The airport is the perfect setting for this story as it allows Percy’s exposition to make observations around the bustle of modern life, of how we’re constantly coming and going, how our time is short, as well as play on fears of the virus spreading to the mass population. With real world situations like the Ebola outbreak it adds an extra layer of real world topical credibility to the story. This also works thematically with the fast aging virus encouraging the reader to think about the way we conduct ourselves as it goes on. To its credit it does so without ever becoming preachy.
Appearing in the issue is Dick Grayson who turns up in a small but welcome cameo. He’s playing his new role as a spy and unlike his portrayal in his own book he is as gritty here as anything that has ever come out of Gotham; far away from the eye candy depiction he has in the Grayson comic.
The story almost feels time displaced by the way the aging effect is implemented on Batman on the page. His presence takes on an aged veteran presence that is enhanced by a slight stoop in his posture and grey colour patches in his hair.
Batman looms on the edges of the story and with the inherent threat provided by the airport setting and threat to the civilian population, the comic manages to sustain a constant tension despite not really containing any action.
This two issue break in Brian Buccellato and Francis Manapul’s run hasn’t been wasted. Detective Comics #36 ends Terminal with a satisfying if somewhat light on the action conclusion. By all rights this is story that could have been thrown away and sold on the book’s title alone. It’s good to say firmly that Ben Percy has turned out a two issue story worth a look.
Get full review from Geeked Out Nation here
No comments:
Post a Comment