Review of Batman:The Dark Knight #18

“This is who I am.”

***Contains Spoilers***

The Dark Knight is one of the best written Bat-Family books currently out. I am not saying the rest are poorly written(well sometimes I say that). Dark Knight just tends to be more consistent in the writing, but also the context of the stories are intriguing and leave you wanting more.

This issue continues the Mad Hatter Story arc. We finally learn what it was that turned the once sweet innocent boy, into the psychotic killer we see now. It makes you feel for the guy. I am not saying I condone his actions as the Mad Hatter, but(much like scarecrow) when you see his past you almost feel bad for the guy. It also goes to show that everyone has a breaking point, and when you reach that breaking point you can choose to go down the righteous path(Batman) or the dark path(Batman’s villains).

Speaking of choices, Bruce made a pretty big one. He decided that he loved and trusted Natalya enough to tell her his secret. We don’t see much of her reaction but she seemed to take it rather well. I mean it is one thing to suspect your boyfriend is hiding something, but would you ever think he is Batman? Only time will tell if that ends up being a good decision or not.

I really like how Mad Hatter is being portrayed, too often it is easy to think of him as a laughable character. He is a little guy with a big hat, what harm could he do? What you also need to realize is that he is intelligent, and driven to the point of obsession. Never underestimate a driven genius with nothing to lose(watch Law Abiding Citizen or read White Plague if you don’t believe me).