Storyline: Death Mask (part 2 of 4)
Date: May 7, 2008
Price: $2.99 US
Writer: Yoshinori Natsume
Artist: Yoshinori Natsume

Synopsis: The all-new original manga from the acclaimed Yoshinori Natsume continues! Bruce Wayne must confront his past and examine how the time he spent in Japan as a young man training to become Batman affected him…and whether his experiences then somehow led to the killer now rampaging throughout the underworld in Gotham.

Opinion: Let me just start off by saying that I am thoroughly enjoying this book. The art continues to be fantastic and as we near the middle of the plot; where things tend to get stale in other mini series, the story remains interesting and the depth of all of the characters involved remains an integral part of the story rather than simple distractions or filler.

In this issue we see some more of the origins of Batman as an alter ego, as well as more of what we expect of Bruce Wayne, and the darkness that drives him. I really enjoyed catching a glimpse of Bruce Wayne’s formation, it did wax a bit Batman Begins, but it certainly fits the story.

Read my full review after the jump!

Overall this mini series is trucking right along very elegantly, and you can tell that Natsume put a lot of thought into it. One thing that does bother me a bit is the consistent use of onomatopoeia throughout the book. It is quite distracting, especially when sometimes it doesn’t seem to fit. However, I do think this has to do with culture, and I would imagine that in traditional storytelling for Natsume, those constant sound effects are not only expected, but integral to a story. They’re not anything to worry too much about, as the books so far have had plenty of quality to more than make up for it.

On the last page, I got pretty confused as I don’t think I caught who the gal was supposed to be. There are a lot of female characters being introduced or referred to in this book and I’m not sure if there is a connection there. Did I miss something in this issue?

If you’re not already buying this book I would recommend ordering it now! It’s worth it!

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