferreyra really hit it out of the park in this second arc and made it something special. Those who read along with it as it came out know this and I’m hopeful that a lot more will discover it in the years to come in collections and sales and realize what we all missed out. Very recommended.
Grade: B+
Series Grade: A
Age Rating: 16+
Released By: DC Comics via ComiXology
Release Date: December 23rd, 2015
MSRP: $2.99
