“Haunted Part 2”
Creative Staff:
Story: Stephanie Phillips
Art: Max Dunbar
Colors: Tamra Bonvillain
Letterer: ALW’s Troy Peteri
What They Say:
HAUNTED FINALE! As the Penguin and his henchmen attack Wayne Manor to try and get the mysterious box back, Batman has holographically taken himself back in time, to solve the case of the West End Wrath’s murders, and what he discovers will change the way he views The Wayne Family and Gotham City forever. Don’t miss this propulsive finale!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
This arc of this series got underway in the previous issue and I really liked the setup for it and what it hinted at – but now I’m just sad that it’s wrapping up with this issue already. Stephanie Phillips set the foundation for this storyline quickly and laid it out to be engaging and expands on quickly and nicely here. Max Dunbar once again handles the artwork and we get something that’s nicely stylized without being over the top or simply too much that it’s distracting to the story nor is it just the artist showing off. It’s the artist showing us a really interesting world to engage with. Which Tamra Bonvillain takes to the next level with the color design, especially when it comes to the old Gotham period in the taste of it we get.
With Bruce having shifted to Batman mode and working up a model of the past, his exploration of the Cobblepot mansion and the murder there starts him down the path of figuring out what went on. We’ve had plenty of dialogue about the founders of Gotham or the men who built Gotham, and that’s always allowed for different time periods to shine in their own way, which I like. Here, we see how things unfolded where Cobblepot was accused of something but it was a Wayne, as a judge, who ended up allowing it to continue on. It’s likely that since the accusation came from a woman at that time that it was roundly ignored and that again paints a bad light on some older descendants of the Wayne family, which has happened before. And I’m glad Phillips does that here once more instead of trying to ensure that all family members of the Wayne lineage are good people in their own way.
Naturally, at the same time this is unfolding is when Cobblepot makes his way into Wayne Manor and is turning it up with bullets trying to find the box and eventually running into Batman. Though the fight between them is quick overall, more verbal than anything else, it’s satisfying as we get Batman revealing the truth of the maid that was hurt by Cobblepot and how she turned that around to get her own justice back in the day. Visually, it plays out well with how Dunbar presents the past and the mysterious nature of the vigilante for so much of it, only barely teasing out who is underneath the wrap. And I do like how Bruce ties it together at the end to do more of the right thing, even though it’s a way of trying to smooth over the value of the family name. The reality is the good work that the money will allow to happen.
In Summary:
This arc could have been a couple more issues to flesh out the past and explore things more and I’ll admit some disappointment in that because I want more of what Phillips and Dunbar has put together here. It’s a solidly put together story that wraps up cleanly and hits all the right notes. Dunbar’s artwork is once again fantastic and I really like the style and approach to it especially with Tamra Bonnvillain’s color design that makes the flashback material to the early 20th century as engaging as it is.
Grade: B+
Age Rating: 12+
Released By: DC Comics via ComiXology
Release Date: May 21st, 2021
MSRP: $0.99
