Legends of the Dark Knight #81 Review

Written by: Ron Marz
Art by: Cully Hamner
Cover Price: $0.99
Release Date: December 12, 2014

Nemo Me Impune Lacessit

I mentioned in my review for last week's issue of Legends of the Dark Knight that this book snuck up on me.  Partly because the series returned seemingly out of nowhere, but also because I never thought I'd enjoy a Batman comic with Edgar Allan Poe as the villain.  I really enjoyed the issue and it's dark and gloomy protagonist.  I must confess that I am a bit of a Poe fan so that helped, but even without knowing the many literary references, Ron Marz gave readers a pretty cool Batman story.  Catwoman was kidnapped, there's the mystery of who this "Edgar" really is and of course, the cliffhanger when he declared he killed Batman. This week continues the story with even more references, tension and a continuing mystery.



The issue opens in the present with Edgar again being interviewed in Arkham.  He made some wild claims at the end of last issue and Dr. Updin and him continue their little cat and mouse.  Cue the flashback as we go back to see what happened.  Edgar and his crew have Batman and are taking him to face his fate.  Kudos to Marz and Hamner for their unique use of perspective in this issue.  Marz has told his story with the very Poe-like villain's perspective and Hamner mixes things up a bit with Batman's perspective during his capture.  Awesome.

Ron Marz has really done a great job mixing Poe's writing as a backdrop for the story and this issue is even better than the last.  While there are many subtle (and not so subtle) things going on, anyone familiar with "The Cask of Amontillado" will really get a kick out of this one.  It hints at the motivation of Edgar's wrongdoing and also sets up what happens to Batman.  Believe me, it's not pretty and kind of solidifies what Edgar told Dr. Updin last week.  When Edgar reveals the fate of Batman (he can't really be dead, right?), Updin shifts the questioning to where Catwoman is.  Her fate is the cliffhanger and obviously next week's issue.  I can't wait.  On a side note, I really think Edgar would have made an excellent Batman '66 villain played by Joseph Cotten or a campy Mickey Rooney.

Cully Hamner continues the great job he started last issue.  While I still love seeing a modern day Edgar, he also does a great job bringing Poe's characters and "props" to life.  The art really nails all the references Marz throws at the reader.

Bits and Pieces:

Ron Marz and Cully Hamner continue their smart and exciting Batman versus Edgar Allan Poe story. Edgar has the upper hand and it's more of the cat and mouse between him and Dr. Updin that provides the tension.  I''m enjoying this story on a couple levels and can't wait to see how it all turns out.

9.0/10