| Batman: Streets of Gotham | |
|---|---|
 Variant incentive cover to Batman: Streets of Gotham #1. Art by J.G. Jones. |
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| Schedule | Monthly |
| Format | Ongoing series |
| Genre | Superhero |
| Publication date | June 2009 – present |
| Number of issues | 5 (as of October 2009) |
| Main character(s) | Dick Grayson/Batman Damian Wayne/Robin[1] Commissioner Gordon[2] |
| Creative team | |
| Writer(s) | Paul Dini |
| Penciller(s) | Dustin Nguyen |
| Inker(s) | Derek Fridolfs |
| Letterer(s) | Steve Wands |
| Colorist(s) | John Kalisz |
| Editor(s) | Mike Marts Janelle Siegel |
Batman: Streets of Gotham is an American comic book ongoing series written by Paul Dini, with art by Dustin Nguyen.[3] The series will star Dick Grayson as the new Batman and will tie into Grant Morrison's overarching "Batman: Reborn" story and possibly the new Gotham City Sirens monthly.[2] The first issue was released in June 2009.[4]
Streets of Gotham features Batman as the main character, but from a "street level" with other characters providing the main narrative. When asked about the style of Streets of Gotham, Batman group editor Mike Marts explained, "...these are Batman stories told through the point of view of other characters in Gotham City. So it could be Commissioner Gordon telling the story, it could be a villain, or it could be a supporting character telling the story."[2]
The series also includes a Manhunter co-feature written by Marc Andreyko and illustrated by Georges Jeanty.[4]
Contents |
Tone and Style
Main feature
In addition to Batman and Robin the series follows a number of characters from the DC Universe, including Firefly, Hush and Black Mask. The first arc features the attempts of a Disguised Hush to fill the role of Bruce Wayne, while Firefly, Black Mask and others wreak havoc in the city. The writer Dini notes "I’ve always liked that interpretation of Batman – you see him from the crooks’ point of view, or you see him from an innocent person’s point of view. So with this, it was “Let’s leave the Batcave behind, let’s leave the alter ego behind, let’s just do Batman and the effect he has on people."[5]
Chris Yost fills in for Paul Dini in a two part story arc called Leviathan in which Huntress teams up with Man Bat to stop a ravaged Priest who believes god is telling him to kill the two. The story drives away from the plot involving Victor Zsasz that Paul Dini was working on.
"Manhunter" back strip
The series also contains a nine-page strip written by Marc Andreyko featuring the Manhunter. The story follows her arrival in Gotham as District Attorney. Writer Andreyko notes that "I think it’s the smartest way to get new characters out there in people’s minds, because with the economy being as horrible as it is, and with retailers having their choice of 300 Avengers books or 1500 Batman books or 1700 X-Men books, putting these backups in books that compliment each other, allows people to check these things out."[6]
Chris Yost
Writer Chris Yost was approached by Batman Group Editor Mike Marts to write issues 5 and 6 of Batman: Streets of Gotham before Paul Dini would return to take over the series again in issue 7. [7]
Plot
Batman
Issues 1-4 with Paul Dini
The first issue sets up the story for the next three with Firefly burning the citizens of Gotham. The story is continued in the next issue with Hush taking advantage of the situation and escaping. Victor Zsasz also saves Black Mask's life in this issue and Firefly is caught. In the next issue Hush is given limits as Bruce Wayne and Zsasz is given a briefcase full of money by Black Mask to do what he would with it. In the fourth issue Zsasz begins putting his new funds to use, kidnapping dozens of Gotham street children and holding them in a newly acquired hideout. The issue is told from the point of view of the Broker, the man who sold Zsasz his hideout and has done the same for several villains over the years. It ends with Batman beating the Broker for information about Zsasz, not revealing whether the Broker told the Batman anything.
Issues 5-6 with Chris Yost
The two part arc Leviathan is written by guest writer Chris Yost and introduces Father Mark in a scene that happened in the past and in current time Huntress is chasing Man-Bat, she then teams up with up him to stop Father Mark who is having a Nervous Breakdown.
As Man-Bat is about to take out the man who is presumably voicing god (he is hired by Black Mask) Batman arrives and turns him back into Kirk Langstrom. The priest however is not actually having a nervous breakdown and knows about the man pretending to be god. Father Mark takes out the man and Batman returns to hunting Victor Zsasz.
Manhunter
Issues 1-3 with art by Georges Jeanty
The story focuses on Kate Spencer's life in Gotham City as the new DA and her quest to capture the killer of the old DA. After visiting Arkham she is visited by Jane Doe who attacks her, Kate is saved by Huntress. [8]
Current art by Jeremy Haun
Kate decides to go after Two-Face announcing it publically, in reaction, her friend Dylan joins forces with Two-Face. Together they kill all the people in a bar. Kate sets out to investigate this and connects it to Jane Doe who was interrogated by two detectives and to save her own life (Black Mask put implants that would kill her) she makes Two-Face her hitman.
Dylan decides to help Two-Face rob masks in a museum and saves Kate before a man shoots her in the head, Kate not knowing it is Dylan blasts him with her staff disintegrating his leg. Dylan reveals it is him immediately after.
Reception
Batman
IGN described the series as similar in tone to Ed Brubaker's Criminal, and the focus on a more human angle makes "Heros seem larger than life, and is awe-inspiring." [9].
Comic Book Resources noted that with issue 3 that "At this point, I think it's safe to say that "Batman: Streets of Gotham" isn't going to be that different of an approach to a Bat-title than any of the others" [10].
Fill-In Writers
Chris Yost acted as the first fill-in writer for Dini on issues 5 and 6 giving the fans a two-part story entitled Leviathan. IGN stated issue five as being "odd and frustrating" while praising Nguyen's work.[11].
Notes
- ^ Batman: Streets of Gotham #1 Preview, Newsarama
- ^ a b c "Inside the Relaunch of Batman", IGN Comics
- ^ Renaud, Jeffrey (June 17, 2009). "Dini Takes it to the Streets of Gotham". http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=21635. Retrieved 2009-06-17.
- ^ a b Batman: Streets of Gotham #1 solicitation, DC Comics
- ^ Brady, Matt (2009-03-05). "A Quick Gotham City Visit with Paul Dini". Newsarama. http://www.newsarama.com/comics/030905-Dini-Gotham.html. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
- ^ Burlingame, Russ (2009-07-12). "Closing Statements Q&A: Manhunter: Streets of Gotham #1". Newsarama. http://blog.newsarama.com/2009/07/12/closing-statements-qa-manhunter-streets-of-gotham-1/. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
- ^ [1] Chris Yost Interview
- ^ comicvine review Bataman: Streets of Gotham 4 Manhunter
- ^ Joel, Bryan (2009-05-17). "Batman: Streets of Gotham #1 Review". IGN. http://uk.comics.ign.com/articles/995/995856p1.html. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
- ^ McElhatton, Greg (2009-08-20). "Batman: Streets of Gotham #3". Comic Book Resources. http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=user_review&id=1321. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
- ^ Phillips, Dan. "Batman: Streets of Gotham #5". IGN. http://comics.ign.com/articles/103/1037694p1.html.
References
- Batman: Streets of Gotham at the Grand Comic-Book Database
- Batman: Streets of Gotham at the Comic Book DB
External links
- First Look at Batman's Streets and Sirens, IGN, March 17, 2009
- Batman: Streets of Gotham at the Comics wiki
- Review: Batman: Streets of Gotham #1, Comic Book Resources
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
