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In Batman: City of Madness #3, Batman finally reaches the heart of Gotham Below and confronts an occult entity in an attempt to save Jevoney.
Title: Batman: City of Madness #3Writer, Artist and Colorist: Christian WardLetterer: Hassan Otsmane-ElhaouMain Cover: Christian WardVariant Cover: Bill Sienkiewicz, Patric ReynoldsRelease Date: February 13th, 2023.
Please be aware that this review contains spoilers.
Batman: City of Madness #3 begins with Batman and Talon battling villains like Firefly and Croc in Gotham Below to reach a version of Arkham located at the center of Gotham Below. Upon arriving at Arkham, they encounter the Gotham Below version of Harvey, who explains that the origins of all the chaos trace back to Amadeus Arkham’s misguided attempts to save his son Arthur. Amadeus made a pact with a dark occult entity, leading to a series of events where Arthur was replaced by a copy, and the entity fed off his pain and suffering. As time passed, the entity built a city (Gotham Below) based on this pain. Harvey also reveals that the Gotham Below version of Bruce is deceased because he tried to assist him, emphasizing their friendship. A confrontation between Batman and Talon ensues, resulting in Talon facing the entity directly.
Meanwhile, Batman Below tries to manipulate Jevoney (a potential new Robin) into committing murder by targeting a man resembling the one who killed Jevoney’s father. Batman intervenes, leading to a clash with Batman Below. Talon gets absorbed by the entity and activates a suicide bomb from within. Batman convinces Jevoney to turn away from revenge by revealing his true identity. Harvey warns Batman about Talon’s bomb, prompting Batman to flee with Jevoney using a flying vehicle belonging to Batman Below. Despite Batman’s efforts to rescue Arthur, he chooses to remain behind. In the real Gotham, Jevoney receives counseling, and his father’s murderer faces justice. A heartwarming reunion between Bruce and Alfred in the Batcave hints at the identity of the copy of Arthur Arkham in Gotham as the Joker.
Overall, Batman: City of Madness #3 effectively concludes the main storyline. While exploring themes of fatherhood, mentorship, and avoiding vengeance, the depth of these themes and their execution felt somewhat lacking and familiar. Several unresolved plot points, such as the Court of Owls subplot, left me wanting more closure. The convenience of certain events in the story also detracted from the narrative’s credibility. Despite these shortcomings, the artwork and color schemes in this issue remain exceptional and are the standout features of the comic. Christian Ward’s artistic prowess shines through, making this style ideal for an animated adaptation. I look forward to seeing more of Ward’s work in the DC universe, particularly in Gotham.
Editor’s Note: TBU received an advanced copy of this comic from DC Comics for review purposes. You can purchase this issue digitally on Amazon or obtain a physical copy through Things From Another World to support TBU.
Batman: City of Madness #3
Final Thoughts
The art and colors continue to be absolutely phenomenal and is the main draw for me with this book. I actually think this style and design would work amazingly well for an animated film. Ward understands the visual aspect of the comic book medium like few others right now. I hope to see him do more work at DC, and in Gotham specifically, in the future.
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