Bruce Wayne is all about masks, as anybody will tell you. But there’s more to him than just the simple duality between man and bat, and it’s this theme that Dan Slott plays with in this issue’s main story, “Playing with Matches”. Batman has gone undercover as Matches Malone in an attempt to bring down the rackets of gang leader Black
Mask. But the encounters a challenge much more involved than he initially expected, and he must deal with shifting loyalties in the wake of the re-appearance of his former lover, Andrea Beaumont, a.k.a. the Phantasm.
The story is at its strongest when playing with issues of identity. Matches Malone is an intriguing figure indeed: a sort of bizarre fusion between Bruce Wayne and
Batman, coming across as a more restrained version of the latter, a more adventurous version of the former. We are left to decide how much of him is an act and how much is genuine, but his act of compassion at the beginning of the issue, and later on in the arc, is striking. Also notable is his seemingly genuine affinity for (to a point) Eel O’Brian, his criminal partner whose role in this story is a pleasant reference for DC Comics fans (Eel O’Brian is perhaps better known as Plastic
Man). Leslie Thompkins shows up for a brief cameo, and her presence is most welcome. She brings the same level of humanity and insight into the Batman mythos as she typically does.
The villain of the piece, Black Mask, is largely forgettable, and his mask shtick, though not intolerable, is rather goofy and non-intimidating. What we are left with is an intriguing gangster yarn with some interesting identity issues at its core, not to mention the foreboding threat of Phantasm among Black
Mask’s gang. Fortunately, Firefly comes off as a bit more menacing than his boss in this story, and the fire scenes are exciting and well-staged, thanks to
Burchett’s strong pencils.
A word or two about the Phantasm’s appearance in this arc: though her presence is indeed most intriguing, and certainly fulfills the “holy crap, it’s Phantasm!” quota
Dan Slott no doubt wanted the reader to feel, it comes with a price. Readers only familiar with her appearance in Mask of the Phantasm will likely be confused with her methodology and temperament in these issues.
One needs to read The Batman and Robin Adventures
Annual #1 to truly understand her in these issues, and even that doesn’t answer all the mysteries surrounding her in this arc. Regrettably, these mysteries would never be solved, thanks to the series’
premature cancellation.
Despite some of the concerns over her reappearance,
Andrea’s role in the story hits all the right notes that one would expect. Dan Slott does not take the easy way out, making her completely sympathetic, and instead makes it clear that her relationship with Bruce has changed, growing cold and sterile. She, too, has changed, developing during her years away from Gotham in ways we do not fully understand. This story does not stand as well on its own as past issues, but it’s an intriguing setup and a pleasure to read. The backup, in which Batman receives some help foiling the Black Mask’s plans from his sidekicks, is cute but nothing special.
This issue is a worthy installment in the arc, but the real fun starts next month…
