I felt compelled to review this book because it struck me as such a curio.  Batman Confidential has started to feel like the forgotten corner of the Batman line (the last story being the very definition of forgettable, other than the appearance of Lady Blackhawk, who redeems most things).  So to see Sam Kieth producing this 4 part tale has me intrigued to say the least.

The art grabbed me first.  I liked Kieth back in the early Maxx days.  I was coming to the end of high school (15/16 years old over here in Blighty) and found I responded to the fact that it was an Image book that was the absolute antithesis of everything else they put out.  Still, I didn’t follow him avidly and have only occasionally read his stuff since those days.  If possible he’s become more abstract and obtuse, yet I don’t feel put off.  There’s loads of different Batman iterations out there and they don’t all have to be the same. In fact it’s always intriguing to see Bats look somewhat unusual as he always seems like the sacred DC cash cow, and I always wonder just how happy DC are to see artists and writers mess with his look and style.  So the art is a plus, kind of wild but compelling just the same.

The story isn’t quite clicking yet, but it holds promise, if only because I’m interested in part two but at the same time have no idea where things are going.  Where Kieth scores points is partly in the characterisation, particularly in the interaction between Batman and Gordon.  They have actual conversations!  So often, their scenes together are the stock exchanges of bare facts on a rooftop whereas Kieth gives their relationship some sort of depth and, yes, even realism.  The other positive is the backdrop, which is the city’s homeless and their relationship to a reclusive social worker.  Again, this intrigues me because it doesn’t feel like the same old Batman adventure, Kieth wants to give us some substance and he makes it clear that this is a story that comes from a singular creator, not editorial mandate.

So part one caught me a little wrongfooted, I’m not quite sure what it is I’m reading.  But with 70 years of Bat history behind us, that’s surely never a bad thing.