BATMAN: CURSE OF THE WHITE KNIGHT #5 Review

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SYNOPSIS: The GTO struggles to forgive Batman for his behavior on the tails of tragedy, but a promising path forward comes into focus when he uncovers a monumental clue about the mystery of Gotham’s ancestral curse. It may prove too little too late, as Azrael breaks free of Ruth’s mandate and unleashes a radical new reign of terror over the city and its competing super-criminals.

After back-to-back gut-punch issues, and a stellar VON FREEZE tie-in, Sean Murphy delivers the next chapter in BATMAN: CURSE OF THE WHITE KNIGHT. We know the saying though, “the night is always darkest just before the dawn”…right?

Wrong.

There’s no sign of daylight just yet, as Batman and company investigate this Azrael figure, his accomplices, and what his master plan is. We also discover the links to the Joker and what this “curse” has been alluding to all along.

If you think all of this sounds like a bit much, or convoluted, worry not. Everything connects in dramatic ways that leave you wanting more, not less. Murphy has always been a wonderful artist, but he’s cementing himself as a brilliant writer too. Granted, he did that last series, but this further proves any doubts.

My favorite aspect of Murphy’s style is his pacing. This book FLIES by. And in a world where everyday life keeps eating up more spare time, I’d happily give up time to read more of his work. Every issue has me wanting the next, and THIS one is no different.

Seriously.

Damn.

I love this book. I love this character. I love this author.

I guess I’m under his curse. – Ryan Lower

GRADE: A+++++

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Ryan Lower
Representing the Midwest, Ryan has been a BOF fan since 2003, and started contributing to the site in 2017. He is the host of “The Batman Book Club” podcast. Ryan has written reviews for comics, animated movies and TV series. He has also appeared on BOF podcasts and Social Hours for Batman discussions, reviews, and interviews. Thanks to BOF, he was able to meet and have a one-on-one discussion with his favorite artist, Lee Bermejo. Follow him on Twitter @lower_ryan.