REVIEW: ‘I Am Batman,’ Issue #3

I Am Batman #3 is written by John Ridley, illustrated by Stephen Segovia, colored by Rex Lokus, and lettered by ALW’s Troy Peteri. It is published by DC Comics. The Moral Authority has launched an attack on Gotham’s Juvenile Detention Facility, where one of their own is being detained—and where Jace Fox’s mother Tanya is meeting with said member as his attorney. Jace suits up as Batman to confront the Moral Authority, while also staying one step ahead of the Gotham City Police Department. Meanwhile, the Seer continues to spin his web.

Though this issue continues to bear the Fear State heading, much like the previous issue it has very little to do with the ongoing event storyline. I’m not sure why the Fear State heading was even needed, as this series stands apart from the main DC Comics continuity and is meant to lead up to the eventual DC Future State timeline. Maybe it’s to boost sales, but that only highlights the double-edged sword of event storylines; it feels like they often sweep across every title in their path, whether that title fits into the grand narrative or not.

Despite all this, Ridley manages to wring a solid story out of the issue’s premise. Jace’s double life as Batman has begun to seep into his civilian life and his relationships with his family; he’s often late to work due to his Batman patrols, which drives a further wedge between him and his father Lucius. And when he learns that his mother is in danger from the Moral Authority, he leaps into action to stop them. The Fox family’s dynamic has been a large part of Ridley’s Batman saga, and I’m glad that he’s continued to explore it. And the Seer continues to enact his grand plan in the shadow; he has a lot in common with longtime Batman foes like the Scarecrow and Riddler, and I personally enjoy foes who test the Dark Knight’s mental capacity.

Less solid is the artistic continuity of the series. Segovia, who illustrated the second issue, returns and is joined by Duce, who illustrates the majority of the issue. While Duce is a solid artist— especially in his action sequences, which finds Batman taking down the Moral Authority with crippling strikes —it’s jarring to go from issue to issue and expect different artists. I personally would have loved it if Olivier Coipel, who illustrated the debut issue, was the main artist on the series as his style is ideally suited to Ridley’s vision. Lokus remains the sole colorist, continuing to drape Gotham and Jace’s word captions in dark, muted tones. That same sense of darkness extends to the lettering; the credits are depicted in jagged letters and Batman’s retractable batons extend with a dark yellow “shssk” sound.

Despite lacking a connection to the “Fear State” storyline and a solid art style, I Am Batman #3 manages to deliver a solid action story that touches upon the complicated relationships of the Fox family. I hope that future issues continue building up Ridley’s take on the Batman mythos and that a solid artistic team is found in the process.

I Am Batman #3 is available now wherever comics are sold.