Howling No More — Reviewing ‘Batman: Full Moon’ #4

A beast has awakened inside Batman. Unfortunately, the only cure might rest within breaking one of his few steadfast rules. With Zatanna at his side, the Dark Knight puts up a final fight against the Lycan virus and its host.

It’s a no holds barred situation as Rodney Barnes, Stevan Subic, and Rus Wooten bring their DC Black Label series Batman: Full Moon to a brutal conclusion.

Comic books fit into so many different slots when it comes to storytelling, existing in all the nooks and crannies that make up all the different genres and story types. Characters who feature in those comic books are often a different story. Take a character like Daredevil, for example, who generally tends to fit well mostly in a handful of storytelling tropes. Then there are the Batman types who fit into just about every genre as if they were born there.

This series is proof of that.

Barnes fits the magic, curses, and supernatural right into Gotham City without losing a step. Stories of this type and length stand alone, without needing to follow any specific canon or continuity. We witness Barnes thread that needle beautifully with the uses of Zatana, Constantine, and even James Gordon and Alfred Pennyworth.

The artistry is truly the star of this series.

Subic’s style is so otherworldly and different, it fits every bit of the story’s tones, which dip into stark, dark, and moody, in all the best ways. It’s as sharp and cutting as the claws of the various werewolves who fill the pages. Textures have a muddier and rougher texture to them matching the color palette in play, with lots of washed out colors and yellows and grays acting as a filter in certain panels.

There is a (purposeful) heaviness across every page. Plenty of weight comes from the characters, but also the situations and gravity brought to life. There is no way that the book works as well as it did without this style. I can’t even imagine getting the same feeling out of this book if it had been done in a more slick, detailed, and colorful way like most superhero fare. Each art style has its rightful place.

Born of this artwork is a sense of dread. This feeling is given more weight and power because of the story Barnes wants to tell. There is no easy way out for Batman and those around him. Harsh choices have to be made and we feel every bit of it. I appreciate that the only way for Batman to escape his curse was out of his hands. Far too often we are given the “God” Batman in comics.

Give me the guy who struggles, stumbles, and has to think on the fly about things outside of his usual purview.

Matching everything beat for beat is the lettering work. Wooten is always great at this, and I’ve admired his work for years. Capturing the emotions and blasting them back tenfold on the pages is just a normal day. Finding the ways to add even more weight to the words that do appear, while allowing scenes to speak for themselves in some cases is classic Wooten.

Batman: Full Moon #4 is now available from DC Comics.