Battle for the Cowl

Well, I have made my feelings clear in other reviews about Tony Daniel's work on Batman so far; but this volume proves he is a talented artist with the potential to do good things with the Dark Knight. His orevious work, on The "Resurrection of Ra's Al-Ghul" and the "Black Glove" stories, a bit of a mess; either due to rushed deadlines or being paired with the wrong inker; it was sloppy and felt rushed. He improved greatly with "Batman: RIP", either because he finally gelled with inker Sandu Florea or because he was given enough of a deadline to do a good job. Anyway, this latest volume in the ongoing saga to replace Batman after his disappearance in "RIP" and then later in "Final Crisis" (Did he meet his end twice?) is ably handled my Mr. Daniel, and while it is strictly an action story, it makes a change from Grant Morrison's good but mind bending run of the last two years. So if you are looking for the comic book equivalent of a summer blockbuster, then look no further. I do have a few criticisms though; the first is the notion that with Batman gone, Gotham City descend into chaos as the Gotham mobs feel they have a free hand to wreak havoc on the people of Gotham. One would think that after almost two decades of being Batman, Bruce Wayne would have cleaned the City enough so it would not devolve into Anarchy the moment he disappeared. There is also no explanation of why it's common knowledge that he's gone. Did some post something on Batman's twitter page? My other critics would be casting Two-Face as a mob boss. Historically, Two-Face has been more of a heist man, using his gang to rob banks and such, so he is twisted here to suit the story where another villain may have been better suited as arrival to the Penguin, who was long ago established as a major crime boss in the City. This is a worthy read wrapped in a nice hardcover addition, well worth your money.

All in all the book is a fairly decent read. I like that we get to see Jason Todd again. However where I was really disappointed was what they did with Batwoman. I really like the black and red look with the bat costumes (not to mention my fetish for red heads ) so I was looking forward to seeing her in the book. Needless to say she was only in 1 panel. Big dissapointment to me. I may have enjoyed the book more had I not had high hopes of seeing batwoman. Her current sstory line is not too bad, but it just doesn't have the same feel as her interactions with Montoya did.

Battle for the Cowl kindles so many questions, yet provides so few answers. Who is the new Black Mask? Why make Jason Todd an absolute sociopathic killer? Why was Tony Daniel, previously known primarily as an artist, chosen to write such a critical and much scrutinized series? And the most daunting question of all, why allegedly kill off and replace Bruce Wayne at arguably the commercial apex of his lengthy and legendary career? Regarding Black Mask's cryptic identity, Orpheus perhaps, although the logic behind that choice is admittedly dubious. As for Jason Todd, after his cleverly conceived depiction as a bitter yet believable anti-hero in the vastly underrated Under the Hood storyline, DC never did seem to know how to best utilize him, with his totally exaggerated and irrational characterization here being a prime example, which alas leaves no avenue for turning back. For some, this may not be a concern, for others it negates any future possibilities of employing him in a more judicious and coherent manner. His portrayal and most of the plot were seemingly editorially mandated, ultimately leaving the eventual writer with little room for creative maneuvering, enter Tony Daniel. Many people justifiably questioned the decision to use a relative writing novice to pen this important story. There certainly is no debating the quality of his illustrations, which are some of the finest of his career, but the real revelation is his remarkably sharp and engaging writing, all while constrained within the context of a preordained outline and outcome. And speaking of that outcome...after the monstrous popularity of the Dark Knight movie, one has to seriously question DC's judgment in choosing this particular time, or any time for that matter, to turn Batman, arguably the biggest comic personality in the history of the medium, into that dreadful bane of comicdom, a legacy character. All this does is divide and alienate an already fractured and dwindling fan base, a persistent pestilence that plagues followers of Green Lantern and more presently Flash. DC is going for short term gimmick driven sales spikes at the expense of long term foresight and fan unity. More significantly this ill advised approach sends the distressing message that almost any man can be Batman, therefore demeaning the personal significance of Bruce's achievements through rigorous physical resolve and emotional and intellectual perseverance. Batman is not a representation of everyman, but an incredible example of what one singularly extraordinary individual can attain via triumph of the human spirit to become an inspirational icon to millions. There is and will always ever be only one Batman, and his name is Bruce Wayne.