Best of this Week: Batman: Curse of the White Knight #2 – Sean Murphy, Matt Hollingsworth and AndWorld Design
Sean Murphy smashes it yet again.
In the original White Knight story, Joker somehow managed to acquire pills that returned him to a state of normalcy. Under the name of Jack Napier, he sought to expose Batman for the threat to Gotham that he was slowly becoming after his continuing and escalating efforts to capture the maniacal Joker and the various, horrible beatings that he gave the villain. Napier vowed to clean the streets of Gotham and just before he returned back to his Joker state, he was able to see Commissioner Gordon and Batman come to terms with the harsh truths of Batman’s activities. Batman is set free and strove to be better for Gotham and Gordon began to run for mayor.
But things weren’t meant to last.
The Joker returned to his villainous state and instead of being an obsessed madman bent on getting Batman to acknowledge him, he wants to tear down every good thing that was left in Napier’s wake; The Napier Initiative, The GTO and especially Batman. With his goals in mind, he uncover the ancient history of Gotham and sets forth a task for a former Soldier dying of cancer and gifts this man with a Holy Sword of Fire from the Order of St. Dumas.
This issue builds upon these ideas as Joker and Ruth, a representative of The Elites of Gotham, set out to either corral Bruce or destroy him. Ruth tries to appeal to any sense of family honor and wealth that Batman has and tells him that she knows who he is. She warns that if he were to reveal his identity and go through with the Napier Initiative then Wayne Enterprises stock would free fall, thousands of employees would lose their jobs, Dick and Barbara would be arrested along with Bruce for their actions and no one would win.
Bruce, steadfast as ever, vows that they will be exposed and Gotham will be made safe again. What’s great and terrible about this is that Batman thinks he doing what’s best for Gotham, but much like in the past he’s not thinking of the greater consequences of his actions and who will be hurt in the long run. It seems as though the Wayne’s act in a cyclical manner, feeling as though Gotham is theirs to control and decide what to do with if the beginning pages of this book are anything to go by.
Soon after, Gordon makes his first speech about throwing his hat into the mayoral race. Unfortunately he’s interrupted by The Joker who reveals Batgirl’s identity to the crowd of a few hundred as he’s taken down by Gordon. The first of many dominoes fo fall as this reveal shatters his newly fixed relationship with Batman. Barb’s life is absolutely ruined by this, though we’re not given any immediate fallout. Elsewhere Ruth activates her Plan B, Azrael.
Jean-Paul Valley sees his mission of wresting control of Gotham from Bruce Wayne as his last act in the will of God before Cancer takes him. To him, this is a Holy Quest as the Wayne’s stole Gotham from the Order of St. Dumas, so not only has he taken up the sword, but the crimson armor of Azrael and he will destroy Batman.
Sean Murphy’s Azrael design is a work of art. It mixes the feel of a ninja/priest badass with the tactical armaments of the modern day. I love just how perfect the reds of the costume are with their golden accents and accessories. Azrael looks Godly and threatening to no end. Murphy’s stylish art makes even a still shot of the man look like something he’s the biggest threat that Batman could ever face.
In all honesty, he is. After he’s activated he goes after batman in the worst way. In the best pages of the book, Azrael takes over the Batcave controls and turns them on Batman. Murphy puts Batman through the ringer, dodging Batmobile gunfire, a falling Batwing and a spreading fire in the cave. Hollingsworth coats these pages in a reddish orange as Murphy’s art moves in a fluid manner with Batman using all of his skills to avoid death. In one fantastic double page spread, he retakes control of the Batmobile and whips it on two wheels to avoid the falling Dinosaur before escaping.
As Wayne Manor is set ablaze, Azrael and his crew drive away through the darkness.
This book was phenomenal from front to back. Thematically, it was on point with how the past can come back to haunt you as there are many parallels between the Wayne’s past and the future. Bruce’s ancestor, Edmond Wayne, betrays the man who saved him when he asks for half of Gotham as payment. Azrael sees this past act as something that needs to be rectified. Alternatively, Bruce is also repeating his own mistakes that ultimately lead to more destruction.
Sean Murphy has always been an amazing artist, but he turned it up to 11 here with amazing visuals, fantastic hatch shading (my favorite kind), dynamic action and set pieces that make me anticipate the next issue even more. Matt Hollingsworth absolutely compliments Murphy’s style with colors that make the book feel fantastical, grimy and dark.
Curse of the White Knight is already shaping up to be a worthy successor to an already amazing story and if it keeps up this amazing pace, it may even outclass the original!
Ty Talks Comics 