Posted on: August 26th, 2009 BATMAN: Kevin Smith’s Widening Gyre REVIEW
When I was around 13, I saw Mallrats for the first time. I adored it. I can still quote the opening pet store monologue by heart. I liked the heavy dialogue, comic book themes, everything about it. To this day, I still have a soft spot for anything Kevin Smith turns out. He’ll continue to get my money. But I will go on record right now as saying the cat can’t write Batman.
The stories themselves are strong and his support cast is amazing. The classic villains are well penned and Smith comes up with unsettling new characters too. I draw your attention to the Green Arrow villain crossover Onomatopoeia. A guy doesn’t say anything but the sound that a gun makes? That’s creepy, guys. But Smith’s Bruce Wayne/Batman? Not so great.
Batman: The Widening Gyre started off its series today. Smith and his old friend Walt Flanagan came back from their run on Batman: Cacophony for this six-part series. I read that run and had the exact same feelings. It’s not like we are all unfamiliar with Batman-he’s dark, brooding, destructive and he’s got a lot of baggage. Smith’s caped crusader is light-humored, overly self-aware and narrates like a snappy film noir detective. Maybe it’s his attempt at humanizing the vigilante in separating the man from the mask but I don’t like it.
On a separate note, if you find yourself attracted to Pamela Isley, at least flip through this issue. It’s worth mention that her overt sexuality in the book reads like the dialogue in a porno. Is that good? Well, do think porn dialogue is strong? At any rate, Flanagan outdid himself on her and the flora.
He did an excellent job on the entire book honestly. I liked how he used panels but brought the images out of the confines. It creates a three-dimensional effect during the action sequences that pulls you into the art. Why shouldn’t Ivy’s appearance be framed by vines? The decision to have them catch on fire during Etrigan’s entrance was perfect. Well played, Walter. Well played.
Okay, does this all mean the book’s worth your time? Not necessarily. These stories never really fit into Batman’s continuity so it’s not like you would have to read it to stay up-to-date on the story lines. If you’ve never cared for the character of Batman so much as you enjoy his surrounding characters, then go ahead and give this a shot. If you liked Cacophony, then definitely read this series. However, if you aren’t a hardcore Batman reader or a hardcore Kevin Smith fan, don’t bother picking it up.