With World War II on the horizon and crime running rampant in the streets of Gotham, there’s only one person who can fight the darkness. Your Major Spoilers review of The Bat-Man: First Knight #1, awaits!

THE BAT-MAN: FIRST KNIGHT #1

Writer: Dan Jurgens
Artist: Mike Perkins
Colorist: Mike Spicer
Letterer: Simon Bowland
Editor: Matthew Levine
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $6.99
Release Date: March 5th, 2024

Previously in The Bat-Man: First Knight: The year is 1939. The world, still reeling from the horrors of the First World War, is on the brink of tipping into an even more gruesome conflict. Against this backdrop, a series of violent murders has begun in Gotham, and the recent emergence of the mysterious vigilante known as The Bat-Man has the power brokers of the city living in fear of institutional collapse.

WHO IS THE BAT-MAN?

The Bat-Man: First Knight #1 opens with a mysterious phone call in which the speaker outlines how he and his associates are going to take advantage of the next big war coming. Things then cut to Jim Gordon showing up at a restaurant to investigate another murder. Inside he finds the remains of a councilman. Afterwards, he is given a ride from Bruce Wayne where they discuss the nature of the city and the recent sightings of The Bat-Man. Later on, the mayor of Gotham City is attacked by a group of disfigured men. But The Bat-Man intervenes and manages to lead them away but is unable to capture them. He’s given refuge at a synagogue and speaks with the rabbi. Later he begins investigating who these men were. He receives a tip and realizes that his next clue might tied to a man about to be executed at Blackgate.

SWINGS FOR THE FENCES, ENDS UP HEAVY-HANDED AND A LITTLE CHEESY

I will absolutely give the creators here credit for really trying to nail the tone of the 1930s but as viewed through a modern lens. In some instances, it really works, the relationship between The Bat-Man, the police, the politicians, and even the people who run the prison is the type that feels like it could only exist in a time before modern technology and late-stage capitalism. The plot is a good mixture of detective work, two-fisted action, fantastical elements, political intrigue, questionable social policies, and a decent amount of class commentary. There’s also this sense that this script could easily have been a radio drama with a lot of monologues and over-the-top voices given to the characters. But that radio feeling is also where things fall apart in this issue. There are a few instances where it looks like the writers found a dictionary of old-time slang and just started throwing in every word they could find, which ruined the façade that this is a story from the 30s rather than something mimicking 1930s media. Also, there is one moment in particular that really felt out of place. There’s a whole conversation between The Bat-Man and a rabbi that finds him, which eventually becomes a long talk about the dangers of fascism and the rise of nazis in the US, which is a perfectly fine and important topic, but it was handled with such a heavy hand and lack of subtlety that it seemed almost cartoonish in its delivery. All that being said, this is still a good examination of a part of the history of this character that doesn’t get a lot of eyes on it.

ABSOLUTELY STUNNING, EXCEPT WHEN IT’S NOT

The art in this issue is gorgeous. Somehow, they managed to capture a city that has both the final remnants of the Gilded Age and clear signs of the ever-present Great Depression. The cars, architecture, and clothes of the era are all beautifully recreated and look like they could’ve been pulled straight from advertisements of the time. They even managed to make the somewhat goofy early incarnation of the Bat-Man costume look imposing. Where this doesn’t really work though is in the action sequences. All of that detail gets muddied when any of the characters are being shown in a state of movement and it just gets hard to quite make out what is happening.

BOTTOM LINE: BLACK LABEL IS A GOOD FIT FOR THIS

The Bat-Man: First Knight #1 is an ambitious comic book that is trying things that most comic books don’t try to do. In a lot of ways, it pulls it off and feels like a lovingly crafted period piece that simultaneously pulls from a fictional past and a real one. Unfortunately, there can be too much of a good thing and the issue can be cartoonish at times as it tries to drive home the fact that this is supposed to take place in the 30s. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

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