Batman: Gotham Knights – Gilded City is a six-part series that ties into the Gotham Knights video game that launched earlier this week. This miniseries shows Batman and his Gotham Knights, including Batgirl and Robin, as they investigate a strange illness that is ravaging their city. Written by Evan Narcisse with art by Abel, colors by John, and letters by Steve Wands, this series expands on the world of the video game and explores the last case that Batman takes before his death.
The citizens of Gotham City are being infected with an unknown disease, causing them to become violent and commit crimes. Batman and his colleagues are tasked with figuring out what is happening to their city. They soon learn that this disease is not new to the city. Batman: Gotham Knights – Gilded City #1 tells the story of Gotham in two different time periods that mirror each other. What is happening in Gotham has happened before. Back in the 1800s, the city had a masked vigilante, The Runaway, who dealt with a similar predicament. As this first issue progresses, it looks like both heroes may have met their match.
Evan Narcisse opens this first issue by showing Batman in the middle of a restaurant, trying to figure out what’s making everyone around him act like rabid animals. Narcisse does a great job of showing how a disease like this relates to the real world today. Crowds of people act like zombies trying to get their hands on the next big thing or trying to get that perfect picture of their food for Instagram. Narcisse gives each character their own strengths that complement each other in Batman: Gotham Knights- Gilded City #1. By telling dueling stories about Gotham in the present day and in the 1800s, Narcisse helps the reader connect the dots alongside the super sleuths.
Abel’s art and John’s colors bring high octane to Batman: Gotham Knights – Gilded City #1. Each character’s costume matches their character design from the game, but they truly shine on the printed page. Batman has a sleek design that creates ominous silhouettes on the Gotham City skyline. Abel balances a large cast of characters on each page, but he keeps the focus on the Gotham Knights. John’s coloring makes each character pop on the page and adds warmth to the dull grays of the city in the background.
This first issue of Batman: Gotham Knights – Gilded City gives fans the necessary backstory to the highly anticipated Gotham Knights video game and shows the last mission Batman goes on. Narcisse establishes a terrifying disease that has roots in Gotham and hooks readers in with a new chapter in the history of Gotham City. With great designs and an intriguing story, Batman: Gotham Knights – Gilded City #1 expands on the foundation of what the video game has created and grabs readers’ attention from page one.
