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Batman #108 Review: Too Little Ghost-Maker

Published Sun, 09 May 2021 14:03:11 -0500

There's a lot of interesting elements to Batman #108 with the Ghost-Maker first month of those events. On one hand, Batman comes face to face with his failures in protecting the citizens of the city he loves while establishing the groundwork for Future State and his eventual downfall. On the other hand, Ghost-Maker is a scoundrel superhero whose inexorable Pepe Le Pew style of chasing down his adversaries makes a refreshing change of pace.

Batman #108 Review: Too Little Ghost-Maker — Batman #108 Cover. Credit: DC Comics

The main story is, in many ways, an indictment of the Gotham we know. A group called the Unsanity Collective has been erasing the minds of Gothamites in service to Robin Hood-themed larceny. Batman doesn't like it, but his Matches Malone persona isn't enough to fool any of them. He is forced to accept a number of perspectives that he really can't answer. That would be interesting if this led to something really different for him and not just a drive towards Future State, complete with the foundation of the Magistrate.

Forget about all that: Ghost-Maker as a derring-do adventurer with a snarky, KITT-like voice in his ear is a hoot. His enemies recount one of his adventures, where he even shows an unexpected side to one of his adversaries. Still, time is running out as he's coming to shut down a criminal cabal as they are assembled to take him on. The art by Ricardo Lopez Ortiz is fun and very fluid as the violence erupts from most panels, yet it manages a quiet conversation with great tension.

In short, Batman #108 had some hopeful elements but was far too little Ghost-Maker and far too little self-awareness for Bruce Wayne. RATING: HONORABLE MENTION.

Batman #108
By James Tynion the Fourth, Jorge Jimenez, Ricardo Lopez Ortiz
Batman goes undercover to infiltrate the transhumanist gang known as the Unsanity Collective and learn more about their sudden appearance in Gotham. And what nefarious plans does Simon Saint have for Arkham Day survivor Sean Mahoney? How does it connect to the Magistrate? And in part two of the action-packed, bone-rattling Ghost-Maker backup story … can our hero stand up to the horror of Kid Kawaii? Plus, don't miss the debut of the mysterious Miracle Molly!

Batman #108