In this follow-up, Batman – Santa Claus: Silent Knight Returns #2 — written by Jeff Parker, drawn by Lukas Ketner and Michele Bandini and covered by Marcelo Maiolo and Bernard Chang – readers discover much more history about the titular knight, how he came to be and just how formidable this threat is to Batman, Robin , and the rest of these heroes.
Readers find our heroes in two very different locations as each team pieces together information about what is happening and how to stop it. Batman and his team remain in an unknown realm, trying to gain information on a fallen monster. Meanwhile, Robin, Santa, and Zatanna head from Gotham City to Wintersgate Manor to infiltrate a party for magic users. They aim to obtain more information there about the symbol with which the knight marked people.— it sucks out their life force.
Robin and Santa decorate the bad guys
Except we all want more
Fortunately, Batman’s absence in the first issue is immediately put to good use. Gotham City is overrun in her absence and Robin and Santa get to join in some fun action while Zatanna searches for answers. However, as fun as it is to see Santa get the better of someone, this whole moment could have been longer. Readers would have loved to see this as a centerpiece. Fans are tackling these issues to see Santa Claus fight alongside characters like Batman and Robin. This beat ends almost as quickly as it begins. Robin presents a plan of attack only to be stopped by Santa and his use of magic sand, instantly thwarting the villains. It’s a little disappointing not to see more of what could have been, but it’s also a testament to the experience and power of Santa Claus.
Comic features eye candy canes
The art in this issue responds wonderfully to readers’ desires
Fortunately, Robin and Santa’s confrontation with Gotham’s thugs is presented beautifully in the panels and sets the tone for the rest of the issue. There are lots of fun and dynamic visuals throughout. Seeing Batman attack monsters while his cape overlaps the previous panels gives so much weight and depth to the moment, which in turn makes Batman feel heavy and powerful. Robin and Zantana later joke that magic users must enjoy telling stories with their abilities. It’s a fitting setup for many beautiful panels that use a period-appropriate Arthurian art style. It transports readers into the story with the characters in the room watching it.
The information highway
The comic struggles because it covers a lot of ground
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This problem is almost the opposite of the first problem in that there is a lot of information up front here instead of taking advantage of an action and asking questions later. On Batman’s side, the heroes defeated and forced a monster named Korgus to report them to his master, the Knight. There’s a lot of story as the heroes stand and listen to what they’re facing. The fact that the whole story ends up being used as a way to distract the heroes while the rest of Korgus’ cronies prepare to surround and attack is a nice touch. As they say, a Batarang full of sugar helps the medicine go down.
But there’s even more history and exposition on the other side of this story with Santa, Robin, and Zatanna. It’s interesting, and it obviously gives rise to a lot of interesting ideas, but it still feels like you’re in a room alongside these characters and listening to a story instead of seeing these specific characters play out. engage and directly affect this plot. However, the saving grace here is the pleasure felt throughout. Zatanna needlessly hexing Santa just to say she did it is a big moment. Santa infiltrating the party dressed as Batman is great and the jokes that string together these beats keep things light and fun while readers absorb this information.
Intrigued but hesitant
A difficult place to live
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This story is still very intriguing and it has been a lot of fun so far. It’s enough to keep going and see where it goes, but it still requires more between now and the end. The cliffhanger ending here is twofold. Halfway through the issue, readers end up seeing Batman and company ambushed by the Knight’s army. That’s a big promise of fun action to come. And second, right at the end, Jason Blood falls victim to the Knight – which is compelling but doesn’t leave fans with much to look forward to beyond a general, “What happens next?” And as far as it being an effective emotional beat to end on, I’m not sure it succeeds either. As for this specific story, it happened to someone who was just introduced. If this had happened to Santa Claus, for example, readers would come away with a giant: “Wait! Santa Claus?! He surely still has work to do in this race! While this may be an extreme example, it illustrates a broader point that readers could have used something extra to be drawn in and motivated to continue reading next week.
Batman / Santa Claus: Silent Knight
The four-part, generation-long crossover event begins when a not-so-merry St. Nick arrives in Gotham City to investigate a brutal crime in the days leading up to Christmas.