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Batman: One Dark Knight #3
- Writer:
- Jock
- Artist:
- Jock
- Letterer:
- Clem Robins
- Cover Artist:
- Jock
- Publisher:
- DC
- Price:
- $6.99
- Release Date:
- 2022-07-26
- Colorist:
- Jock
A creature of the night, born out of darkness, Batman has hunted down criminals and protected Gotham City from the shadows for years. But when darkness swallows his beloved city whole and engulfs it in lawlessness and chaos, the line between good guys and bad guys gets blurred. While transferring the supervillain EMP to Blackgate Prison, the Dark Knight takes a detour through the sewers due to egregious circumstances on the surface and has the misfortune of meeting the gruesome Killer Croc. With story and artwork by Scottish comic book artist Jock and lettering by Clem Robins, Batman: One Dark Knight #3 from DC Black Label brings the curtain down on a high-octane, city-spanning tale of the night the darkness became the Caped Crusader's coffin.
Batman: One Dark Knight #3 sets the ball rolling in the dark with Batman hoping to find EMP but instead finding a monster. Killer Croc and his gang tear Batman to bits, crushing him and pushing him well past his physical limit. As the criminal gangs on the surface call a truce and pool their resources to hunt EMP, the titular character gets up from his bloody beatdown and repositions the cowl for the next round of brawls. Meanwhile, Vasquez, the head of Gotham's prison bureau, enacts her own vengeful agenda from the shadows, and she has laid out the perfect trap for the supervillain who took her family from her.
In true Batman fashion, Batman: One Dark Knight #3 opens in absolute darkness, with Bruce's haunting narration creating a chilling sensation, despite the poetic verve. Somewhere out of the rumble, the multiple narratives come together, forming a complete picture of the story so far. For the most part, it is a tale about three lives: a woman on the destructive path of revenge, a father trying to protect his youngest son, and a son yearning for the truth. The book weaves sentimentality into the threads of the story, spreading a dramatic layer over the gripping suspense. However, the action is what drives the issue to the finish line. Be it an ugly brawl in the bowels of Gotham or the ultimate showdown on a burning bridge, the violence adds an edge to the overall style that complements the artwork well.
Jock uses dynamic, flowing gestural lines and generous swathes of ink to create his signature style while giving the book a nasty, splattery sheen. To capture the engulfing darkness, Jock uses dim lighting in the underground panels, using varying degrees of muted blue tone with occasional splashes of red to denote blood. As the story gradually goes to hell, a fiery blast of colors bursts onto the pages. The bellowing fire in the backdrop, the singular figure of a stoic dark knight standing alone against an army of many is one of the most striking images in the whole book. Clem Robins' creepy, wavering fonts highlight the underlying uneasiness and add to the ominous vibe.
Batman: One Dark Knight #3 is a non-stop ride through a hellacious landscape as one blackout concentrates all the bad things associated with Gotham City into one night. But, in the midst of the darkness, there is one knight who remains firm in his conviction and sees the mission through. Jock manages to tie up all loose ends before the issue reaches its explosive conclusion, but it happens too fast, which is not surprising considering the swift pace of the series. More importantly, the book manages to end on a satisfying note, with each character receiving their due.