Gotham Knights #42 "20 Days Less One"
Rating: 8/10 New Reader Jump On : Next Issue


Gotham Knights #42
DC Comics
Writer: Scott Beatty
Pencils: David Ross
Inks: John Floyd
I was torn over whether or not to drop Gotham Knights after the dreadful writing and art of the last few months. Thankfully, I decided to give the title one more try, because Beatty and Ross have delivered a stand-alone issue that ranks as -- perhaps -- one of my favorite Bat stories of all time.

Alfred is ill with a mutated strain of the Clench, and no one in or out of the Bat circle seems to have a cure. Yes, it's a tired old comics cliche of a plot. But Beatty focuses not on the drama, but the characters in 20 vignettes that indirectly show the humanity inside some of the most one-dimensional characters in comics.

I actually squealed with delight as I was reading this issue (I'm a female, we can squeal with dignity). I loved everything about it, from the unconventional pacing and the plot device of the vignettes to the human characterizations of Batman/Bruce. The appearances of the JLA and others (especially Sentinel) were logical. And, god forbid, Batman acted like a real human being and not a psychotically repressed punching machine with an attitude problem. Hats off to Beatty, who pulled off a real gem after some awful previous issues.

Ross and Floyd provided some nice artwork, and the coloring helped with the pacing and slow change from Batman to Bruce. The artwork was one of the weaker points of the issue, however, along with continuity -- the Contagion storyline is over 5 years gone. I understood the background because Necris collected the storyline in one of his 'catch-up' phases, but I doubt that someone who hadn't read it would understand some of the more important parts of the issue.

Don't get me wrong, though. I'm still in love with the story. I just hope this is the norm and not the exception from Beatty and company.