Gotham Underground #1

DC Comics

Writer: Frank Tieri

Penciller: J. Calafiore

Inker: Jack Purcell

CANDY BARS FOR BAND

What it’s like working for the Gotham Chamber of Commerce? One wonders how they advertise. A bright, enterprising city full of opportunities for the eager investor! Never mind the earthquakes, mass murders and incompetent police! If you’re an enterprising venture capitalist, you spell success G-O-T-H-A-M! Hrm. Doesn’t convince me, but it does make for interesting stories. Which I hope Gotham Underground will be.

Gotham Underground is a new attempt to shore up Batman’s confusing universe. Several super-villains try to escape town, gangland crime is on the rise, and there’s a new Mafiosi named Tobias Whale. He’s overweight. He has pale white skin. And he carries a harpoon. If he makes any Melville references I’ll probably club myself to death with a can opener.

Frank Tieri’s writing is solid thus far, and it’s a good move on the DC editors’ part to keep Gotham Underground separate from normal bat-titles. The last time DC tried to write a cross-title Gotham story, the result was the lamentable “War Games.”

J. Calafiore’s craggy, angular style works well for the Suicide Squad (they’re in this issue, too), but makes the rest of the story drag. His approach may work better for Batman, whose muscles and cape make him, fittingly, craggy and angular. Time will tell, as Bruce Wayne spends issue #1 disguised as hired thug “Matches Malone.” In coming issues, he’ll dress as alter-egos Cigs Canneloni, Stereotype Sentucci, and Diarrhea D’Andreamatteo. Just kidding. Hopefully.

Worth the money? Only if you’re a bat-dork like myself.