Free from the grips of Mr. Freeze, and all that oppose her, Nora Freeze is calling the shots. With the city under her cold grips, Mrs. Freeze wastes no time in creating an icy graveyard for her husband Mr. Freeze and Batman.
Will Mr. Freeze cure Mrs. Freeze? Will Mr. Freeze find compassion in the heart of the one he once knew? Or will he receive the cold shoulder and the harsh reality of once was and will never be?
Tomasi has possibly written one of the best Mr. Freeze stories in recent years. Throughout this arc, Tomasi has explored the ramifications of the long-held goal that Mr. Freeze had based his entire existence on, while gloriously displaying the disappointing reality of when the goal is finally realized. I’m glad that Tomasi found a way to make this story standalone without all of the Year of the Villain content that is happening across the DC books overshadow this story. Mr. Freeze is conflicted and is desperate to help his wife become the woman that he once recognized, and it’s refreshing to see a different approach to Mr. Freeze that feels natural to his character. In some ways, this feels like it’s more of Freeze’s story than it is Batman’s story which is pretty cool given that it adds more layers to Batman’s rogues gallery. What makes this book even more enjoyable is Batman behaving as the detective that many have come to know and seeing just how demented Mrs. Freeze has become since her revival. He is vicious, vile, and pretty terrifying in every facet. It is interesting how much Mrs. Freeze has become a foil of what Mr. Freeze once was compared to who he is currently, and seeing how conflicting of a challenge it is for Mr. Freeze to come to terms with the current state of things.
In regards to the art department, Mahnke’s artwork is consistently amazing and does a great job of illustrating Batman in his cold-resistant suit. Makhnke does a fantastic job at displaying the rapport between Batman and Mr. Freeze as they work together to save Mrs. Freeze. Each of Mahnke’s pages are superbly inked by Chris Alamy and Kieth Champagne, giving a crisp aesthetic that continues to make this book shine in all the right ways. Kirkham is a guest illustrator on this issue and does a fantastic job at creatively drawing out panel layouts while maintaining visual continuity of this story. Mark Irwin does a good job at inking Kirkham’s pages, which is also handled well by Kirkham as well. David Baron’s colors blanket the entire book providing a vibrant sense of energy and power throughout the book as Leigh delivers beautiful dialogue placement amongst the art team’s work. This is a worthwhile title that delivers to provide good character development, exciting action, and story that leaves you wanting more. If you’re a Batman fan, then this is worthwhile Batman title to pick up especially for new comic book day.
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