Jim Corrigan cant keep The Spectre at bay any longer! Now hes arrived to judge Gotham City for its many sins. Does anyone, even the Midnight Shift, stand a chance against Heavens blade?
Well-worn or not, this is at least an interesting version of the above trope and one that holds the current occupants of the place a little more accountable than the original. It also does a fantastic job of tying back to the previous storylines of this arc, making the whole thing come together rather than just seem like a series of barely-connected introductions to these characters. The writing and art compliment each other amazingly, allowing both to do things that they otherwise couldnt in either this genre or even any other medium. Its always a treat to see a comic book that really takes advantage of the medium to tell its story, and this is an issue that absolutely would not have worked THIS effectively anywhere else. Read Full Review
Gotham by Midnight#5 further solidifies the series as one of the best in DC's lineup. Fawkes and Templesmith have an excellent chemistry on page, and the issue is executed brilliantly. When Batman can guest star inan issue and not cast his shadow over the main cast members, that's the sign that the series has found its true footing. Read Full Review
With bat-missiles soaring, righteous lightning bolts flying left and right, and a battle of (literally) titanic proportions for the heart of Gotham, this is 5 issues worth of build-up done proper, and without teasing too much. Fawkes and Templesmith haven't just coordinated well to deliver and intriguing and tantalizing "bat-title," they've built an intense mythos granting an actual tangibility to the evil and corruption that seems ever present in Gotham, and have done so with fully-fleshed out cast of characters and cases to match. Heck, with all the comic IPs getting snatched up for TV/film adaptations, I wouldn't mind seeing a short form series spin out of this just for the sake of seeing how they translate the horror vibe/aesthetic. Read Full Review
Ben Templesmith closes out his art duties on Gotham by Midnight (sadly) with this issue, but he makes sure it's a doozy of a visual spectacle. The Spectre makes his first major move and Ray Fawkes writes him beautifully: full of brimstone fury without sounding like a street-corner preacher. If you're looking for some spice to add to your pull list, this book has the best of all worlds: dynamic art that wonderfully unsettling (as the genre should), a great writer who understands how to temper magic with horror, and a powerful underlying story populated with interesting souls. Read Full Review
Gotham by Midnight brings its opening arc and massive threat to a close, though with it more set up as a delayed kind of closure as opposed to something with some finality. What it does is mostly give us the grand battle between the two large supernatural entities, but it's almost all processed through the eyes of Corrigan and everyone else from the team. There's a great scale to the events and it's well balanced by the personal side so that we really feel invested with everyone, and with the loss that comes with it as well. The book has plenty of places to go from here and I'm definitely curious to see what approach it'll take and if the cast changes much, but overall this has been a great arc as a whole that's filled with some great artwork to bring it all together. Definitely a book to pick up in trade format if you're not a fan of monthlies. Read Full Review
Issue five, which is centered on a conflict involving The Spectre, is one of the best of the series so far. Fans of horror and Gotham alike are sure to love Gotham By Midnight. Read Full Review
Gotham By Midnight is definitely not for everyone, and sadly, is fighting in a bloated market of several great Gotham books. However, people shouldn't overlook this, as it's providing some of the most uniquely dark and macabre comic books in DC right now. Read Full Review
This was a fine end to the opening arc of this series. A beautifully twisted vision of Gotham City and its inhabitants, Gotham by Midnight is a fun, spooky read that should appeal to those readers who want something a little darker than what typical superhero fare has to offer. Especially as the number of books going for $2.99 continues to shrink, you'll have a hard time finding a more satisfying read for this price. Read Full Review
This series continues to impress and I wish I hadn't waited so long to review it. Fawkes is truly the go to supernatural guy when it comes to DC Comics and he shows us why in this issue. The stakes are the high and the emotions are strong whether they be human or not and you can't help but get lost in this dark story. Go check out Templesmith's last issue and see what everyone's been praising about Gotham By Midnight. Read Full Review
Fawkes balances the gigantic scale with the personal, which is natural, given Corrigan's connection to the Spectre. The events of the Spectre's fight are reflected in the cast's struggles, as one character doesn't survive to the end of "Gotham By Midnight" #5. Fawkes and Templesmith make this comic a gripping, spooky read that is equal parts procedural, horror movie and heroic adventure. Batman's appearance doesn't derail the story at hand, but it does tether it ever so tightly to the rest of Gotham. The final image of this comic is a punch in the gut, as Fawkes and Templesmith set up intense drama for the months to come. Read Full Review
A truly underwhelming conclusion to an otherwise interesting yet hard to follow story arc. Read Full Review
The very names "Fawkes" and "Templesmith" sound like some kind of dynamic duo from an old detective novel, and in Gotham by Midnight it feels like they were meant to work together. They've spun something magical in GbM's first five issues and it kills me that Templesmith ended his art duties with this issue. I can't imagine any artist being quite as good a fit for a story like this (and a great story it is), but we'll find out to what extent Ferreyra fills his shoes next issue.
Honestly, I like this book to be Bat free and his presence makes me leery of what is to come. I'm continuing to enjoy the characters and the depiction of Gotham, but I hope this will go back to being a comic with a smaller focus. For the full review and more like it, visit OctoGeek at www.imanog.com.
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