I have heard that The Black Bat from the 30s inspired many superheroes of our day. I was curious to see how Dynamite has been incorporating this blast from the past into a current hero. Ronan Cliquet takes us on that ride right away with being thrown into this updated vigilante story. I love Bat’s costume and can see why so many greats have been mimicked from this idol. There isn’t much coloring but the imagery allows for the reader to be in a dark place. Plus when your superhero is blind, I think it is important we feel some of that too. Giving the readers lots of dark muted colors really allows us to jump into his role. Plus Anthony Quinn’s story is dark when the mob is involved; there usually is a grey cover over the situation. Anthony Quinn, aka The Black Bat, has got so many bones to pick it is hard to just pick a starting point. Last issue, Bat picked saving Carol over being the one thing he was meant to be; a hero. In doing so, Carol is ill. Bat can’t seem to focus on anything right now. Even his sidekick, Silk, can’t snap him out of his slump.
The issue doesn’t have a lot going on. Sort of a bad issue to just jump in the middle of, but I can roll with it. Actually we don’t even see Anthony jump into character until the last couple of pages. I was disappointed with the minimal action, but the story was rich with characters. I will have to come back. The thing I love about this series right away is how interconnected the police are with Bat. You can tell they sort of work together and then sort of don’t admit that they work together. A typical love/hate relationship. Wouldn’t it be great if heroes and detectives could just work together in order to bring these buttheads to justice. Again, the comic clearly reflects so many classics now, such as Daredevil, X, and Batman. The vigilante is probably my favorite hero story. It always has struggles to deal with that intergalactic heroes don’t have. They have more broken down ships slash alien probes to deal with.
All in all, I think Dynamite has a good comic with The Black Bat. I think it is cool when a remake can be done well and even teach new comic lovers about the rich past of comics. The Black Bat dates back pretty far but still is relevant with today’s heroes. I wouldn’t recommend jumping on with this particular issue, but I think #11 will be a great dive into a new story. It seems Anthony has a lot on his mind with Carol and almost giving up the suit, although I feel like that is an everyday struggle for him. A lot of lines are crossing, so pay attention to who is good and who is bad... well for now.
Score: 3/5
Writer: Brian Buccellato Artist: Ronan Cliquet Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment Price: $3.99 Release Date: 5/7/14 Format: Ongoing, Print/Digital