Knight without Armor
Credits: Chuck Dixon (writer), Graham Nolan (penciler), Klaus Janson (inker), John Costanza (letterer), Adrienne Roy (colorist)
Summary:
A masked, armored figure is terrorizing the Gotham underworld. Batman
is certain Jean-Paul Valley is the culprit, while Robin is skeptical.
They agree to split up the investigation. Batman finds Jean-Paul
living in a shelter, too emotionally fragile to hurt anyone. Robin,
meanwhile, investigates the mobster most likely to be hit next. After
Robin takes out his guards, he’s confronted by the real killer,
Steeljacket. Meanwhile, Batman returns to the Batcave and finds Bruce
Wayne waiting for him.
Irrelevant Continuity:
Detective Mackenzie Bock is introduced as Lieutenant Essen’s new
assistant. This is treated as a significant introduction, but I don’t
know if he ever amounted to more than just a minor supporting cast
member.
Review:
I like the basic premise of the story, but I don’t think the “falsely
accused” angle really goes anywhere. Jean-Paul’s return to the book
probably should feel like a significant event, but instead he’s cleared
with one dumbfounded look and the story moves on. Plus, it’s Dick
Grayson who meets him face-to-face, and the two of them have barely
interacted in the past, so there’s not much going on in the scene. Regardless,
there are some decent action sequences in the issue, and Klaus Janson
inking over Graham Nolan just looks amazing. There are a lot of big,
dramatic images this issue, and while they contribute to the unusually
short read-time, there’s a sense that the creative team is utilizing
Janson to the best of his ability. I’m relatively certain that
Steeljacket never went on to become an A-list villain, and there’s not
much to the mystery, but this issue has to stand out as one of the
best-looking Bat-comics from the era.
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