Review: Batman: White Knight

A weekend leisure reading review…because sometimes Pastors also need a break from heavy theological reading!

Sean Murphy.  Batman: White Knight. Burbank, CA: DC Comics, October 9th 2018. 232 pp.

5 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

I have been anticipating this story ever since I made my first or second visit to the comic bookstore and I overheard the clerk tell someone about this.  And it did not disappoint!  Which is why I gave this a five out of five.  This volume marks the debut of the publisher DC Comics’s new Black Label imprint which feature well known characters in DC universe in new stand-alone stories without necessarily continuity that affect the stories being told in the regular comics.  I love the originality of Batman: White Knight.  This work collects an eight issue miniseries in which the writer and artist Sean Murphy presents us a scenario of what would happen if the Joker goes sane.  But it was also so much more than that!

The artist and writer Sean Murphy is to be commended on such an excellent work.  There’s quite a bit of twists and turn in the story.  Originally I almost lost interests as I thought this was going to be an anti-Batman story.  But it’s not.  What you think the story is about in the first half of the story does get a turnaround in the second half.  In fact I think Murphy did a good job of transitioning perspective and also the changes of the characters as the plot progressed in terms of their views, opinions and outlook of life, others and justice.  I enjoyed how the story does make you think about Batman, about the joker and also about crime fighting.  There’s references to police relations with the community, about vigilante justice, about why people do what they do and political pundit and overall social commentary in this book but don’t worry this isn’t social justice agenda being forced upon the readers.  In fact I thought this was an exploration of today’s issues for discussion without the pushiness.  Batman fans will also enjoy this exploration of assumptions often made in Batman narratives in the comics.  For instance why wouldn’t Batman share his advance technology with Gotham’s police force?  Also what happen when all the damages occur with Batman’s battle against the various supercriminals and villains?  But before you think this is an attack against Batman you get to see a more nuanced side to things in the second half of the story.  Yet Batman is changed as a result of the events in the story.  I think the human angle of this work makes it richer and doesn’t take away from the action but enhances it.  In fact it made me think deeper about the complex ways humans relate to one another, the issue of trusts and partnership and also what is the difference between love and idolatrous infatuation.  And the biggest question of all:  What do you do when someone has changed?  Do you believe they really really changed?  If they did change how do you accept them or handle it?  Also what happens when we lose someone does that change the way we view others and also our motivation for what we do?  This is a story about Batman and Joker but its also the stories of the people who supported or help them and also what does helping and being supportive of them means.  I love how towards the end of the story you find out who really is the White Knight at the end of the day!

Clearly in terms of storyline this is going to be among the top works on Batman for years to come and must read for those who want to explore the best works on Batman.  I thought the illustration was well done and there’s a feel as well of a mystery work since readers will wonder if the Joker is for read in his change.  I didn’t think that the possibility of the Joker being sane and trying to be a model citizen could be so dramatic of a story!