Batman: Dark Victory (DC Comics) – Comic Series Review

After being rocked by the Holiday killer reveal of Alberto Falcone, Batman and James Gordon feel like they lost the battle as Harvey Dent has turned into the villainous Two-Face. But… What about the second Holiday killer? Where did she wind up?! Time has passed, but our core characters remain haunted by these recent events.

Batman struggles to keep Bruce Wayne involved in daytime activities, or relationships, such as with Selina Kyle who gets sick of waiting around for his attention. James Gordon gets promoted to Commissioner, as some dirty cops were flushed during the mobster take downs seen in The Long Halloween.

While Gotham looks to move on from the Holiday killings, unfortunately a new string of murders begins to occur, and following a similar holiday-themed pattern. The murderer is dubbed Hangman by the media based on the roped bodies and kids game clues left behind at the scenes. Not only that, but someone sprung all the villains from Arkham, so anyone from the Joker to Two-Face are unaccounted for.

Gang wars heat up on the street as the Falcone’s look to remain in power, but other families lash out for control. A new D.A. named Janice Porter looks to help with this, and turns to Gordon for info. As the bodies continue to stack up, a horrifying pattern emerges, and the final motivation is unclear. Who is behind all these moving parts? Will the dark detective find the Hangman before it is too late?

Batman: Dark Victory brings another excellent story with great pacing and an intriguing mystery. If you enjoyed The Long Halloween, this is a natural follow up as it continues and builds on everything that story started. It feels natural all around and its mystery plot is almost as compelling as the first. Dark Victory is also enhanced by the inclusion of some new and famous characters, bringing a hint of lightness in the moody story.