We've reached issue #12 in DC's Batman: Arkham Knight prequel series, and it feels like we may have just reached a turning point.
But before we talk about that, how about Tweedledie? The bigger, bulkier and all-around more formidable "cousin" of Tweedledee and Tweedledum gives Batman a run for his money this issue as the two fight over a crate containing the new Batmobile.
The battle between the two is the main attraction here, as Tweedledie speaks in rhymes and goofy phrases as he beats Batman around. He may be stronger, but he is just as strange as his two little cousins.
It's cool to see writer Peter Tomasi implement some of Batman's tools from the Arkham games into the comic. We see The Dark Knight use his grapple hook and explosive gel to gain the upper hand here, two gadgets fans of the games are very familiar with. How the grapple hook is implemented is...questionable, however. Batman uses it to latch onto Tweedledie's head and then swings back onto the flying shipping container. How Tweedledie's neck can withstand a several hundred pound Batman swinging on it is a fair question, but is ultimately one of these things you just let slide and roll with.
This issue's final few pages are where the real surprises are. Batman has captured the Tweedle trio and secured his new Batmobile. All seems right in Gotham City. That is until Batman delivers the criminals to the Gotham Police Department, where the officers are shocked to see the Tweedle cousins alive and well. It's their understanding now that Batman is "fed up" with the criminals and freaks of Gotham City, and has been killing them instead of turning them over to the law.
Uh oh. The Arkham Knight is finally taking center stage of this story, as his executions of various criminals in the past 12 issues are now reaching Bruce's ears. People are actually confusing Batman with the Arkham Knight, which probably all according to Arkham Knight's plan.
Like I said at the beginning of this review, this moment feels like a major shift in the comic going forward. Batman is now investigating this gun-wielding vigilante bearing his likeness, and the two are bound to confront one another soon. How will Bruce react when he meets a mirror version of himself, one who is willing to go the extra step to put Gotham's criminals down for good? Only time will tell, but the promise of these two characters meeting for the first time is a compelling reason to return to this book week after week.
Story
★★★★☆
Art
★★★☆☆
Overall
★★★★☆
More Comic Book Reviews:
Mortal Kombat #18
Batman: Arkham Knight #11
Batman #40
Convergence #5
Be sure to follow T-Lounge on Twitter and visit our Facebook page
