“The Fall and the Fallen” – Part Two
Artist: Mikel Janin and Jorge Fornes
Color Artist: Jordie Bellaire
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Review by Eric Lee
Bane Breaks Batman
Writer Tom King crafts a twisted mind trip of a tale as Bane’s grip on Batman tightens in Batman #71. As much gruff as I gave the previous issue for being a mindless action romp, King makes up for in this tense psychological thriller. The success of this chapter comes from King splitting the story in half. When telling the beginning and the end co-currently, the story becomes much more engaging and teases a lot of mystery.
The comic also properly utilizes its two artists appropriately. Mikel Janin draws the more action-packed section of the narrative. Meanwhile, Jorge Fornes illustrates the more surreal psychological sections. Assigning portions of story that best suits each artists’ styles is a perfect example of collaboration.
Janin’s style lends more to a bombastic flair. That’s why he appropriately handles the parts featuring the Bat-family. Fornes’ art is more gothic and darker, which is perfect for the bizarre, surreal aspects. The proper artist/ plot pairing enhances both the art and the story.
King’s adept handling of parallel story threads is masterful. Using parallelism to create more drama or heighten the irony is one of King’s signature storytelling techniques Sometimes, it can be annoying. But this issue is one of the times it is utilized wonderfully. It probably is due to King’s dialogue be subtle and unpredictable.
“The Batman has no limits”
“The Fall and the Fallen” storyline is supposed to highlight Batman’s physical limitations. This time, fists and a will to win cannot help Batman. This comic epitomizes that theme brilliantly. Not only does King point out how Batman’s drive is limited, but also how it can be turned against him. What is Bane’s ultimate plan? I am not sure yet, but this issue does a great job keeping me interested
Conclusion
King, Janin, and Fornes have crafted a thrilling, psychological mind-trip in Batman #71. It shows Bane at his most manipulative and Batman becoming more broken. This comic is an exciting shocking, unpredictable experience.
Images Courtesy Of DC Entertainment