“Gargoyle of Gotham” – Book Four
Writer/Artist: Rafael Grampa
Color Artist: Matheus Lopes and Valentina Napolitano
Letterer: John Workman
Review by Eric Lee
After an 18 month gap, the final installment with Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham #4 arrives and it is merely fine.
#Delay #WhereWereWe?
To be totally fair, it was difficult to recall what happened the last time that Gargoyle of Gotham came out. But for those who forgot, Batman is fighting a new villain Doctor-Geist and his cult who plans to take over Gotham using negative dark energy.
The big hook of the series is how emotionally disturbed Batman truly is. Like, young Bruce Wayne spent a good amount of time in Arkham Asylum. Batman comes across as much more unhinged than the traditional version of him. It also helps that writer/ artist Rafael Grampa built up this totally different world with a creepy cast of villains and even allies. In this sense, this version of Batman feels insular. That turns out to be a good thing, because the story’s ending takes some turns where it would not at all align with mainstream continuity.
Another reason why the mood of this comic work well is because of how well Grampa’s art is so immersive and dark. Things and people look slightly off-kilter. Like, the hyper-detailed art of Batman looks so weird compared to a cartoony caricature of Commissioner Gordon. But this works in the comic’s favor in creating this weird, disconcerting mood.
Where the comic falters is how the plot becomes fairly predictable by the story’s conclusion. The previous issues benefited from taking readers on a twisty journey. But by issue 4, the pieces and characters are all set and now it’s a matter of them reaching a natural conclusion. There are not massive surprises here.
Conclusion
In the end, Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham #4 does not quite live up to its ending, despite the drop-dead gorgeous art. The conclusion is fairly rote.
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