Slam Bradley has been one step behind the kidnappers the entire time…can he turn the tables in time to save the infant heiress to the Wayne fortune? Is this hardened private investigator prepared to deal with a dark, deadly twist that will define Gotham City for generations to come?
This is the issue that puts all the pieces together for the reader and truly showcases all the core elements of a great crime noir. Readers get all the evil motivations mixed with an incredibly dark setting. Read Full Review
Hester delivers some beautifully stylish and visually engaging art throughout the issue. The art immerses you into the world of these characters and perfectly captures the tone and tension of the plot. Read Full Review
This perfectly sets us up for one of King's trademark brutal finishes. Read Full Review
Gotham City: Year One #5 is an incredible story that retroactively makes everything up until now even better. This issue is filled with so many shocking twists that force you to reevaluate everything you thought you knew about the characters. It keeps you on the edge of your seat as you're fully thrust into this world of intrigue and conspiracy. If the series can finish as strongly as it's been so far, it will be one of the best Batman comics in a long time. Read Full Review
Expect meaty answers in Gotham City: Year Oneas the series barrels toward its finish. As penultimate issues go, King and Fornes deliver plenty of answers while keeping you second-guessing every truth, setting up a showdown that has been brewing ever since Slam met Mrs. Wayne. Read Full Review
This has been an unexpectedly engaging read. Next issue should finish connecting some major dots in the story. Read Full Review
Gotham City: Year One #5 is chock full of secrets and revelations that fall into place perfectly. Despite the fact that King relies a bit too much on the narration to describe the events, the overall dramatic effect is worth it. Hopefully, the final chapter will lead to an epic conclusion. Read Full Review
Much of the issue is given to montage-style flashbacks, cast mostly in black and white, with narrative captions taking readers through the unseen events beyond Slam's scope. It relies almost entirely on how effectively constructed the mystery and this is a story developed by creators who clearly love their noir inspirations. Each new detail fits neatly into place without reducing the sprawling mess into a single, neat twist. Read Full Review
Continuing down the overly-worn rut of nihilistic neo-noir tales from the past, Tom King puts all the puzzle pieces together in this penultimate issue, while Phil Hester and the art team continue to drench the tale with power and emotion the writing doesn't quite support. Read Full Review
I'm so ambivalent on this series. Parts of it I like, parts of it I loathe. There are tropes in Noir storytelling, specifically how women are portrayed, that really make me roll my eyes. They're problematic, and Tom King is leaning into them hard, instead of trying to subvert them. And honestly, that trend is present in basically every Tom King book sans Supergirl. It's getting a bit tiring.
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