Batman: The Ankh

 Writer: Chuck Dixon

Artist: John van Fleet

Rating: 7 of 8

Batman

The Ankh

Everybody dies. No matter how much we might wish it wasn't true and that we could just keep on holding onto what we know, we can't. Eventually, we all have to get off this merry go round called life and move on, no matter what comes next.

But what if you couldn't? It's a conundrum faced by Egyptian Princess Khatera who, thanks to her father, can never die. No matter how many years go by, no matter what is thrown at her, she will survive - and it's driving her mad. 

The idea of living to see everyone you love die is it's own kind of horror. No matter how many times she loses those she loves, she can never move on. It'd only make sense if she lost herself to madness and evil and in some ways, she does - but is she truly lost?

Written by Chuck Dixon, one of the most prolific Batman writers there is, it's layered with some of the best writing I've ever seen from the writer. Before we even get to Gotham or Batman, Dixon brings us on a beautiful journey that begins with a father's love, then a startling discovery, until it finally moves onto just what that means.

Thanks to the Egyptian trappings, the story's filled with a wonderfully mystical quality that, surprisingly, fits rather well. Usually, Batman works best when he's kept close to the ground, facing uniquely twisted serial killers and sinister plots, but Dixon tells it in such a way that never betrays Batman's detective sensibilities, or it's mystical qualities.

Van Fleet also brings it to remarkable life, filling Dr. Katar's office with a stirring beauty, while an underwater battle has a strange kind of gloom. The only problem I have with it is how a certain Batman villain looks, at least in the face. With how Van Fleet draws him, he looks a lot more stupid than he should. Other than that, it all looks very good.

Overall, a very good tale, one that's well worth looking into.

Batman: Kings of Fear

 Writer: Scott Peterson

Artist: Kelley Jones

Rating: 6 of 8

Batman

Kings of Fear

Would the world be better off without me? It's a question a lot of us will ask at some point, with a number of different answers. Of course, Kings of Fear isn't about if the world would be better off without you, but whether it would be better off without you as you are.

It's a very different question to the above, but one that's definitely worth asking. In Kings of Fear, Scarecrow, the self-proclaimed Master of Fear, escapes the Asylum and wreaks havoc on Batman's mind, causing him to question his very existence. The Crusader is thrown through a torrid of turmoil, as he's forced to ask: would Gotham be better off without the Batman?

Through the annals of his own troubled mind, Wayne is presented with a world where he never became the hero we know. But instead of the city and, indeed, the world falling apart because of it, it's much better off. It's not overwhelmed by crime, chaos, or corruption, but instead much safer because of what he chose to do instead.

In this scenario, most of his enemies either went down far less violent paths, or met decidedly bloody ends before they could do any meaningful damage. Was this ever a real possibility, or is it all just a dark fantasy, conjured up by some deadly chemicals and lingering self-doubt? Well, that's up to you to decide.

For me, I struggle to see a world where Batman, or someone like him, wasn't necessary to take on the teeming crime and corruption of his city. He definitely didn't do it alone, but if it had just been a steadfast Jim Gordon taking it on, I'm not sure how he could have succeeded.

Though this is a very compelling exploration of Batman's psyche, I'm not sure if it makes sense for a more seasoned Dark Knight to have such heavy self-doubt. It might make more sense when he was just starting out, but I'm more used to seeing him be resolute in his beliefs.

Though Jones creates some incredible imagery, particularly when it comes to it's lead, it's antagonist and the nightmarish imagery he conjures up, there are some problems with it. At times, it can be hard to understand what's going on and I feel like if some of it was better laid out, it would be easier to follow. 

Other than that, though, this is both a rather compelling exploration of a hero's psyche and of the impact one man can have on the world.