Batman: Jekyll & Hyde

(DC, 2005)
™ and © DC Comics, Inc.

Published in 1989 (the year of the second Batman craze), Gotham by Gaslight found The Dark Knight on the trail of Jack the Ripper and began a rich tradition of placing DC characters in historic settings and time periods. At first glance, Batman: Jekyll & Hyde appears to be such a project, but readers will quickly discover that this is not an Elseworlds title. Rather, it continues the modern-day adventures of The Caped Crusader and simply uses Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel (The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) as a reference point and inspiration.

Easily the most gripping (not to mention disturbing) element of this issue is the formerly decent family man who turns on his family and kills them “on a whim.” It’s cool to see Batman/Bruce Wayne solving a mystery and posing as a playboy. Unfortunately, the scenes involving Two-Face (an all-too predictable choice for this story, given his dual nature) are disappointing, especially the contrived flashback sequence.

Strong throughout is Jae Lee’s detailed, deliciously dark art.

— Brett Weiss

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