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Garth Ennis and Liam Sharp bring a meaner edge to Gotham in Batman: Reptilian, which evokes the cold-blooded heroes of Ennis; work on The Boys.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Batman: Reptilian #1, by Garth Ennis, Liam Sharp and Rob Steen, on sale now.
While acclaimed comic book creator Garth Ennis has been candid about his relative disdain for the tropes and generalizations prevalent in the superhero genre, he has teamed up with fan-favorite comic creator Liam Sharp for the DC Black Label miniseries Batman: Reptilian. Existing outside of main DC Universe continuity, the story features a much bleaker vision of Gotham City and more brutal portrait of the Dark Knight.
And right from the miniseries’ opening issue, it’s apparent that Ennis is approaching his tale with many of the same, rough around the edges sensibilities that he and Darick Robertson did with their caustically postmodern superhero commentary The Boys.
Batman: Reptilian features an iteration of the Dark Knight that, while maintaining his usual moral code to not openly employ lethal force, is a much more sadistic character. Menacing criminals in public, this Caped Crusader goads his opponents into fighting him only to viciously beat them down in self-defense and stops just short of killing those he engages, reminding them he keeps them alive so that they may continue to suffer. And though this, Bruce Wayne has plenty of responsibility in his civilian life, including scheduled visits with underprivileged children, he is visibly disinterested in these altruistic endeavors, more obsessively keen on brutalizing Gotham’s criminal element as he blatantly dismisses his more philanthropic commitments to carry on with his violent superhero career.
Ennis and Robertson fully explored the hypocrisy and dark side of superheroes in The Boys, with many of the world’s most popular superheroes, forming the premier super-team The Seven, functioning as sociopaths who abused the power and the perks that came with their powers and fame in full. Ennis and Robertson never really pull their punches as they showed the consequences of the Seven’s actions, both in their maliciously callous behavior and the book’s unflinching depiction of violence.
While not directly seen just yet, the level of violence hinted at in Reptilian is set to be particularly gruesome as a feral new villain stalks Batman’s infamous rogues’ gallery. The major supervillains are said to be horrifically dismembered and mutilated by the new antagonist rising from this grimmer incarnation of Gotham. While Gotham has always provided the DCU with a darker side, Reptilian‘s depiction of the city makes the setting and its characters therein all the more sinister and cynical; this is a world where superheroes don’t bring hope and are just as twisted and disturbed as those they selfishly fight under the vaunted auspices of keeping the peace.
Batman: Reptilian is quickly shaping up to be another tale that showcases Garth Ennis’ biting perspective on the superhero genre, establishing the Dark Knight as a self-centered figure that uses his wealth and strength to inflict terror and pain flagrantly. Not particularly concerned with the well-being of those in Gotham, Reptilian‘s Batman and Gotham City could fit right into the postmodern cynicism of The Boys as someone Billy Butcher and his crew of misfits would absolutely detest and seek to bring down to their level, as this Bruce Wayne clearly abuses the power he has channeled.
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