Lawton makes his move!
Creative Staff:
Story: Christos Gage
Art: Raffaele Ienco
Colors: Guy Major
Letterer: Josh Reed
What They Say:
Realising he’s put those closest to him at risk, Batman searches frantically to bring down Deadshot before he can kill anyone else.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Sins of the Father has had some interesting things going on in how Christos Gage has approached the various events going on. It’s moved well between Batman and Bruce Wayne pieces and spent some good time digging into Lawton’s past as well so that everyone feels fleshed out well enough to make it work. And at the same time it’s been really interesting to see how Raffaele Ienco has grown into the series and how the characters are presented as there feels like more weight to them in a good way now in addition to more expansive layouts that drives the flow well. I was interested in his artwork at the beginning but it’s something I’m really taking a shine to as the story progresses.
Bruce’s time is in the forefront here as he knows what Lawton is up to in a general sense and that has him protecting those close to him, something that Lawton didn’t have. What makes it interesting, at least beyond Gordon, is how he’s not exactly making amends but making it clear how much he appreciates what he was given by the likes of Lucius, Regina, and especially Alfred. These are things that can sometimes be too easily taken for granted if you’re never reminded of it by others, particularly when you’re so focused on your own mission and plans. Each of them react in different ways that make sense, though you can practically hear Alfred’s breath catch when Bruce gets the words out to him before having to deal with Lawton.
When Lawton does go on the move, having set things up to go after all those that Bruce is trying to protect at once, it’s a pretty good ride. The protections are solid but can do only so much and having it unfold at once, remotely and through other parties, means that Batman can’t be everywhere at once and has to rely on more than just himself. There’s a pretty good fight outside of the GCPD that works really well and shows that Batman’s learned from the previous fight but there’s also some almost comical gallows humor going on with just how far they were going to take down Gordon. Of course, Lawton’s all about the feints in order to get to the real target while the others are just gravy. It’s solidly executed here and simply fun to watch unfold as the plan goes fully into motion.
In Summary:
Sins of the Father still feels like a weird series for me simply because of the foundation it’s working from with the game and how it reworked Bruce’s father into what they did. I keep expecting some kind of twist if it actually gets to explore that but I figure it’s all game related so I’m just enjoying a side story to the event. Gage keeps things moving well here and seeing the tension ramp up for Bruce after meeting with Lawton is well-handled. Similarly, Ienco’s artwork has grown well over it with some great layouts and character designs that take the leaner look we had earlier and beefs it up in a way that gives it all more impact. Very good stuff here that has me continually looking at each panel with great interest.
Grade: B
Age Rating: 15+
Released By: DC Comics via ComiXology
Release Date: June 6th, 2018
MSRP: $0.99
