Written by: Andy Diggle
Art by: Leonardo Fernandez
Colors by: Matt Hollingsworth
Letters by: Simon Bowland
Cover art by: Leonardo Fernandez, Matt Hollingsworth
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: August 14, 2024
Batman: Gotham By Gaslight - The Kryptonian Age #3, by DC Comics on 8/14/24, introduces readers to the revised history of the Amazons, sets up a Golden Age hero, and hints at an interplanetary war.
Is Batman: Gotham By Gaslight - The Kryptonian Age #3 Good?
When last we left the Gotham By Gaslight Elseworlds in issue #2, Adam Strange's expedition to Antarctica yielded fruit when his crew discovered a lost city. Their wonder turned to terror when the crew was attacked by giant centipedes. However, a familiar-looking Amazon arrived to save the day... maybe. Meanwhile, Batman's first fight with Talia Al Ghul and her assassins ended in a stalemate.
In Batman: Gotham By Gaslight - The Kryptonian Age #3, the battle between Amazon and giant centipedes begins in earnest. The Amazon holds her own, but the fight is far from one-sided, so the warrior uses her magic lasso to rope in the queen insect for a parley.
We learn that the centipedes harbor a grudge for lost young ones during a previous battle. The Amazon, who is now considered a resident of Skartaris, convinces the centipedes to leave in peace since the young ones who died were killed when they attacked innocent humanoids for hunger and sport.
Andy Diggle leaps into the issue with heaps of world-building and cool-ish tidbits of information. Yes, much of the world-building comes through expositional dialog, but it makes sense for the scene. The Amazon, who introduces herself as Diana to Strange's crew, foretells of a coming Doom to spark the imagination of longtime DC readers.
Back in Gotham, Bruce Wayne dons the Matches Malone disguise to visit Selina Kyle's brothel. When the two are alone, Selina quickly deduces Maline is Batman. After a quick standoff, they decide to collaborate, so Selina takes "Malone" to a room in the basement where she holds a captured member of the League of Shadows. All the assassin will say is, "The Sleeper awakens."
Foreshadowing, foreshadowing, and more foreshadowing. Andy Diggle is content to give little teases and hints, but the pace is crawling, which makes the Gotham City portion of this maxiseries increasingly less interesting.
The issue shifts to an introduction to Alan Scott, a hot balloon aerialist on a train running through Colorado. Scott catches the attention of an old woman who believes he's of good character. Despite the protests of her armed bodyguards, the old woman shows Scott that she carries the green-glowing Ring of Jong Li. She believes the ring likes Alan Scott as she recites the incantation familiar to Golden Age Green Lantern fans. However, the passengers don't realize the train is headed for an explosive wreck, courtesy of the League of Shadows.
Before the scene is complete, Andy Diggle pulls an interesting bait-and-switch. Up to now, the glowing ring was spoken of as part of a mythical Kryptonian Age, indicating a link to Superman. Now, it appears to be a twist on Alan Scott's first run-in with the Starheart energy. Is Diggle merging the canon of two heroes? We shall see.
The scene shifts back to Antarctica where Diana uses her magic lasso to share her thoughts with Adam Strange and reveal the history of their escape to the underground lands of Skartaris when the Kryptonian Doom arrived to ravage the surface world.
The issue ends with devastating monsters, an angry red planet, and the sleeper awakening.
Overall, Andy Diggle piles on the world- and character-building, heaps of cool twists on familiar characters and legends, plus an unexpected cliffhanger. The issue may be too dense and contains too many obscure Easter Eggs to excite new readers, but it's a solid issue.
How's the Art? Leonardo Fernandez's art style is distinct but echoes the familiar, gothic trappings of the original Gotham By Gaslight series for a dark, moody atmosphere. The visual aesthetic mixes Lovecraft with Mignola for an engaging artistic experience.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Final Thoughts
Batman: Gotham By Gaslight - The Kryptonian Age #3 heaps on all kinds of cool Easter Eggs, twists on familiar characters and events, and a super curious cliffhanger for the strongest issue in the maxiseries yet. That said, the least interesting thing about this comic is everything surrounding Batman and Gotham City, so the result doesn't live up to expectations.
7.2/10
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