ECC Ediciones presents us with the first issue of Batman: The Dark Ages, a series in which the origin of the superhero is changed
DC Comics It is one of the great North American comic book publishers, which has the greatest superheroes in the world, but there is one that is vital to the publisher, especially for the financial part, Batman. The character created by Bob Kane And Bill’s Finger in 1939 it is, perhaps together with Spidermanthe most exploited superhero in the world. The number of comics that come out each year about the superhero Gotham borders on overproduction.
In our country, the huge number of editions that The Killing Joke and The Dark Knight Returns have, the countless formats, are already a joke. This large number of comics can be counterproductive in terms of the quality of the stories, but every now and then something interesting comes out.
Mark Russell, Michael Allred And Laura Allred word Batman: The Dark AgesAND Another world that rewrites the myth and origin of the superhero in a way never seen before. ECC Editions brings us the first issue of this six-issue miniseries.
Batman’s New Origin
The Origin of the Superhero Gotham It is well known. The little Bruce He witnesses his parents being murdered outside the movie theater, a tragic event that will lead to his transformation into a vigilante. Mark Russell decides to change the situation, the parents are killed in the same way, but the young Bruce He had stayed home that night.
Him The World of Bruce Wayne What develops from this moment is a directionless and very lazy young man who keeps getting into trouble, a rich boy who knows that nothing will happen to him, because he has a legion of lawyers. Moreover, Wayne Enterprises is controlled by an unscrupulous businessman who will do anything to gain more wealth, but time is running out, because when Bruce Be of age, the company will be yours.
The screenwriter does not hesitate to criticize capitalism and the impunity enjoyed by the richest in our society, but always with the vigilante as the central axis. We will see iconic characters such as Selina, Alfred and other curious ones like the Dra. Grisons or a comic book whose name, even if it isn’t said, you can guess who it is, or who it will be.
Russell makes it clear at every moment that this unbearable teenager will end up becoming the terror of Gotham’s criminals, the most interesting question is how. Also in this first issue we can see the last days of Master Bruce, in a nursing home with memory problems, which makes it even more interesting to know what happened before to the billionaire Gotham end up in that situation. The new origin and the knowledge of what happened are the main attractions of this series, but it doesn’t seem like it will give much more of itself. In this first issue there is something missing to make these ideas stand out more.
Michael And Laura Allred They do a great job on the visual side, but this can be divisive among readers. Michael It has a unique style that you either love or hate, there is no middle ground and, in the case of the author of this article, he loves it. The design of the faces is worth highlighting, very beautiful and perfectly express the emotions of the characters. The color of Laura It goes very well with the drawing, although such a colorful comic with the word “dark” in the title is striking. It is not a very common visual work in superhero comics, but this undoubtedly gives the comic an originality that gives it a lot of value.
The Batman: The Dark Ages edition by ECC Ediciones
ECC presents the first issue of this series, consisting of 48 pages, in a rustic color binding, at the price of €9.50. A somewhat disconcerting price and format, especially for the number of pages it contains, and which will undoubtedly induce many readers to consider starting this collection, or, hopefully, to wait for a compilation volume. Batman: The Dark Ages is on sale now.
In short, a comic in which Batman’s origins are reconsidered in a rather original way, but it doesn’t seem like it will go much further than that change. The art by Michael and Laura Allred will not leave anyone indifferent and undoubtedly gives a unique personality to this first issue, which lacks something to make it more interesting.
Author: Marco Russell | Michael Allred | Laura Allred
Editorial: ECC Editions
Format: rustic
Pages: 48 color pages
Price: €9.50
Synopsis: Bruce Wayne, Young Delinquent! Thomas Wayne dreamed of the city of tomorrow, a bright and utopian Gotham City. However, when he and his wife were killed outside a movie theater, his son Bruce was forced to grow up in a place we all know. Filled with corruption and crime, this Gotham City sees a boy grow up whose life is far from that of Batman, the hero he is destined to be. Meanwhile, the family business is rocked by events with unpredictable consequences.
After Superman: The Space Age, Mark Russell, Mike Allred And Laura Allred they introduce us Batman: The Dark Agesa real-time story where events in the vignettes intertwine with real-world events in a unique way. Bimonthly frequency.
