Batman Eternal #15

By Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Ray Fawkes, John Layman, Tim Seeley, Dustin Nguyen, Derek Fridolfs, John Kalisz

“We spend half our time proving we catch these guys already beat up.” – Bard

“But you catch them.” – Batman

“Yeah, we catch them.” – Bard

Scripting this week is done by Ray Fawkes as a few lingering threads in this storyline are brought up. The main story addressed is in regards to Batwing and James Corrigan as they meander through Arkham Asylum – which is falling apart on the inside. Batwing is more of a guard as Corrigan is the expert on the happenings within the asylum – magic is afoot! Fawkes does well to script the dialogue between the two, adding wit and a nice play between the characters personalities and expertise.

A short but sweet scene in this issue comes from a quick conversation between Lieutenant Bard and Batman. The quote mentioned above being one of the reasons this scene is so “sweet” – in the cool way, not the Nicholas Sparks way. Batman gives an analysis on Bard’s methods compared to his own as they take down another criminal.

On art this week is penciller Dustin Nguyen, inker Derek Fridolfs, and colorist John Kalisz. Like most Batman tales, this issue takes place mostly in dark lit panels. Nguyen crafts a convincing Arkham Asylum in dismay – the blood rising from the floor being a standout (how could it not be?!). The “Ten-Eyed Man” that Batwing and Corrigan encounter is depicted as a ragged, faceless, and creepy character. This is where Kalisz has the most fun with his colors. When first encountering the character, the panels are all black for the most part, but that soon changes with the sound of “BOOM” throwing a lime green mist into the dark images. The faceless character is then pulled up into the ceiling surrounded by a pinkish red “rising blood” means.

Week after week this series is doing a great job of juggling its different storylines. We’re given closure to certain points as others are brought up and everything moves at a solid pace. Issue #15 brings a lot of characters into play and depicts them in ways you’ve been dying to see – whether you knew it or not.