Robb Ghag reviews Batman Annual #2…
“A special ZERO YEAR tie-in! Bruce Wayne’s first year as the Dark Knight has just barely begun…and already dangerous elements are coalescing, leading Bruce toward his final destiny.”
Scott Snyder once again delivers in the second Batman annual from the New 52 Universe, titled “Cages”.
Once again, we are taken into the depths of the new “Arkham Asylum” upon one of Batman’s very first visits. You might think this is the “same old, same old” recycled story of Batman in Arkham, getting trapped, and all the inmates are let out, and he has to fight them. This annual definitely alters that mold.
We actually begin to see Arkham through the eyes of an orderly on their very first night working at the asylum. We see his first encounter with the Batman, and the inmate known as Anchoress, as these all tie into the Zero Year storyline.
The artwork and story (as with most Bat books from the New 52) complement each other to present a very real story of an inmate’s pain and suffering and her loathing and desire for revenge against the Batman.
Some annuals are used to tie in with story arcs, just to add a bit more context or possibly introduce new characters, and while this one does that as well, there is also a great story behind it. Not only do we get to see some of Batman’s detective work early on in his career, but we also begin to see that he’s only a human being. And human beings sometimes have to face their mistakes.
Robb Ghag works for an Arts & Entertainment Brokerage in Toronto Canada. An Animation and Film school graduate, he specializes in Risk Management of Animation and VFX studios throughout North America.
Originally published August 2, 2013. Updated April 11, 2018.
