Batman, the dark knight

This Batman tale is supposedly all about the danger of both fear and the absence of fear. After a massive prison break from Arkham Asylum, Batman finds himself fighting many of his old foes, all amped up with additional powers. Batman fights to save Gotham, and himself, from these new threats, while trying to uncover the mystery of what is controlling them. While the fear element laces through all the stories, it's not enough of a driving force for the book, and Batman lumbers around from villain to villain and conflict to conflict rather aimlessly. There are some traditionally exciting superhero cliffhangers that would be effective, except in all cases but one the cliffhanger is disassembled moments later as nothing more than a ruse. In fact, the only cliffhanger of merit in the entire book goes nowhere as the character in question disappears and is never seen again. The book is overwritten and fussily drawn, with colors that are far too dark and storytelling that is frequently difficult to follow. While characters in costume are generally well-done, out-of-costume characters like Bruce Wayne and Alfred are inconsistent and ill-defined. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Gotham's villains have a new power, a kind of fear serum that turns already formidable foes into deadly, rampaging monsters. As more clues about the serum are uncovered, red herrings and serum-infused criminals from Batman's past abound. Fans of the artwork in Ultimate X-Men and Moon Knight will not be disappointed; the fight scenes tumble and claw their way through most of the book. Unfortunately, the plot doesn't pack the same punch and mainly serves to bridge one fight scene to another. A few random sequences are plain baffling: Batman jumping into his jet with an ice cream cone? Some exceptions are the glimpses we're given of Commissioner Gordon's personal struggle and the two supplemental stories, Joe Harris's "The Madness" and Judd Winnick's compelling "I Can No Longer Be Broken." Verdict Aside from a new villain being lightly introduced, there's not a lot happening here. At best, this is a secondary purchase for older teens and adults. For a better balance of action and character development, refer fans to Batman's other current titles.-Marlan Brinkley, Atlanta-Fulton P.L. (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.