"A New Dawn" (part 3)

While King Tut stalks Leigh Carson, Batman and the Riddler must escape a death trap. Everything about this story works as a piece of fiction and more importantly as a Batman adventure.

The plot makes sense. A blow to the head turns Victor Goodman's Egyptian obsession into a full blown mania. Chances are Goodman would have turned psychotic even had the blow not occurred, but since he was clocked, his psychosis arose in an extra special way. He believes that he is Tut reborn.

In the final chapter, we discover that Leigh Carson is less of a victim than originally thought. The transformation allows for sequel potential and I have to admit I was wondering about the longevity of the newly crafted character. Tut is very specific in targeting those that have slighted him, at least in his cracked little noggin. It wouldn't be reasonable for him to return as a bank robber or even as a plain murderer, unless he had motivation. Carson appears to be willing to provide the motivation. Though one must ask if she has undergone Stockholm Syndrome, always was mad or sees a weapon in Tut and has decided to play him. My money's on the last.

Batman dogs Tut's trail, and because this is the quintessential Batman who lets no human however rotten die, all of his actions bear the impetus of superb characterization. Batman saves Riddler, risks his neck for Carson, who he suspects of committing at the very least fraud because he's Batman. In addition, DeFillipis and Weir make Batman behave as though he were "The World's Greatest Detective." Thank you. Nothing depresses a Batman fan more when a writer turns him into an idiot.

Batman's athletic prowess manifests through Jose Garcia-Lopez's magnificent artwork. Batman, cape aswirl, leaps through a pair of splash pages. He stretches and crawls to escape death traps, and he delivers a coup de grace that recalls a Keaton move. Even when he doesn't seem to be doing anything, Batman looks like the bona fide article. At one point, the caped crusader temples his fingers and smiles as he contemplates the mystery. At another he scratches his head to ask the Riddler an important question that does not pertain to the mystery.

The weirdest thing about the Riddler is that he really does belong in Arkham Asylum, and he always has. Think about it. He is compelled to leave a fairplay riddle at every crime. Unfortunately, his perceived tameness as well as his question-mark costumes puzzled the hell out of writers who were doing their damndest to make Batman's foes even darker than they originally were. Lopez goes back to visual basics that he practically defined on Underoos, tee-shirts and stickers. Weir and DeFillipis argue that there was nothing really wrong with the Riddler as a Batman foe to begin with. They define him as slippery and somebody who should not be underestimated. When it seems that the Riddler is working with the Batman, a change in allegiance isn't all that surprising, nor is it shocking when the Riddler catches Batman off guard. Continuously the authors make the point to flesh out his core characteristic in the dialogue. The Riddler believes that he is smarter than everybody else and has chosen crime as a way to prove it.

I haven't said nearly enough about Kevin Nowlan's inks or David Baron's colors. Jose Garcia-Lopez isn't well known for his shadow work, and Nowlan is more evocative in this respect. At the same time, he respects Garcia-Lopez's pencils. The end result is a satisfying composite of artwork that exemplifies the strengths of both artists. David Baron's colors are much more vivid and varied than one is used to seeing in a Batman book. For some, Batman eschews color, yet the ice blue cinematography in Batman Returns proved that this was a specious supposition. Yes, Batman looks good in black and white, but his traditional indigo blues and dark grays are a necessity especially when contrasted with a more typically colorful figure like the Riddler. Because DeFillipis' and Weir's story has a giallo feel, the proper fleshtones become important to the superficial sexual elements of the plot. Baron's colors also better signify the insubstantial elements such as purplish night, glowing fire and the burning reds of sunrise.

I thoroughly enjoyed this arc of Batman Confidential. Thanks to Jose Garcia-Lopez, Nowlan and Baron, Batman looks good, especially with the lengthier ears. Thanks to Weir and DeFillipis, he acts like the proper Dark Knight I grew up with. His team-up with the Riddler offers comedy but more than comedy relief, and Tut proves to be an interesting, even horrific foe.

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