Synopsis:

The 3-issue, Black Label, set in 1939, is an enticing plot with fascism on the rise, and Batman is in his early days, labeled as “the vigilante”. While solving a case, Batman concludes that the prime suspect in each case is deceased. With his only ally, Detective James Gordon of the GCPD, they must uncover who these “reanimated criminals” are and how to put a stop to their crimes.

AWEsomeness:

A Golden Age – inspired Batman with a whodunnit style writing. Batman is new, and he is more of a darker, grounded detective than a high-tech superhero. The art was good, syncing with the plot and its era.

Images:

My View:

This is a three-issue comic series that takes us back to the early years of Batman.

Yes, I can already hear you — “Seriously? Another early-years Batman story?”

There have been NUMEROUS iterations of this era of Batman, exploring: his first case, how he first begins, how he fails, and eventually evolves. I’ve honestly enjoyed them all, to date…. Keep ‘Em coming.

The Bat-Man: First Knight is set in the 1930s, during the “Great Depression era” in Gotham, a place where crime is usually high, and is even higher in this era. One person wants to control the whole of Gotham using fear as his weapon (I seriously don’t get this obsession, what is one going to do controlling a whole city? All supervillains either need a city, country, or the world destroyed, or they need to control it. For crying out loud, I have a hard time controlling my kids).

There is a gang in Gotham (under the direction of this mystery person) that is going around assassinating high-profile civilians and politicians, thereby instilling fear in the hearts of citizens of Gotham. The police force under Commissioner Gordon is running pillar to post, trying to figure out the assassinations. In the meantime, there are also talks about a giant bat-person, looming across the city.

The Mayor of Gotham gets attacked, and Batman saves the Mayor. Batman finds a clue from the crime scene and further investigates it. He finds something strange and shares it with Commissioner Gordon. This is the first official meeting between Batman and Gordon (According to this book).

Batman discovered that the henchmen who are going around, attacking the high-profiles of Gotham, are already considered dead. The record shows that they were criminals who were electrocuted to death in prison.

This investigation leads Batman to the prison where these executions take place. One thing leads to other and Batman ends up getting electrocuted on the chair (The thought of getting electrocuted is gruesome! Sheesh)

Batman is safe (of course).

The story continues with Batman investigating further and finally revealing who was behind all this.

I have a few highlights for this book:

1. This is really good for people who do not know a lot about Batman’s mythology. This is a great start for them.
   
2. Batman and Gordon put aside their differences and work together. This book kind of explores how trust between them was built.
   
3. THERE IS NO SIGN OF ALFRED!!!! This was exceptional, I really liked it. Bruce Wayne is all by himself, a bachelor with a messy Wayne Manor. I’ve never seen a messy Wayne Manor before; there has always been Alfred to take care of it.
   
4. Batman does not really have high-tech gadgets, a high-end Batmobile, or a Bat-computer. The Batmobile in this series pays homage to the old red-colored Batmobile used by Batman in 1939 (Google it). This is a raw, serious, and more grounded Batman.

The story ends in book 3. But due to the success of this title, the next installment called “Batman: The Second Knight” is on its way.

I think the grounded Batman is something people like the most, hence the popularity of this series. It would be great if you guys could read this title and enjoy it the same way I did. Once read, please let me know what you enjoyed the most in the comments below.

Will meet you soon with another interesting comic. Until then, Bye!

Rating: 3/5 stars

^{Pic Credits: DC Comics}