Detective Comics #1004
DC Comics
Written by: Peter J Tomasi
Art by: Brad Walker
Inks by: Andrew Hennessy
Colors by: Nathan Fairbairn
Letters by: Rob Leigh
The tragic tale of Astrid Arkham and her journey to becoming the Arkham Knight is the focus of this issue.
Jeremiah Arkham confronts Batman and Robin with the truth of who the Arkham Knight is and what happened to twist her into the person she’s become. It’s a story that dives into the love that conceived her, the tragedy that birthed her and the secrets that fueled her rage.
It’s a story that takes some interesting and unexpected twists and turns including some unusual behavior from some very familiar faces. Astrid’s journey to becoming the savior she believes Gotham needs becomes all the more tragic because the secrets that fuel her rage and mission might destroy the very thing she wants to protect.
I find myself still on the fence about the Arkham Knight as a character, but Peter J Tomasi delivers a stunning and engaging back story for her. A back story that has the right balance of triumph and tragedy that makes the issue itself a compelling and interesting read.
There isn’t a lot of action in the issue because it is mainly focused on Astrid’s origins, but there are some great moments that parallel Batman’s journey and those moments look great.