“Imposter Syndrome” – Part Four, and “Bruce Wayne is Batman”
Artists: Geoffo and Chris Bachalo
Letterers: ALW’s Troy Peteri and Starkings
Review by Fay Clark
This series is turning out to basically just be a family reunion. However, nothing in Gotham ever goes as planned, meaning a cute little backyard BBQ could turn into a flaming big Bat signal downtown. That’s the lowdown, in Future State Gotham #16.
Family Trip to the ER?!
I know we all need some nice bonding time, but no family does it better than the BatFam. Dennis Culver is really out here showing everyone that this bunch really needs group therapy. This issue has epic fight scenes and huge emotional damage. Dennis once again makes readers both love and hate characters, although there are a couple of interactions that had me laughing too hard. Culver’s clearly got a fantastic sense of humor that comes through so clearly in these panels.
There were so many “Are you kidding me?” and “What’s happening?!” moments. This writer has some serious talent, being able to continuously keep people entertained and shocked all at the same time. In one panel I had to double-check what I was reading, just because I couldn’t believe it. At this point I wouldn’t be surprised if this was all a dream, it’s that wild.
Let’s Rev Those Engines
Oh, my, art! What in the world was that?! There’s one spread that sent me over the edge… of my seat. I had to re-check three times what was happening. I loved it, and it looked amazing.
Geoffo’s back and he comes screeching onto the scene. What a fantastic way to show people what you’re made of! The facial expressions match so perfectly with the tone of Culver’s writing. You can see what’s happening from the body language and the emotions drawn on the characters’ faces, long before you even get to the text. You’d think that because this series is in black and white, you might lose some of the depth or tone that you get from color comics… and you’d be wrong! With artists like Geoffo on the job, you still get all the depth and tone just from the shadow work and shading.
Who’s Batman This Week?
I’ve so enjoyed having a little extra story at the end of every issue and the offering in Future State: Gotham #16 is another great one! “Bruce Wayne is Batman“ is such an interesting story. You only get a few short pages, but everything comes across so well and concisely. Cyrus Voris and Chris Bachalo have come together brilliantly in this short, as we get to see Arkham, and even some normal guards just doing their jobs… or are they?
Conclusion
Please keep reading this series, it’s just so good. I never know what is coming next and I’m not sure I want to know. It’s always so exciting to see what Dennis Culver comes up with next! The stakes just keep getting higher and I think that next issue a lot of things are going to go down. I CAN’T WAIT!
Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment