REVIEW: ‘Batman: Legends of Gotham,’ Issue #1

Batman: Legends of Gotham #1 is a one-shot published by DC Comics, written by Andy Diggle, art by Karl Mostert, colors by Romulo Fajardo Jr, and letters by Troy Peteri. RedHood breaks into the Batcave for information on a missing cache of files, but he is caught by Black Lightning and Katana, which leads to a team-up.

There is a brilliant plot within this comic. The setup takes its time but is well worth it. There is a primary mission that takes up so much space, purposefully distracting from the opening. It carries the traditional air of a team-up, pitting Red Hood and members of the Outsiders into a lion’s den of villains. It uses previous tales in order to set itself up, filled with callbacks and references.

Whilst you could go into the book without so much previous knowledge, I don’t think the comic does a good enough job of directly telling the reader where to look for further reading. The issue turns into a tense confrontation with a standoff of egos before exploding in a rush of chaos. Diggle’s storytelling is magnificent as the complicated is used to disguise the simple, hinting at the truth so blatantly whilst keeping it obscured. This is a comic that revisits the past, resets the present, and opens the door to the future all at the same time.

The cast of Batman: Legends of Gotham #1 is ultimately quite small. Red Hood is the focus, flanked by the idealistic minds of both Katana and Black Lightning. These two work brilliantly, as they know of Red Hood without overly understanding him, unlike the Robins or Bruce himself. So perhaps he can string them along in a way he would not be able to with his brothers. Whilst he is a loner, Diggle demonstrates how and why he will always be connected to the Bat Family.

Katana is used well, this passionate and angry character that actively doubts Red Hood and would be willing to go toe to toe with him if necessary. Black Lightning may be too reserved for my liking in this, either the pilot or part of the escape plan. Bane’s presence is extremely intimidating. He goes into a battle of confidence with figures such as Mercy Graves and Killer Croc, with the menacing ability to knock them down a peg. 

The art is fantastic. It is nice to see Red Hood with a more classic design, using a hood with a mask instead of a full helmet. The rest of his costume is distinct but created from more casual clothes. Mostert’s design or both Black Lightning and Katana are terrific too, placing an emphasis on details and additions over simplicity. Both Killer Croc and Bane, two important figures within this title, are huge and menacing.

The fight scenes are excellently choreographed, mixing the powers of Black Panther with the athletic martial arts of Todd and Katana. Red Hood’s violence is brutal and swift, dealing some rather surprising and gruesome damage. There is a flashback scene that recurs throughout the comic, and there is a change in aesthetics. Jason is younger and more volatile, his anger radiating from his body. The location for most of the story is a cityscape with some alien and off-world influences.

The colors are amazing. There are some very vibrant pieces—the rich shades on the costumes of the characters and the skin of some of the city’s residents. In the flashback, the tones go more understated and melancholy. The lettering is really characterful, with blemishes and scratchiness.

Batman: Legends of Gotham #1 is a magnificent comic. It is action-packed and energetic and filled with a dark soul. It uses the stories that have been told before to try and wrap some of them up, an epilogue for Jason Todd’s recent adventures. Diggle’s script is fantastic and intelligent, brought to life by a tremendous art team that really generates fun.

Batman: Legends of Gotham #1 is available wherever comics are sold.