Batman Confidential: Ghosts #41
Writer: Sam Kieth
Penciler: Sam Kieth
3 Feb 2010 – 32 PGS – $2.99 US – DEC090165
Who doesn’t dig a gritty Batman comic? The Dark Knight is all about wanting revenge and being screwed up and “Batman Confidential – Ghosts” is no exception. The previous issue #40 introduced us to the “Ghost” and to Callie Sarah Dean, a blind social worker whose past seems to have some similarities to our caped crusaders. The plot thickens in #41 as the “Ghost” begins to reveal himself and the connection between Batman and Callie grow stronger.
Let’s break it down.
The Plot
In “Ghosts” part 2 of 4, Batman continues to work with the Gotham City Police as well as his new friend Callie to figure out who the creature is who’s been terrorizing Gotham. The creature raises Batman’s curiosity when he seems to know everything about Batman, including the fate of his parents. But as the body count rises, Batman stands on the verge of losing a friend – and much, much more!
The Writing
Sam Keith as always does a good job in the writing department. I like Sam’s dialogue, it’s never what I would call realistic but it is always interesting. My big complaint with his writing in this book is that he decided to retread the whole origin story. How many times have we been through the death of Bruce Wayne’s parents? It feels stale to me. I expect more from the creator of “The Maxx”.
The Art
What can you say about Sam Keith’s art that hasn’t already been said? His Batman is cool, surreal, gritty and interesting to behold. This is a typical Sam Keith book.
The Verdict
“Ghosts” isn’t as original as I had hoped, but we are only in issue #2 out of 4 so who knows, there could be a big twist coming up that will blow me away. The story thus far is covering a well-worn path, and the whole “social worker who helps the homeless” thing isn’t improving the situation any. That being said, I am still a big Sam Keith fan and I like this book. I guess the verdict in a nutshell is simply, if you’ve enjoyed Sam’s comics in the past or just like a more surreal tinge to your comics then you will probably enjoy Batman Confidential. I will definitely be reading the next issue. That’s all I have to say about that.
