Despite the name of this series, we've seen little of the actual character of Arkham Knight. Batman has yet to meet him, and it has been several issues since the armored, gun-wielding anti-hero graced the comic with his presence.
That looks to be changing now, as writer Peter Tomasi has wrapped up his Joker storyline and begins to pull ahead of all previously existing Arkham universe storylines.
This issue in fact serves as a great starting point. If you've yet to pick up an issue of this series, you haven't missed much. Arkham City is no more. Joker is dead and Harley Quinn is in control of his gang. Arkham Knight, a Batman look-alike, is patrolling the streets of Gotham and handing out a much more brutal form of "justice" than Batman is willing to give.
It's there where issue #7 kicks off. We get to see just how far Arkham Knight is willing to go in his war on crime. He shows no mercy to Joker's thugs as he beats them severely, even as they beg for mercy. When one goon gasps "It's Batman" upon Arkham Knight's arrival on the scene, the high-tech vigilante simply replies "Don't you wish."
Arkham Knight's brawl doesn't move the story ahead beyond once again reinforcing that his character isn't messing around. It is in the second half of this issue that the overarching plot begins to pick up. Bruce is giving a big speech at a rally on his plans to rebuild and revitalize Gotham City with the power of Wayne Enterprises. It's a rousing speech full of big promises and vivid imagery, but it doesn't exactly detail what Bruce is planning on doing.
One of the best moments this issue is when Commissioner Gordon takes Bruce aside shortly after his speech to congratulate him - and set his expectations. Gordon says he has heard lofty speeches like Bruce's before, but hopes that Bruce will be a man of action instead of words. It's easy to forget that in this particular Batman universe Gordon still doesn't know Batman's identity. This moment serves as a good reminder of that fact while also establishing Gordon's no-nonsense character.
Of course, an optimistic rally about rebuilding the troubled metropolis isn't going to end without some kind of criminal attack. This is Gotham City we are talking about after all. Who is behind it and what their motives are will have to wait until next issue, but issue #7 is one of the better chapters in this prequel comic so far. Several great character moments, another peak at Batman's new enemy and a solid cliffhanger make this latest issue of Batman: Arkham Knight worth picking up. If you've been waiting to dive in, you might not find a better entry point.
Story
★★★★☆
Art
★★★☆☆
Overall
★★★★☆
More Comic Book Reviews:
Mortal Kombat #13
Batman: Arkham Knight #6
Batman #39
Convergence #0
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