Review: “Batman: Gotham By Gaslight: The Kryptonian Age” – Book Two

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“Batman: Gotham By Gaslight: The Kryptonian Age” – Book Two

Author: Andy Diggle
Artist: Leandro Fernandez
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Letterer: Simon Bowland

Review by Carl Bryan

Written by Andy Diggle, with pictures by Leandro Fernandez, Dave Stewart and Simon Bowland, Batman: Gotham By Gaslight: The Krypton Age #2 continues a whole new epic saga that traces an age of wonder

This chapter’s section connects to old characters, but with a twist on their origins and motives. Continuing a new era of Elseworlds, this issue is a must-read!

When Batman uncovers a secret about ancient relics, he must battle Talia al Ghul and the League of Shadows for control of a dangerous weapon. As court magician John Constantine whispers in Queen Victoria’s ear and Professor Adam Strange explores the farthest reaches of Antarctica, the strange rumors they’re all chasing about humanity’s lost Kryptonian age begin to ring true.

It’s the discovery of the century… ruins from the Krypton era!”
– Professor Hugo Strange

A mixer of writing…

Issue #2 really shakes everything up, as I’m used to canon origins and remember the Hugo Strange of the 1980s. This new “Indiana Jones” style quest to find an actual precursor city of the Kryptonians before the modern day opens all sorts of Pandora’s boxes. Where are the descendants of this city? How did they not survive, given what we know about Superman’s powers? Or does it work differently in this universe? This quest raises so many questions, and that’s a great writing strategy, as it keeps us wanting more and more of this universe!

Constantine….This guy….!!!

One thing is certain in every DC Universe: John Constantine is the little piece of flesh stuck between a person’s molars, constantly irritating everything around him. We need this flesh to survive, but it causes us so many problems with digestion and dental health!

Despite all the “new” that surrounds this universe, there are some pillars that we can continue to count on.

That’s quite a train ride… and a JUMP!

In this corner… Batman. In this corner… Talia Al-Ghul. This is a fight on a train that is truly cinematic and follows all the rules of fighting. From book one to book two, however, we really see the progression of Bruce’s fighting skills. While we all suspend our belief when reading our comics, we have come to rely on real training for Bruce. How can he even hold his own in this fight?

Hints…

Okay… the first issue mentions World’s Finest. Is this the third leg of the trinity that’s being thrown at us? Green blood? These artists have their finger on the pulse of the Gaslight era. But the final panel of the comic will have me marking the next issue on my calendar!