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Gotham Knights #25
Bridget Haines |
| Title: |
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No Exit |
| Cover Date: |
March 2002 |
| Story: |
Devin Grayson |
| Pencils: |
Roger Robinson |
| Inks: |
John Floyd |
| Colors and Separations: |
Wildstorm FX |
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Synopsis: (WARNING! SPOILERS!)
Part Four of the "Bruce Wayne: Murderer?"
Story arc brings us into the courtroom, for
the arraignments of Bruce Wayne and Sasha
Bordeaux for the murder and attempted rape
of Vesper Fairchild. It opens with Alfred
traveling by train back to Gotham, after
leaving Brentwood, and Tim Drake, to rush
to his former employer's side. In the court,.
Rachel Green, a recurring character in the
role of Wayne Corp Lawyer, represents Bruce
against the allegations of the City of Gotham.
The press is refused entry to
the courtroom,
despite trying every means possible
to get
inside. Meanwhile, Dick picks
up Alfred at
the train station after being
tipped off
by Tim about the butler's arrival.
Back in court, A plea of not
guilty is entered
for Bruce, with Green raging
against the
charges as being ridiculous.
She expounds
on how much Wayne has done for
the city and
charitable causes, but is shut
down by the
judge. As people on the street
either defend
or condemn Bruce Wayne, in the
courtroom,
prosecutor Willis recommends
he be held without
bail. Despite Green's protests,
the judge
denies bail.
Sasha is brought in for her own
arraignment
as an accessory to murder, exchanging
a glance
in passing with Bruce. Alfred
attempts to
get Bruce's attention while he
is being led
away, as Sasha also turns in
a plea of not
guilty.
Outside the courtroom, Alfred
is bombarded
by reporters until Dick comes
to his rescue,
ushering him out. Both express
their concerns
over his state of mind, and what
will happen
as Bruce is detained in Blackgate
before
the trial. Dick confesses to
not knowing
what really happened and that
Bruce won't
talk to him. The two determine
to find the
answers themselves.
Barbara Gordon/Oracle pays Bruce
a visit
in Blackgate, having to coerce
him to even
picking up the phone. She reveals
she is
now an attorney, having passed
the bar, and
requests to be on his law team.
Bruce refuses,
but says he will be requiring
her help elsewhere.
She asks him If there is anything
he needs.
He merely hangs up on her and
walks away,
leaving her stunned. Bruce is
returned to
his cell in time for lights out.
Analysis:
Cover:  (5 of 5 cowls)
I cannot say enough about Brian Boland's
work. The man is incredible, and has had
me suckered ever since his stunning rendition
of Poison Ivy on the cover of GK #15. This
cover image is a strikingly memorable one,
and says so very much so simply..the fact
that not just Bruce Wayne, but Batman is
in prison, his hands tied, unable to do what
he has spent so long doing, and on trial
for murder. The red and gold logo block complemented
the shades in the image background nicely.
Very eye catching and meaningful work.
Story: (4 of 5 cowls)
This was a decent look into the next stage
of the story arc, but it didn't seem to have
the sheer gripping power of 'Tec 766. Grayson
takes us through Bruce Wayne's arraignment,
with good attention to detail, and a strong
sense of how much impact this is having on
the Bat Family. Alfred and Dick's interactions
were well thought out, and there was good
continuity from the past BW:M? issues. The
absolute brooding silence of Bruce really
added to the story, and made his position
that much more precarious. You can feel the
Bat leaking through, and Bruce Wayne getting
buried deeper and deeper. His isolation from
the various members of the Batclan, and his
odd further isolation of Sasha from them
makes the tension very much felt here. It
also raises the question of why he felt the
need to hide Sasha from even his closest
allies, unless he is as protective of her
as she is of him? Or he is trying to protect
the others from her realization of their
identities? My only complaint would be that
there was so little of Sasha in this. As
his accessory, I would think Alfred and Dick
would be interested in following her trial
as much as Bruce's considering she might
be his only alibi or able to clear his name.
Artwork: (3 of 5 cowls)
Robinson's work doesn't overly thrill me,
but it suffices in this issue. I think part
of the problem I have with his work, is his
light-lined style doesn't mesh well with
John Floyd's very heavy handed inks. There
is so much black on some of these pages that
everything blends in to everything else.
The black is only effectively put to use
in panels where Bruce Wayne is exhibiting
his eerie, dark, and almost threatening silent
countenance. They should have lightened up
on the inks on all the other characters,
and this would have been a much more effective
thing. I also had a hard time telling Sasha
from Rachel in many cases, as they are drawn
almost identically. Sasha in truth only appears
in 3 images, being led past Bruce at the
bottom of page 13, silhouetted in the background
as she stands beside her lawyer with Rachel
and Alfred in toe foreground in panel 2 of
page 14, and pane; 4 of page 14 where she
enters her plea. The stark, black and orange
image of Bruce in a prison jumpsuit at the
bottom of page 18, however, was very masterfully
rendered and suitably creepy.
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