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Overanalyzing Anime
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The second issue of Batman: Curse of the White Knight begins by taking us back to the seventeenth century, wherein we see Edmond Wayne taken by the local authorities for breaking into Wayne Manor. We find out that the Wayne’s have apparently all died from the Plague, meaning that Edmond is the last heir to the Wayne legacy – though, he doesn’t tell this to the authorities. While he rides in the back of the carriage, his guard reveals that he knows who Edmond is, and then, the two make a bloody escape towards the port – hopping aboard a vessel and making their way towards Gotham Valley.
While I found myself vehemently annoyed by the inclusion of this prologue in the first issue, I have to say that I find myself much more open to the idea now. The first issue offered us very little information and, as such, the introduction felt very disconnected from the overall story. I encountered a very similar issue with the first issue of Donny Cates’ run of Venom, and anyone who has been following my work knows just how much I love that comic. That being said, when I originally picked up the book, I almost didn’t purchase it because of how strange the beginning was. Comics, being expensive as they are, really need to get my attention from the jump, and neither Venom nor Curse of the White Knight really managed to do that.
That being said, both have managed to subvert my initial expectations by being pretty spectacular. The former story used that initial moment to introduce Knull and his Dragon; while the latter has introduced us to the Order of St. Dumas, and a legitimate reason for why Jean Paul might have an issue with the Wayne’s. While it’s not the best reason to launch an all-out assault on Bruce, it’s one that I can at least somewhat get behind. The best part about this sequence came from the action – which definitely took advantage of the “Black Label,” as it showed Bakkar unleash some serious hell on the authorities attempting to apprehend Edmond. If Jean Paul is anything like his ancestor then Bruce is in from some serious trouble.
Something else I wanted to point out was the fact that it appears as though Edmond and Bakkar’s relationship is very similar to that of Bruce and Jean Paul in the original Azrael story – only reversed. Bakkar has saved and trained Edmond, while in the original story, it was Bruce who saved Azrael and trained him to become the next Batman. I like the way it appears to be honoring the original story while putting a unique spin on it.
The next scene focused on Ruth – who, I swear, has to be an alias for Amanda Waller; I mean, just.. come on! But, I digress. The two have a conversation regarding Bruce’s supposed “Bat Problem,” – wherein she lets him know that she is fully aware of the fact that he intends to out himself as Batman, and, boy, does she go in on him. A lot of what she says mirrors my own thoughts in my video for the first issue of Curse of the White Knight, but, I do have to hand it to her – or, I suppose, Sean Murphy – because she listed repercussions that even I didn’t consider; such as the fact that the collapse of WayneCorp would have a damning effect on Gotham’s entire economy. And, frankly, none of that seems very heroic.
Following this meeting we see Jim Gordon make his case for why he should be the next Mayor of Gotham City. Quite frankly, it was a damn good speech – speaking to his own shortcomings and how he understands what needs to be done in order to fix the issues plaguing Gotham. It was a speech that would have undoubtedly helped to get him elected – were in not for the Joker crashing the party and dropping one hell of a bombshell during the event. And, let the chaos ensue.
In all honesty, the fact that Gordon was fooled by pointy ears and a “silly leather mask” is a tad bit embarrassing. I mean, do they used voice modifiers? If not, it is a bit unbelievable that he isn’t able to recognize her, given the fact that her mask does little to really mask her identity. Not in the way Bruce’s cowl completely covers more than half his face.
The fallout between the two is as appropriate as one would expect – especially given the fact that Bruce shows up as the two are going at it. It’s understandable that Jim is upset – the fact that it is his daughter aside, he feels as though he was betrayed by Bruce and any chance of him being Mayor is probably out the window given the fact that the city will have two opinions on the matter – either he is so incompetent that he could not see that his own daughter was Batgirl, or that he did know, and lied about it as he gave a speech about being honest; neither option is very flattering, if we’re being honest. And that doesn’t even begin to deal with the fact that his daughter is now a real target for the super villain community.
We leave the good guys and take a moment to catch up with bad ones. We see that Amanda – erm, I mean “Ruth” – has assembled her “Squad.” She and Jean Paul – along with two other people – are discussing Jean Paul’s plans to take down Bruce and how she intends to help turn him into the new Batman; one who comply with the “Elite’s” plans. Jean Paul seems to care little about whatever plans Ruth has for him – he only seeks the destruction of Bruce Wayne and his legacy.
It is interesting, seeing how different Jean Paul is now, as opposed to how he was portrayed in the previous issue. Our introduction to him in issue number one showed us a frightened man – one who seemed rather meek and unthreatening. Yes, he was powerful – as we saw him shove a man’s face into a wall, leaving a bloody streak behind – but that was when he was in a manic state. The issue did not present him as someone who sought out violence, and yet it appears as though that is exactly what he is doing.
I understand that he feels that he has a right to Gotham, but it is not as though Bruce Wayne actually owns the city of Gotham. WayneCorp is a powerful business and it has its foothold in many aspects of the city, but it does not mean that Bruce, himself, owns the city. I wonder, is it just the revenge that Jean Paul wants – or is it more than that? He claims that he does not plan to see the end of this, so it is very unlikely that he wants to take WayneCorp for himself – but, we cannot rule that out, as Ruth has planted the idea in his mind that they could help sustain his life after he puts Bruce down – and we all know how susceptible this man is to suggestions.
Just before the finale of the issue, we see Bruce pay a visit to Harley, who was noticeably absent from the first issue. While brief, this moment proved interesting because one cannot help but wonder what the idea of Harley’s siring his child will do to the Joker. The man is a sadist, but underneath that, he’s still Jack – and Jack, without a doubt, loves Harley. Could the child act as a catalyst that might bring back Jack from the abyss that is the Joker? I suppose only time will tell.
To wrap this one up we head back to the Batcave, wherein we see that Azrael has begun his assault. He begins by quickly retelling the story of Bakkar and Edmond, and once he finishes, he initiates a brutal attack that ends with the Batcave – as well as Bruce Manor – utterly destroyed. The only question left to answer is, was the Batman destroyed along with it?
The answer, obviously not.
However, it doesn’t change the fact that issue number three will see out Dark Knight without a castle of his own. Azrael’s attack was… well, damn. This isn’t our first time seeing Batman attacked at home, but this might be one of the most epic, because not only did Azrael see to it that the cave was destroyed, he also demolished Bruce’s home. This attack was on an entirely different level, and, honestly, it was pretty epic. Azrael has just cemented himself as a true threat to Batman, all without even meeting him face to face.
Batman: White Knight, while not without its moments of action, felt far less action packed as this story has. Both the beginning and end of this story provided us with an abundance of action and I, quite frankly, loved it. While I would never say that the first issue of Curse of the White Knight was bad – I would definitely say that this one was an overall improvement; and I am absolutely looking forward to what will come next.
My score: 9/10
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