Review: Year of the Villain – Black Mask #1
Possibly one of the most underrated Batman villains, the Black Mask makes a return, thanks to Lex Luthor’s scheming and offer. Now, Roman Sionis has a change to take his rightful place in a role far greater than just another Gotham crime lord.
Having had his fill of Gotham, under the guidance of Luthor, Sionis sets up shop in Atlanta; the goal to become the CEO of a company who funds more senators than you can shake a filibuster at. By controlling them, Sionis could start to shape the world. Of course, where there is a Bat-villain, there is a member of the Bat family poking their nose in. This time, it is the currently estranged Batwoman who takes up the challenge along with her partner Rene Montoya. Can the pair stop the Black Mask from amassing more money and power than even Bruce Wayne?
Tom Taylor, who has done some great work on the Injustice books, takes another swing at the world of Batman, albeit through a proxy par se. Whilst the book goes someway to shape the future for Sionis, it is also a chance to revisit his origins. As with most things Gotham, it involves Bruce Wayne at some point. Wayne’s interaction is kept at a minimum, acting as a lightening rod of sorts. The dialogue is strong throughout the book; the young Sionis’ life is particularity grim as his parents try to improve their social standing through rubbing noses with the aforementioned rich and famous. The book is so well written, that is comes as a surprise that the great planner Luthor was unaware of Batwoman’s presence in Atlanta! Still with her CW show just around the corner, it was about time that DC showed the character some love, as a means to improve her comic book standing.
The art is provided by Cully Hamner whose work has a cartoony, possibly over exaggerated look, especially looking at the facial elements. This style carries on through to the poses of the characters, some of which look great, others seem out of perspective. You have to applaud the idea of Batwoman swinging through a car window to save her love; the application though doesn’t quite carry the pose through. It’s a style that whilst not bad, does take a little getting used. Once done, it is engaging in an odd way. Maybe an inker who could have delineated the line work better would’ve helped, though I suspect that the tone of the book, at least in parts, calls for a heavy thick line. The colors are provided by one of my favourite colorists, Dave Stewart, who is probably most known for collaborating with Mike Mignola, has started working on a number of DC books of late. Stewart is adept at using colors to create horror vibes, though here he actually seems to have toned down his work to suit a more mainstream audience, Finally, letterer Wes Abbott adds to proceedings with clever use of letter boxes, highlighting Sionis’ inner monologue and thoughts.
The inclusion of Batwoman is odd, though it does explain why she hasn’t been in City of Bane, notwithstanding the CW connection. After all, she hasn’t managed to star in her own book for quite some time now, despite repeated efforts. I do wish that DC would refrain from a raft of tie-in books, especially if they do not add anything to the main narrative, though as with the Sinestro book, there is a hint of a long game in play. For yet another event tie-in book, this is better than most, which is to be expected when you consider that Taylor is one of the names often touted as a King replacement on Batman.
Writing – 3.5 Stars
Art – 3.5 Stars
Colors – 3.5 Stars
[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]
Written by; Tom Taylor
Art by; Cully Hamner
Colors by; Dave Stewart
Letters by; Wes Abbott
Published by; DC Comics
Author Profile
- I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow
Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network
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