Batman: Legends Of The Dark Knight #102 - DC Comics

BATMAN: LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT No. 102, January 1998

Absolutely dripping with murderous menace and a decidedly arctic atmosphere, James Robinson’s opening instalment to his three-part storyline “Spook” surely must have thrilled Bat-fans everywhere when it first hit the spinner-racks in January 1998. For whilst the basic premise behind the ‘whodunnit’ is unashamedly contrived simply to 'serve up' this comic’s considerable cast into the hands of a homicidal maniac, the thought of several billionaires being trapped in a seemingly deserted mansion in the middle of an icy wilderness definitely helps keep the audience guessing as to just who the mysterious killer actually is.

In fact, one of the Inkpot Award-winner’s strengths with this publication is his ability to quickly paint a pen-picture of all the different personalities thrown together for his narrative, and then almost immediately begin whittling away at them, courtesy of some extremely violent deaths, just as soon the reader forms an opinion as to just who within the motley band they either like or dislike; “Don’t pay him any mind. Some people don’t realize that we’re all living on the same planet.”

In addition, the British-born writer also helps add an extra element of vulnerability to this twenty-one page periodical’s plot by having Bruce Wayne appear just as bamboozled by its strange supernatural events as everyone else. Initially depicted as clearly being the ‘man in charge’ of the upper class conference to ease the world’s environmental issues, the Caped Crusader soon starts to question his own sanity when he apparently confronts a ghost and is felled by his intangible opponent by a well-placed karate chop to the neck.

Equally as enjoyable as the script to Issue One Hundred and Two of “Batman: Legends Of The Dark Knight” are the layouts of Paul Johnson, which do a tremendous job in helping sell the sheer terror and stark cold of the situation. The former “2000 A.D.” illustrator appears particularly good at adding little visual clues, such as David Gracy’s runny nose or Jason Maconi’s hot breath, to many of his panels so as to emphasise the bitingly chilly conditions, and later does an incredible job of portraying the aforementioned bespectacled businessman’s evident horror during his final, tortured moments of life.

Writer: James Robinson, Artist: Paul Johnson, and Colorist: Dan Brown