Batman: Broken City

By Alex De-Gruchy
June 14, 2006

When writer Jeph Loeb and artist Jim Lee wrapped up their hugely successful 12-issue storyline Hush in the pages of Batman, DC went looking for another high-profile creative team to pick up the baton. And so, they went to the writer/artist team behind the popular Vertigo series 100 Bullets - Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso. With the tendency of 100 Bullets to show the seedy underbelly of society as well as the people who inhabit it, Azzarello and Risso seemed like a perfect choice to tell a tale about the mean streets of Gotham City and its dark protector, Batman.

Plot

Broken City opens with Batman looking for Angel Lupo, a used-car salesman with criminal ties, whose sister, Elizabeth, has been murdered. After hunting down Angel's girlfriend, Margo, Batman follows her to where Angel has been hiding. When Batman chases after the fleeing Angel, something happens that suddenly makes this case much more personal to Bruce Wayne - a husband and wife are shot and killed, apparently by Angel, and their young son sees it happen in front of his eyes (Sound familiar?). Obviously this affects Bruce deeply, and he begins to scour Gotham City for Angel Lupo. Secrets are uncovered and the truth about these events is slowly revealed amongst numerous twists and turns.

Despite a simple set-up, the plot of Broken City soon becomes more intricate as a number of characters come out of the woodwork with their own agendas, which often intersect or conflict in some way. In truth, a single collection is probably the best way to read this story, as it can be easy to get lost concerning who is involved, and how they all relate to each other. This isn't helped by the fact that Azzarello's vague narrative captions and dialogue often try to be a little too clever for their own good. Also, there are too many unanswered questions at the end - how did the Joker seem to know more about the case than Batman from inside Arkham Asylum? What events led to the real cause of the murder of the husband and wife? There are some clever ideas here, but sometimes they suffer in execution.

However, on the whole, the story hangs together well and there are some great scenes involving Batman and the other characters. Additionally, there are moments of deep reflection on Gotham City which ties in nicely to the story's events, portrayed as they are in a gritty, noir fashion.

Characterisation

Batman is obviously a character who has been written by countless creators over the decades, so Azzarello must be given credit for putting his own stamp on the caped crusader - his interpretation doesn't stray from the archetypal Batman that we have come to know, but at the same time there are certain elements in there that those who are familiar with Azzarello's style will recognize. There are moments of black humour on Batman's part that aren't as out of place as you might think, but there also times when we see him pushed to a point where we see how dangerous he can really be. However, Azzarello's style also brings its own problems - some of Batman's dialogue and narrative captions, as I mentioned earlier, sometimes try too hard to be clever or sound cool, and this can lead to some unrealistic dialogue on behalf of Batman as well as other characters. Sometimes you just want the characters to say something straightforward, rather than speak in riddles and metaphors.

The two new villains that Azzarello introduces - Fat Man and Little Boy - don't seem to serve a particularly important purpose, and we never learn that much about them. Other supporting characters such as GCPD detective Chris Allen and Margo are used well, but again mostly in a perfunctory way. There are appearances by existing villains such as Killer Croc (who is portrayed here in a slightly bizarre fashion compared to other appearances of the character), Scarface, and the Penguin. Each one of these characters however is somehow connected to the events surrounding Angel Lupo. There is also a brief cameo by the Joker, and although the scene between him and Batman has no significant connection to the plot, Azzarello handles it well.

Art

By far the most impressive aspect of this whole collection and what really stands out is the artwork by Eduardo Risso. His style - a mix of gritty realism combined with exaggerated elements when suitable - is perfect for portraying Batman, the mean streets of Gotham City and the people who inhabit them. Risso really brings the various locations of Gotham City to life, immersing the reader in the story and inserting great detail into the environments in which the characters find themselves - seedy strip clubs, bars, chop shop garages and the dark, rain-soaked Gotham streets.

In addition to the scenery, Risso also excels in his renditions of the story's various characters. Batman has never looked more powerful, and the brutal fight scenes attest to this when he hands out - as well as receives - some vicious beatings. Despite some generally uninspiring designs on Fat Man and Little Boy, Risso puts his own spin on the other villains, with Killer Croc looking as sinister and vicious as ever (despite the hat and suit), and the Joker looking suitably creepy locked away in his cell at Arkham. Also, with Broken City essentially being a hard-boiled detective story, it is a bonus that no one draws a femme fatale quite like Risso. Finally, Risso's use of thick black lines and silhouettes are never overdone, and always fit the respective scene perfectly.

As a side note, eagle-eyed 100 Bullets fans might want to see if they can spot a background cameo by Agent Graves in the collection.

Overall

Broken City is a solid Batman story which Azzarello and Risso have certainly crafted in their own unique way. It is highly recommended for those who would like to see Batman as the street-level detective and vigilante, rather than a superhero in the JLA standing in the Watchtower on the moon. Although it does have its problems at times in terms of plot and dialogue, Azzarello has nevertheless written a dense, gritty story that isn't afraid to show a streak of black humour here and there. And Risso was born to draw Batman - although I would never normally recommend a book based on artwork alone, if you are someone who focuses on artwork more than story, you really should pick up Broken City as soon as you can. Fans of either Azzarello or Risso should enjoy Broken City whether they are Batman fans or not. However, if you're not into the work of these creators, there's nothing here that will change your mind. In the same vein, if you're looking for a more straightforward Batman story with more superhero elements, then there are countless other collections that might be better suited. This is a dark, hard-boiled story that doesn't pull any punches, and sometimes that's the truest way to tell a story about Gotham City and its Dark Knight.

Publisher: DC Comics
Writing: Brian Azzarello
Pencils & Inks: Eduardo Risso
Colours: Patricia Mulvihill
Collects Batman Issues #620-625