GOC Comic Reviews: ‘Batman #47’
Batman #47
Written by Tom King
Art by Tony S. Daniel
Inks by Tony S. Daniel, Danny Miki and Sandu Florea
Colours by Tomeu Morey
The conclusion of The Gift arc is one that ends on a really bittersweet note, that although leads us to where it all should be, it still leaves you with a pang in the heart and a hollow feeling in your chest.
Tom King proves time after time that his run on the Batman is solid in both character development and narrative structure, but it does make you wonder what he tried to achieve with this particular arc. Yes, in the last issue we understood that Batman was born out of violence and is surrounded by it, that it’s his nature, but in this issue, Bruce takes a step back and allows Michael Jon Carter, Booster Gold, to take the spot.
Courtesy of DC Comics
This conclusion, much more than a reflection on the Bat vigilante, is a “face the consequences of your actions” story for Booster Gold. The character comes face-to-face with the error of his ways and realizes that what he did was wrong, even if his heart was in the right place. After all, Booster Gold was only trying to give Bruce a gift for his wedding.
This story arc was just as much about Bruce as it was about Booster, and while some people might find Carter a little out of character the truth is, if King leaves Batman, I’ll be hoping to see him take on Booster Gold, as I’m sure he’ll make the character shine in a solo series.
The art and ink balance perfect the tones of Batman 47, both the darkness surrounding the story as well as the oddity of Gold in this whole scenario. Also, one particular scene will take our breath away as everything looks incredibly vivid and it’s like you’re there with the characters in the panel.
Spoiler Alert: We’ve seen the death of the Waynes so many times I think we all know it’s getting a little tiresome, but in this specific issue – contrasting the deaths of the Wanyes to the murder-turned-suicide of Bruce – it gets to you in ways you didn’t expect it, as it’s not easy to see. Spoiler Alert.
Overall, The Gift gets an 8 out of 10 Booster Gold moments in a Batman story.
And seriously, Tom King… are you trying to be the new George R.R. Martin?
