Batman: The Jiro Kuwata Batmanga #25 Review (Spoilers)

Written by: Jiro Kuwata
Art by: Jiro Kuwata
Cover Price: $1.99
Release Date: December 20, 2014

The Hangman of Terror - Chapter 2 of 4

 Well that escalated quickly! Last issue we saw the Hangman, a professional wrestler, stop a jewelry thief dressed as...the Hangman! This week we know exactly who the impostor was and  the plot thickens. I often pride myself on being  able to watch a movie or read a story and generally have some idea where the tale will go. With this issue I am completely stumped. There are too many wild card factors.



From the fact that the wrestler impersonating the Hangman not having a little sister, contrary to what we saw last issue, to Hangman's sudden aggression towards Batman, this one really takes the cake.

Much like last issue we are treated to a wrestling match and also a nice fight between Batman and Hangman, which ends the issue on a cliffhanger and a promise that the next issue is the conclusion of The Hangman of Terror, although how exactly chapter 3 of 4 is the conclusion I'll never understand.

Regardless of these logistical anomalies, Jiro Kuwata has written another fantastic story pitting Batman against a villain that goes against the grain of his normal rouges. As I always find with this story there is a great connect between the art and the story in this book--that's clearly one of the benefits of this style of manga, where the artist also does the art.

The wrestling matches and fights in this book were particularly enjoyable presenting a fighting style for both fighters that is clearly different but also adds a level of depth to the story. As a professional wrestling fan myself it's fun to see the type of villain that Kuwata has managed to create--a professional wrestler that has become so engrossed by his own character that he isn't a performer. He is what he is in his minds eye...a hero.

Bits and Pieces

Jiro Kuwata is continuing to write a fantastic book that consistently makes me excited to read the next issue. I think the real depressing part is that at some point DC will have published all thousand pages of Batmanga and then we will be without the great tales of Kuwata himself. It's at that time I will find myself picking up other releases of his non-Batwork as well as other manga in general.

9/10