A review by billyjepma
Batman: The Knight by Chip Zdarsky

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Ironically, this Bruce Wayne story is a better Batman comic than the Batman comic Zdarsky is writing in the main series right now. It’s brooding and angsty, but never to an egregious degree. Zdarsky is playing to his strengths—this feels very in line with his Daredevil work—and leans into the gritty, adjacently-YA nature of a 20-something Bruce Wayne traveling the world to train himself into what he’ll eventually become. I like how talkative this Bruce is, I like how pretentious he can be (especially since Zdarsky is self-aware of that pretension, even if the character isn’t), and really like how well Zdarsky’s voice works for this brasher, more raw incarnation of the character. There’s lots of fun to be had, as the growing cast of supporting characters are all excellent and do a great job drawing out different parts of Bruce’s evolving persona. It’s also surprisingly violent at times, with more bloodshed and grit than I expected going in, which also lends the series an edge that I liked. There’s not anything altogether new or fresh here, admittedly, so anyone hoping for a reinvention of Bruce’s early days will be disappointed. But I love seeing different teams put their little spin on familiar material, so I had a great time. 

It’s Di Giandomenico’s art that elevates this, though. As much as I enjoyed Zdarsky’s writing, the art and coloring (from Ivan Plascencia, who always delivers) draw out the best parts in the script. They give the story its grit, showcasing plenty of impressive physicality in the action and training scenes but also a hefty dose of emotion, too. Those emotions can be exaggerated—the grimaces can occasionally swallow entire faces—but feel aligned with the tone Zdarsky’s shooting for. The whole thing has some anime influences, honestly, which I can see not working for everyone, but it was something I very much vibed with. This is definitely a book I’ll be adding to my shelf.
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