REVIEW: ‘I Am Batman,’ Issue #4

I Am Batman #4 is written by John Ridley, illustrated by Stephen Segovia & Christian Duce, colored by Rex Lokus, and lettered by ALW’s Troy Peteri. It is published by DC Comics. In the aftermath of Fear State, Jace Fox hunts down the mysterious Seer but is soon ambushed by a group of Peacekeepers, seeking revenge for the fall of the Magistrate. Meanwhile, the Fox family contemplates leaving Gotham City while the mysterious Victor Noonan pushes for the ability to enforce martial law in Gotham using his T.A.L.O.S. program.

I mentioned before that the last two issues didn’t really tie into the Fear State storyline, so for this issue to deal with its fallout is rather jarring. That being said, Ridley’s script shines when it turns its focus on the Fox family and the struggles they’re going through. Patriarch Lucius is still dealing with the twin hammer blows of the Joker War and Fear State, which has soured his outlook on Batman and other vigilantes in Gotham. This dovetails with Jace’s desire to be a force for good as Batman, which has drawn multiple targets onto his back; it’s not a good sign when your own father is wishing that your alter ego would have been shot. That potential for drama is ripe and could definitely fuel future issues.

Once again, Segovia is dividing illustration duties on the comic with another artist-this time, Duce. However, the delineation between both artists is fairly clear to see, and both get to draw a pair of action sequences that pits Batman against the rogue Peacekeepers and an agent of T.A.L.O.S., respectively. Segovia draws the first sequence, which shows Batman making quick work of the Peacemakers; he uses his retractable batons in a way that would make Daredevil jealous. The new Dark Knight doesn’t fare as well against the T.A.L.O.S. soldier, with Duce illustrating a series of panels that feature him getting slammed around. Lokus brings the dark vibe of Gotham to both sequences, with the first sequence being wreathed in green clouds of smoke and the second taking place at an abandoned construction site.

The T.A.L.O.S. program underlines another problem with the issue; mainly that it feels like a replacement for the Magistrate. Granted the T.A.L.O.S. soldier looks extremely cool-like a Power Ranger on steroids-but we already had an armored group of jackbooted thugs enforce martial law in Future State and Fear State. Even if this is inching closer to the dark future where we first saw Jace as Batman, Ridley could be a little more subtle with the setup.

I Am Batman #4 tackles the fallout from Fear State and how it affects the Fox family, but ultimately serves as little more than a setup for the series’ next story arc. With said story arc taking Jace and his family to New York City, I hope a fresh start for the Fox family is also a second chance for the series to find its footing.

I Am Batman #4 is available wherever comics are sold.