It’s Bats with gats!

Ripped from Batman’s greatest nightmares, the Grim Knight is his world’s most dangerous vigilante, unafraid to use any weapon and go to any lengths to stop those whom he deems worthy of death. Trained with the finest arsenal Wayne money can buy, learn the secret origin of the second-deadliest Batman, hand selected by the Batman Who Laughs to bring his dark plans to fruition.

One of the things that stands out from The Batman Who Laughs miniseries is the newest corrupted Batman, the Grim Knight. This is a Batman who will use guns and is brutally efficient. Writers Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV deliver an origin issue pulling back the curtain on what made this deadly Batman.

The issue splits between acting as a flashback origin issue and a tie-in to The Batman Who Laughs miniseries. We learn what created this version of Batman as well as his war on crime. We also learn that maybe he’s not quite as indestructible as we think he is showing this is a character who can, and has, been beat. It’s an interesting reveal and delivers something we haven’t seen with some of the other dark multiverse Batmen that we’ve been introduced to.

The origin story itself is the expected spin on what we’ve seen before and there’s enough differences to make it interesting. That history and how it’s driving his actions now, plus the fact that he can be stopped, all create something different from the different Batmen we’ve already been introduced to. It’s yet another new spin and one that really works.

The art by Eduardo Risso with color by Dave Stewart and lettering by Sal Cipriano is fantastic. The styles switch between the present and the past and both are fantastic to look at. There’s an almost painted aspect to the past imagery giving it a haunting feel about it. The use of the blues and grays juxtaposed with the red of blood is eye catching.

The issue is a good one and one and delivers a character I want to see more of. We’re shown a Batman who isn’t just flawed but also isn’t invincible. We see him being defeated which gives us something we don’t see too often when it comes to the character. The dark multiverse shook things up and we can still be surprised with something new like this. A solid addition to the world Scott Snyder is building and he and Tynion deliver a fantastic chapter in The Batman Who Laughs’ tale.

Story: Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV
Art: Eduardo Risso Color: Dave Stewart Letterer: Sal Cipriano
Story: 8.15 Art: 8.75 Overall: 8.35 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review