Post by jugglingman on Dec 11, 2008 0:30:24 GMT -4
In this issue of Detective Comics we examine a Gotham without Batman via Millicent Mayne whose ambiguous and possibly supernatural connection to the city occurs after an earthquake, presumably the one that kicked off No Man's Land. I like this approach. We've often talked of Gotham as a character and O'neil exends that concept it's next logical level by personifying Gotham city. Denny gracefully employs the character as a narrative device, using Millicent as a literary vehicle to jaunt from one part of the city to the other and create smooth transitions between story segments. Additionally, Millicent Mayne-as-Gotham also provides rich metaphorical potential. For instance, currently Batman is nowhere to be found. This is translated with Millcent having her face acid-burned by a Two-Face impersonator. It's a very efficient method of pointedly communicating a complex idea directly to the heart of the reader while keeping him/her firmly anchored in the world of the story. It makes you feel something and neatly packs that something full of meaning. I did find that the character was somewhat distant. I'ts obviously intentional but I'm not sure why O'neil chose that tac. I'm interested but not yet fully invested in the character. To be fair I've only spent a few pages with her. I'm looking forward to the possibilty of having Millicent growing on me.
After fertilizing the story's soil with symbolism and analogy O'neil uses Millicent to draw our attention to some of Gotham's major players - Gordon, Oracle, Alfred, Nightwing - and let's them express their concerns about Batman being M.I.A. Gordon's hope is slipping through his fingers. Dick is disheartened and feels displaced. I found Alfred's paternal concern for Dick to be touching. Interspersed between these quiet character moments Two-Face expresses his anger at having an imposter. I found Dent's presence in this story superfluous as it seems O'neil has Harvey dispatch himself from the goings-on about three quarters of the way through. "Do not expect to see me again" Dent says after flipping his coin. Denny might have bigger plans for him yet but so far it just looks like he was just there to supply a thug who would trigger a few major plot points. Another criticism I have is that Dent's dialog could've used some editing during the coin flip scene. March gets the point across so well with his art that the words sort of get in the way. It's as if Denny is "telling" what Guillem is "showing". The issue ends with the Two-Face poser leaving Nightwing and an innocent bystander to die in a fire accidently set off during their tussle in a chop shop. I'm not certain what the point of this is not that I think I'm supposed to know until the next issue but i have a few theories as to what will happen next and I'm excited about it.
Guillem's art is tinged with eastern influence and so is the color palette but it has a pulp core. I was sometimes distracted by the giraffian women with teardrop breasts and birthing hips to make a fertility goddess envious, and some of the expressions seemed stock. The layouts always fit the scene and the in-panel compositions are dynamic. Overall, I think it's a good fit for O'neil's zen-noir aesthetic.
This is very much a kind of comic I like. Pulpy, grounded, technically solid with a subtle underlayer of literary sophistication. This is as centered and balanced a story as you can hope to find. Denny O'neil once again shows us why he's an influential figure in the industry.
