New Comics! Harvey's very special role (and new duds!) in ARKHAM UNHINGED #29!

[about_faces]

So as I was waiting with trepidation for the new issue of Tony Daniel's Detective Comics to hit DC's Comixology app for download and subsequent review, I thought to myself, "John, you haven't caught up with the Arkham City tie-in comics, have you? Do you think that maybe Harvey's made a new appearance there yet

Comments

[abqreviews]

Gotta say, I love the wig look. This is going to sound stupid, but I hope he keeps it.

Also, is that woman in the blue overalls supposed to be Carpenter from Detective Comics #841?

I'm actually really looking forward to hearing why you hate 'Monster-Men' so much. Yes, it's a step down from 'Prey', and it makes Hugo too much of a mad scientist for my tastes, but I really liked how Hugo seemed to genuinely appreciate Sanjay's help and scenes like the part where Hugo gets mocked at the fundraiser.

[about_faces]

I agree about the wig. I love how it blends in with his own hair, what he has left of it. Combine that with the art, and yeah, I'm digging it more and more each time I look at it.

Indeed it is! She was already brought into the Arkhamverse in Dini's original digital exclusive Arkham City comics, because Dini has a way of bringing his handful of pet favorite characters (mainly her, Zatanna, and Harley) into EVERYTHING.

I don't HATE Monster Men at all! I just... don't care that much. It's just such a long story with so much Hugo (and thus, a lot of scans to include) and just not much there to recommend at all. The entire story just feels unnecessary, playing with classic stories without really giving too much new to it aside from, yes, rare little touches like Hugo and Sanjay's partnership. But all in all, I don't think that the Dark Moon Rising duo books are Wagner's best work, and that Wagner has rarely ever been a truly stellar writer. Even his art isn't what it used to be, or if it is, he's not giving it his A-game. When I

[mcgeejabberwock]

'Dead man walking' I like the Arkhamverse Penguin, even if I kinda miss the topper.

Harvey's half-judge get up reminds me of his rather interesting Medieval design here: http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/03/15/gotham-1459-by-igor-kieryluk/ You gotta love supervillain excess. Could have easily worn a full wig and robe, but no, only half a robe will do for the half-scarred one.

[about_faces]

I'm still amazed at how much I like that Penguin too, even with the lack of cigarette holder, top hat, and monocle. There's no reason why the character can't still have those, and the beer-bottle-in-the-eye is utterly fucking ridiculous. But I like him regardless. As a good Penguin should, he loves being evil.

Oh right, I had meant to write about Medieval Two-Face at some point, but I completely forgot to do so! I'm still not sure what I'd say. It's interesting and raises a bunch of story ideas, but I dunno, something about it doesn't quite sit right with me and I can't put my finger on why.

[mothy_van_cleer]

"He will become a knight, Harvey will, just like his idol, Richard the Lion-Hearted, whose pious rule is worth sacrificing everything in the line of duty. He will serve the Lord by punishing sinners in the Crusades! What could be better? More noble?"

[bitemetechie]

The Carpenter sitting with the likes of Bane, Ivy, Penguin, Riddler and Mad Hatter?

LOLNO.

[psychopathicus]

Well, it's a jury of peers, not necessarily a jury of equals.

[psychopathicus]

While I like the visuals of Harvey being depicted as a half-judge, I'm not sure it actually makes much sense. I mean, I would be tempted to read it as a case of him playing both judge and jury, except there already is a jury, so that clearly doesn't work. I suppose it's possible that Harvey will be both judging the case and acting as a lawyer (either for or against the Joker, I don't know), but frankly, that brings up the rather ridiculous mental image of Harvey pleading his case to an empty podium, only for him to quickly hop back into it, his half-robes whisking merrily around his ankles, to respond to what he just said. It's funny, yes, but I hardly think that's the angle they're going for here.
On the other hand, I note that it's his scarred side that is garbed as a judge. That is interesting. After all, a judge is supposed to be impartial, and yet the Two-Face side of Harvey's personality is anything but that. Are we meant to infer that he will indeed be acting in twin capacities as judge and lawyer, with the former as a "

[martin_l_gore]

Padlock-man is none other than Mr. Zsasz, and the big goon is an original creation for the game called Sickle (or Hammer, I can't remember which one of them worked for the Penguin.) Russian siamese twin separated in late life, one wileds a huge warhammer with his single arm and the other an equally huge sickle, blah blah blah... pretty throwaway stuff. While I generally think Dini is great writing Batman both in comics and other media, the amount of throwaway rogues he constantly introduces could probably fill a book.

While I like the idea of a jury of rouges, it wouldn't have hurt with some sensibility regarding who would actually be in it. Yes, Joker on trial is a big deal, but why would someone like Zsasz or Deadshot care about those sorts of shenanigans? Or Bane?

[psychopathicus]

That's Mr. Zsasz? Wow, he's really come down in the world. The Zsasz I know from the comics is literally covered in tally-scars, indicating that he has killed hundreds and hundreds of people - this guy seems to have maybe twenty-five or so. Feh - nowhere near as scary.
Actually, while I haven't played the games myself, I seem to recall that Joker doing something nasty with Venom is part of the plot - so Bane might indeed have a vested interest in seeing him put away.

[mothy_van_cleer]

According to Penguin's narration for his museum exhibit in Arkham City, Zsasz has killed slightly over a hundred people, including multiple children, in the game's continuity. I'm going to have to chalk the lack of scars up to lazy inking, just like his appearance in Streets of Gotham.

[maridee42]

...i like Joker going on trial. i mean, I thought it was gonna be Bats, but Joker is that much better.

*insert pointless rage about Ivy wearing the same shirt through the games, ew, didn't it get gross and crusty after a few days, seriously, that looks so uncomfortable, grah*

hmm. Harvey's the only one there near knowledgable/experienced enough to be the judge, so I can see the rationale in that.

...who's the guy with the facemask and the lantern on the far right?

[lego_joker]

Ratcatcher.

I must also note that the Joker-dialogue here is far more creative than pretty much anything Mistah J spouted off in Arkham City itself.

[maridee42]

Aha. Thank you! That makes sense.

I can hear Mark Hamill's voice so very clearly...from the game, I remember the Lost reference, but not much else. Then again - *spoilers*