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Masquerade / Face to Face
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Main Story
Written by Dan Slott
Pencils by Rick Burchett
Inks by Terry Beatty
Colors by Lee Loughridge
Lettering by Jared Fletcher
Cover by Kelsey Shannon
Asst. Editor Harvey Richards
Editor Joan Hilty
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Back-Up
Written by Ty Templeton
Penciled by Rick Burchett
Inked by Terry Beatty
Colored by Zylonol
Lettered by Fletcher
Asst. Editor Harvey Richards
Editor Joan Hilty |
Issue #08 - Masquerade / Face to Face
Cover Date - January 2004. Released November 19th.
Batman faces off against the Black Mask! Whose side will the deadly Phantasm take? Also, Bruce reflects on the many masks he wears. |
Review
Dan Slott concludes his first
story arc in style, with a heaping helping of comedy,
action, and mystery certain to please fans. With Matches
Malone now ascended to a relatively high position in
Black Mask’s (crumbling) organization, Batman is ready
to make his final move. Complications exist, however, in
both the Phantasm’s questionable loyalties and a
mysterious voice pulling Black Mask’s strings.
What we have here is an issue which is doubly exciting
and frustrating. It’s exciting because of great
character moments: the issue opens with Alfred/Leslie
comedy that’s simply gold, and the characterization of
Eel O’Brian continues to be a treat. There are also
great mysteries teased at here: the Phantasm motivation
remains tantalizingly ambiguous, and Slott introduces a
mysterious behind-the-scenes puppeteer whose crimson
visage will delight old-school Batman fans.
The issue is frustrating, of course, because these
questions wouldn’t really be answered, though this is
obviously no fault of the creative team. With that taken
into account, it’s hard to be disappointed in any way
with what happens here. Matches Malone exits stage left,
resolving the undercover subplot, as well as a small
pseudo-romance which goes a long way towards humanizing
Batman. Phantasm flies off into the sunset, leaving the
reader wondering about her goals, and the cliffhanger
brings a new villain, oh-so full of potential, into the
book. There’s little that can be said about the issue,
other than that Slott employs a tried-and-true Saturday
morning serial feel in the arc, delivering plenty of
thrills, chills, and spills, and always leaving the
reader eagerly awaiting the next installment. The
backup, which details how Bruce came to acquire the
Matches Malone identity, is strikingly poignant and
powerful. None of this is revolutionary, but it is damn
fine superhero storytelling, written with an insightful
knowledge of the craft. For Batman fans, this is not an
issue to be missed, and stands head and shoulders above
anything going on in the main Batman titles today.
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