Between the odd Bat-related thing here on Back Issue Diving and my other side project Gotham Animated, I feel like I've been getting a concentrated dose of Gotham City lately. I'm not complaining, I just find it to be a weird confluence of events.
The book I wanted to shine a light on today really doesn't need the press, but it was such an emotionally taxing experience I feel I need to write about to somewhere. So yeah, it's not a "back issue" in the strictest definition, but it's a damn good read and far from your usual Batman story.
I guess that's because Dark Night: A True Batman Story isn't really about the caped crusader at all. It's a story about Paul Dini, one of the creative pillars behind Batman: The Animated Series. In Dark Knight, Dini recounts a personal low; a deep depression that set in following being mugged on the streets of L.A. and how it forced him to reflect on the emptiness and isolation he was subjecting himself to.
Joining Dini on this personal journey is artist Eduardo Risso, a name you might recognize from 100 Bullets or even his other Brian Azzarello collaboration, Spaceman. He and Azzarello also teamed up to do a six issue run on the main Batman title back in the mid-2000's, and I remember liking it a lot. His art is a worthy successor to the Frank Miller "grim 'n gritty" style, and his use of negative space evokes Miller's Sin City. I wasn't sure what to make of pairing him with Dini when this graphic novel was first announced, but he turned out to be the perfect choice for this story. I'd even go so far as to say that Dini's story forced Risso to up his game in the storytelling department. While there are plenty of street-level Batman-esque sequences, the majority of this book exists in other territory, be it Dini's elementary school playground, the Warner Bros. animation offices, or a psychiatrist's office.
Risso obviously knocks it out of the park when depicting Batman and his rogues gallery as they float around in Dini's subconscious, taunting him and pointing out the issues in his personal and professional life. Much more surprising was his grasp of the real-world people in Dini's life. Rendered with almost as few lines as possible in some places, these forms morph between suggestion and caricature. It's that "thing" that other current artists like Samnee and Francavilla do so well, getting the most across with as little ink as possible. Superb stuff.
Dini's story and script are solid, and his frankness about everything makes the book feel a little "too real" in places. When Dini arrives home after the mugging to find no one there to greet him but a shelf load of action figures, I cringed. His issues in this story were all too relatable. It's a scathing look at the grim side of geekdom and the walls we introverts sometimes build around ourselves.
Batman and his rogues interact with Dini as guiding spirits. Batman wants Dini to pick himself up and use his rage at his attackers as fuel to push through his existential crisis and live a better life. The Joker becomes a worm in his ear at time, encouraging Dini to "let it all go" and live life however he wants. (Because it's all just a big joke, right?) Poison Ivy belittles his sexual prowess and calls him out for being as shallow as the vapid actresses he dates. Scarecrow reminds him that his attackers were never caught and are still out there, dragging him down into a vortex of agoraphobia and paranoia. Even the Penguin makes an appearance, tempting Dini to soothe his broken body and mind with more and more alcohol.
There are near little tidbits referring to behind the scenes stuff from Warner Bros. and particularly the production of Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, but that stuff never hijacks the story. Dini's life as a writer is a backdrop, and the other talents we see from that era like Harley Quinn voice actor Arleen Sorkin and story editor Alan Burnett are treated less like historical animation figures and more like genuine human beings. It's such a human tale. Really remarkable.
I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to look at a well-done graphic novel that uses superhero characters for more than just punching and posturing. Heck, even people who don't give a rip about Batman will enjoy this just for Dini's honest narrative voice. The only setback I can see with this book is that it does go into some dark places, and might be a little too "navel-gazey" for some. Still, it's a great package and just about one of the only DC things to read right now if their ever-shifting continuity and corporate structure have thrown your own fandom for a loop.
As always, thanks for reading! Tomorrow, I'll be looking at some new releases for the week and the day after (hopefully) I'll be diving into a couple of comics involving Isis! (Not the bad one)
Twitter: @ChrisBComics
E-Mail: backissuechris@gmail.com
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