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DC’s I Am Batman #6 moves Jace Fox out of Bruce Wayne’s shadow and into New York City for an exciting and evocative change of pace.
Why should Gotham get all the Bat-love? In I Am Batman #6 by John Ridley and Ken Lashley, Jace Fox leaves Bruce Wayne’s playground behind to become New York City’s premier Caped Crusader. The issue is a solid start to the series’ second arc, as the new status quo offers an ideal entry point for readers interesting in joining Jace’s monthly adventures. At the same time, I Am Batman #6 progresses the book’s overall narrative and continues to establish Jace’s Batman as a unique hero worth following.
I Am Batman #6 opens with New York City’s local government discussing the recent arrival of Batman in their city and how they should approach his presence. Mayor Villanueva believes NYC is better off with Batman’s help and orders Deputy Mayor Carmichael and Police Commissioner Pete Becket to create a new task force to work alongside the Dark Knight. At the same time, Jace confers with some old allies and his family to help build a new life for himself. That night, the police meet with Batman, hoping to forge a path towards a better tomorrow. Unfortunately, elsewhere in the city, it seems that Batman’s arrival has coincided with a rise in extraordinary crime, as a brutal murder spells trouble for New York’s protectors.
Since reimagining Jace Fox as Batman for DC’s Future State, writer John Ridley has slowly developed him into one of the company’s most compelling leads. Unlike other members of Batman’s supporting cast, Jace has his own family and preexisting relationships that shape his actions. In I Am Batman #6, Ridley uses these characters to help reflect Jace’s development as he tries to build a new life for himself. It is an intriguing and relatable narrative that isn’t seen too often in comics and makes the next Batman feel distinct. Coincidentally, as Jace grows more familiar with being Batman, the story surrounding him grows increasingly more complex. While early issues of the series generally focused on a single narrative, Ridley begins planting seeds for multiple subplots in this issue, fleshing out the overall world of the story and creating intriguing ideas for him to revisit later down the line.
Joining Ridley for I Am Batman #6 is artist Ken Lashley, who immediately shows why he is an excellent fit for the book’s new direction. Lashley often uses rough linework steeped with atmosphere and personality to capture the gritty aesthetic of New York City at night. This technique makes the landscape feel threatening to its citizens in a completely different way from Gotham City and further distinguishes Jace’s Batman from any other. Colorist Rex Lokus is an ideal partner for Lashley, playing off of the emotional tone of the linework with a diverse palette of hues. First, Lokus uses lush, natural shades for the daytime scenes, making New York feel like an optimistic new frontier for Jace to explore. Later, Lokus turns this brightness on its head by leaning into murky, muddied yellows, oranges, and browns to make the horrors of the city come to life.
Though readers have seen Jace play around with the idea of being Batman for well over a year, I Am Batman #6 is the first time the book feels like it has a purpose. Moving I Am Batman to New York City gives it a new lease on life and opens up exciting new storytelling opportunities that would never be possible in Gotham. Jace is more vulnerable than ever before, but at the same time, he feels like he has finally grown into his own hero. Unencumbered by the other members of the Batman family, Jace truly feels like a viable alternative to Bruce Wayne.
Overall, I Am Batman #6 is an ideal jumping-on point to the series and arguably its best issue to date. Writer John Ridley has hit his stride with Jace Fox’s adventures as Batman, and incoming-artist Ken Lashley immediately synergizes with colorist Rex Lokus for a visually-compelling read. By shifting the series’ setting, I Am Batman finally feels like the book it was always meant to be.
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