Batman Gotham After Midnight #6 (of 12) – Review

By Steve Niles (writer), Kelley Jones (art and cover), Michelle Madsen (colors), Pat Brosseau (letters)

The Story: Bruce Wayne tries to make nice with Detective Clarkson, while Batman’s frustration grows as he can’t seem to find a method to Midnight’s madness. To make things worse, the Joker returns and further complicates things as he holds a busload of children hostage at a haunted house somewhere in Gotham. It’s another Halloween in Gotham and this one might be the worst yet!

What’s Good? In another issue where it seems like Steve Niles took a lunch break, Kelly Jones comes through as a hero once again. These are truly some of the creepiest Joker pencils I’ve ever seen. It’s as if his insanity has literally deformed him. Michelle Madsen’s colors are a real treat to see as well, such as her use of red lines on Batman’s cowl, where the color paints the character enraged.

What’s Not So Good? The pacing of the series as a whole has proven to be a consistent weakness. Some issues are all action, some all story, and others feel unconnected. This issue falls into the third category. The introduction of the Joker is fine, but he’s out of the action pretty quickly, making this issue feel like a throwaway. There’s no movement on the Midnight story-line aside from learning he’s frustrating Batman (shocker). It’s frustrating to have such potential in such a moment to moment book. Things started off so well, but inconsistency is killing the story.

Conclusion: Every comic will have it’s problems, but each issue in this series seems to have a new one. Whether it’s too much action or story, it’s pretty clear that twelve issues is way too many for this arc. I’d be much more lenient if it was an ongoing series, or even a bunch of one-shots but I shouldn’t be reading a different take on Batman each month within the same title. The big picture Niles portrays is good, but all the remaining filler is becoming more and more cumbersome.

Grade: C

-Ben Berger