"Curtains"

I've always liked the way Paul Dini has handled the concept behind Scarface. The character was extremely well-done on Batman: The Animated Series and I was really intrigued when James Robinson killed off Arnold Wesker and Dini in turn created Peyton Riley to be the new Ventriloquist. The idea that Scarface was supposed to be this 1920s gangster seemed so much more novel now that he had a gorgeous blond as his handler.

This issue is used primarily to explain Peyton's origin. It's an origin story that reminded me of Garth Ennis's "Lady Punisher" from two story-arcs ago in Punisher MAX. While the origin is not as extreme or vulgar as what Ennis wrote, it's still compelling and offers explanation behind the type of psychological turmoil one would endure to lead her to become someone like the Ventriloquist. She is deeply rooted into Gotham's organized crime world, an Irish woman married to an Italian man, so as to try and keep peace between the families. Of course, the mob doesn't always run traditionally in Gotham City and she and her husband eventually got caught up in the super-villain world, specifically with Scarface. Of course, Peyton and her husband never loved each other, and eventually he tired to whack her. She survived and found Scarface and a dead Arnold Wesker in a room nearby. It's here that Dini's new take on Scarface gets a bit fuzzy, especially since Wesker is dead.

As I've really begun to think about the character and the whole relationship between Wesker and Scarface, I wonder if giving the puppet to Peyton, while it keeps the same mentality, was a bit too much of a stretch. While I do like her character, I think killing Wesker and giving the puppet to someone else takes away from the concept a little bit. I always found something simple and entertaining behind the fact that Scarface was probably just Wesker gone completely mad. Here is this nerdy, shy, old man, who deep down harbors a homicidal maniac who thinks he's Al Capone. To me, Scarface was always just a portion of Wesker's personality. Even his henchmen referred to Scarface as the boss, but they always seemed to be playing along with the crazy old man. If Wesker is dead and Scarface has the same personality no matter who has their hand up his backside, it's just a kind of mess I don't think works in the confines of the character.

In this issue, Zatanna suggests that the Scarface puppet has powerful magic and that a person's belief brings it to life. Essentially, she's telling us that Scarface is Chucky so long as the caretaker believes that. I have a really hard time chewing that because of not only the simplicity and believability of crazy old Wesker and a suppressed personality, but also because I don't really buy into the idea that Scarface is some kind of demon or is possessed. For example, if the character were ever to be portrayed on film, specifically in a Chris Nolan Batman film, it would no doubt be an extension of Wesker's personality and viewers would be treated to one hell of a psychological roller coaster. Sure, I initially liked the concept of the blonde bombshell Ventriloquist, but the more I think about Scarface and the character's history, the harder it is to believe in the character without Wesker.

Speaking of Zatanna, I have a special place in my heart for the "Mistress of Magic." There's something about her I've always found especially intriguing, and I have always loved the way Dini portrays her. In fact, my first exposure to Zatanna was back when I was a wee lad completely entranced by Batman: The Animated Series. While she most definitely serves as the deus ex machina of this story-arc, Dini does an excellent job with the character and her team up with Batman. As much as I'd like to see Bruce have a more steady romance, specifically with Zatanna if not with Catwoman, it's most certainly not in the cards with "R.I.P" coming up, and I'm not totally sure how far a writer could go with it.

I’m not the biggest fan of Dustin Nguyen's artwork, mostly because his style just doesn't fit my personal tastes. I know a number of people who love his stuff, and I'm not saying it's bad artwork, but it's just not my cup of tea. He does do a decent job capturing the story and portraying not only Peyton's back-story but Zatanna's powers. I did, however, really like his depiction of Scarface. The puppet takes a very "blocky" form, and Nguyen does indeed draw Scarface with a very wooden texture.

Overall, this isn't Dini's strongest issue, mostly because of the fuzziness that emerges when considering that Scarface the puppet is actually a magical being as opposed to a crazy old man. Zatanna also feels like too much of a plot device rather than a crucial piece of the story-arc and anything that could have developed between her and Bruce is left out to dry. Nonetheless, Dini still manages to make this issue feel as though it were an episode of the Animated Series. He's done a great job keeping his storytelling style episodic and similar to the old show that it works extremely well and I hope he continues to utilize the style.

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