All-Star Batman, Issue 3: My Own Worst Enemy is written by Scott Snyder and art by John Romita Jr. Batman's epic journey to try and free Harvey Dent from the duel personality, Two-Face that controls him. Battered and bloody fro\m all the villains trying to cash in on Two-Faces offer Batman has more than his fair share of work cut out for him. He does not have far to go now, but will he make it?
Batman has been beaten to a bloody pulp and it is remarkable to me that he is capable of breathing let alone continuing to fight. In fact if it was not for his new sidekick, Duke, I doubt he would still be breathing. Duke however arrived just in time to save both Batman and Two-Face from what would likely have been their deaths. Arriving at one of Bruce's hideouts himself and Harvey are patched up enough to continue on.
The most interesting and perhaps important portion of the issue is Bruce's reveal that he has know Harvey since they were children. When Bruce was still very young and shortly after his parents death alls he felt was anger and the need for revenge. Revenge in the form of killing the man responsible for his family's death. Alfred of course fearing for his young ward sent him away to a house or home for troubled youths. It is their he met Harvey. Bruce believe's his meeting with Harvey at that young age changed the course of who he would become as the Batman. Rather than being a man who does not kill he could have become a Batman that had no issue with taking the life of those he felt deserved it. He feels he owes Harvey and that is why he is so hell bent on taking him back to the place they first met where he intends to give him an antidote that he hopes will suppress the Two-Face persona permanently.
I enjoyed this issue solely for the backstory and the motivation that Snyder has given Batman. It is fun it is interesting and it builds on the mythos of Batman in what I believe is a positive way. So it is for those reasons I believe All-Star Batman, Issue 3: My Own Worst Enemy is a MUST READ for any Batman fan that wants to see his background built upon.
N.S.
While the addition of backstory is interesting, I feel that such things often hurt an already stretched suspension of disbelief.
ReplyDeleteOf all the people Bruce could meet as a kid he HAPPENS to meet Harvey.
Not some random kid. But Dent.
I feel like you can only build and rebuild characters first meeting and motivations so much before it just gets tough to swallow.
Even for a comic book.