Two comics for the price of one: that’s the idea. You get a regular full-length comic, and then you get a nine-page original extra story at the back. In this case, you tag a nine-page story of a character with a cult following that has been bitterly disappointed with her cancellation onto a brand-new original monthly that ties in to the other major DCU event of the moment. It’s win-win, right?
Well, it doesn’t have to be, but in this case it definitely is. I was one of the people more interested in the Manhunter backup than the Streets of Gotham story, but I’m glad I had to buy one to get the other. Streets of Gotham may tie into the rest of the Bat-books, but I didn’t feel at all lost reading it. Paul Dini knows his noir, could do it in his sleep, but here he’s having fun giving a bunch of lesser-known (translation: I hadn’t heard of ‘em) Gotham characters a workout.
Dustin Nguyen’s art manages to be cheery and dark in the same book, often in the same panel, but the book’s real charm is in living up to its name. It’s a superhero story, but one that takes place on the street and feels more like a crime drama, bringing a grittier, more realistic feel to the stories. It’s Batman from an outsider’s view, and it’s worth a read.
The street feel leads nicely into the backup feature. Kate Spencer’s been transported to Gotham to act as the new DA, but she hasn’t left her crime-fighting proclivities in LA–though she has left her son, a feature that will no doubt come back in later issues. Nine pages is basically only enough to set up a story, so this one was mostly exposition, but it manages to fill in the gaps with Kate beating a story out of someone rather than with simple conversation.
Manhunter was already a pretty dark book, and things are probably unlikely to lighten up for Kate Spencer in Gotham. The real question will be managing to make the backup features worth the money for readers who aren’t thrilled with the main title, but the creative team on this one (Marc Andreyko and Georges Jeanty) suggests that DC isn’t skimping on the backup book any more than they are on the front.
Together, the two make a nice pair of noir stories to roughen up your pile of superhero books–or to superhero-up your pile of rough books, in my case. In this case, the experiment gets two thumbs up. My only suggestion would be a bigger indication on the front cover that there’s another feature in the back. I wouldn’t have noticed the band across the bottom on the stand, particularly on the stands that some stores have that obscure the bottom half of the cover.
June 20th, 2009 at 11:43 pm
I hadn’t read Manhunter before but I found the backup story to be pretty good. I really like what DC is doing here with their $4 priced books.
June 21st, 2009 at 2:52 pm
I agree on all counts. This issue is pure Dini, cops, Harley Quinn and all. It reminds me of something fans of the animated series would really enjoy quite a bit. It’s street-level but at the same time it’s pure Batman through and through.
“Together, the two make a nice pair of noir stories to roughen up your pile of superhero books–or to superhero-up your pile of rough books, in my case.”
I agree. I read a lot of JONAH HEX, CRIMINAL, 100 BULLETS and I’m jonesing for some four-color superhero material to balance it out. I might get back into the Batman books after years of being away or only half-paying attention. Good observation.
I love the concept of back-ups. More, please. The four-dollar price tag is a bitter pill to swallow and anything they do to add value to product will sweeten the deal for me. I’ve been leaning very, very heavily towards TPB’s for the past few years (my ratio of TPB’s to single-issue purchases is about 90% to 10%) and the only way I’m going to come onboard for monthly floppies is if I feel like I’m getting bang for my buck. I want done-in-one stories or essays from the creators or SOMETHING to make it worth my while. FELL is still my favorite exercise in trying to make the single-issue format really sing – I was never let down.
“The real question will be managing to make the backup features worth the money for readers who aren’t thrilled with the main title, but the creative team on this one (Marc Andreyko and Georges Jeanty) suggests that DC isn’t skimping on the backup book any more than they are on the front.”
I agree. As long as the back-ups are quality, they should be a draw. And the people interested in MANHUNTER will probably still like SOG – I picture a lot of overlap.
June 21st, 2009 at 6:28 pm
I have really enjoyed Manhunter and am happy to follow it into Streets of Gotham. Andrekyo and Jeanty are really producing some of their best work here.
And, of course, Dini and Nguyen deliver on the main story. Just a project worth the cover price.
Egg Embry
http://www.ComicsByEgg.com
June 22nd, 2009 at 12:17 pm
My only reservation is with Manhunter, like with Blue Beetle, a lot of the draw of the book was the backing cast. I hope we’ll get to see the rest of Kate’s cast despite the move to Gotham
June 30th, 2009 at 10:56 am
OK I have been following the Battle for the Cowl, from a distance over the last few months. ( Partly, because I can never figure out which issues follow what? etc. Can DC can a better numbering system? )
I decided to pick up the next “chapter” in the Batman saga (Reborn) with Batman #687,Detective #854, Gotham City Sirens and Streets of Gotham. ( Haven’t got Batman and Robin #1, or Red Robin)
I like the idea that there is a New Batman and Robin and that as fans we can follow their dynamics thru the next months years?) Liking all the books and trying to figure out where they fit in continuity in the Batman world. I also like how DC has added 6 more females as feature players. Batwoman, The Question, Manhunter, Posion Ivy, Harley Quinn, and Catwoman.
Ok this comment is about SOG #1:
Loved the feature presentation from the writing/artwork to the cast of Gotham characters and the prelude to a new villain ABUSE and the reintroduction to an old one, Firefly! The story had a perfect flow. Now about Manhunter. I don’t know the character too well, but based on fan reaction they are glad she is here and so i will give her a try. The writing was crisp and goo, but I had issues with the artwork. in some cases, Georges Jeanty figures seem stunted and awkward.( see page 6-where she is hugging her son. His legs are incredibly short in that scene compared to the rest of the page.) And then with the inker, Karl Story, a lot of his cross-hatching on people’s noses and forehead lines looked messy. I know some people might not mind this, but it stood out to me and I hope in future issues, it is toned down.
Overall, I will be back for the next installment and it was worth my $3.99.
Peace.
January 17th, 2011 at 9:27 pm
Wow, that was a great read! Thank you so much for doing such a fantastic job with this, i’ve bookmarked your site so I can stay up to date with your stuff.