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Tuesday, 17 January 2017

Batman: Gotham County Line Review (Steve Niles, Scott Hampton)


Horror writer Steve Niles confirms that Batman books with supernatural/horror themes are the major suck with Gotham County Line! 

In this book Gordon is retired and asks Batman to look into a series of killings where entire families are found murdered in a ritualistic fashion. Batman accepts even though he doesn’t “do suburbs” without explaining why (is he protector of Gotham’s metro area only?) and then puts on his jetpack to investigate. 

Yes, he has a Rocketeer jetpack in this one because in the suburbs there are no skyscrapers with gothic sculptures to grapple on to so he has to fly everywhere. What?! It looks so stupid and unnecessary too. How about using the Batmobile to get around instead? 

It’s another bad Batman story where the villain is an occultist wanting to raise the dead to take over the world. Niles can’t summon up anything vaguely interesting from this corny plot and his characterisation of Batman in general is insultingly stupid. Niles puts a jacuzzi in the Batcave where Bruce apparently likes to get his soak on and asks Alfred to search “afterlife” on his computer because it’s just now occurred to him to figure out whether he thinks the afterlife is real or not. Fuck you, Steve Niles, you hack. 

Scott Hampton’s art is no great shakes and Deadman/Boston Brand cameos because of the cliched ending that will have you roll-roll-rolling dem eyes and swearing off of any Steve Niles comics forever. Don’t do it guys, there are easier and quicker ways to feel pain than reading this drek like slamming your hand in a door. Die and never come back, Gotham County Line!

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