As Batman wraps up his nightly patrol, apprehending criminals and muggers alike, a string of murders have occurred, leaving a trail of mangled bodies throughout the streets of Gotham.
But who is behind these murders? What ancient evil is plaguing the citizens of Gotham during the holidays? What are they after? Can Batman solve this case before the holidays turn into a funeral service?
This is a fun holiday two-parter that Tomasi and company have put together just in time for the holiday season. It’s interesting to see Tomasi introduce a new character that despite possibly being a villain of the week bad guy, could possibly reappear in future holiday issues. For some reason, this ancient villain seems like he could have appeared in the 90’s Batman animated series due to his overall appearance, but then again, that’s what makes this story great since the whole issue itself feels like it could have been an episode within that classic Timm/Dini series. There are some nice interactions between Batman and the GCPD in addition to some cute moments with Batman and his dogs, Ace and Titus. What makes this issue interesting to me is how Tomasi continues to maintain the duality of both Bruce Wayne and Batman despite acknowledging the fallout that occurred within the main title.
One thing that got me curious is the ramifications that happened from the main Batman title subtle being referenced within this title as a certain character doesn’t seem to appear within this issue. Yet despite the acknowledgment of the mainline title, Tomasi does a great job at moving the story forward without drowning the reader with heavy exposition, making this a fun two-part murder mystery. The art by Godlewski is great and coupled with David Baron’s colors in addition to Rob Leigh’s lettering, makes this issue a good murder mystery to read for the holiday season. It’s a perfect addition to the holiday season, and when you read that while having Batman Returns be apart of the holiday marathon, how could you not add this to your pull list?
Newsdesk