Batman: Fortress
An intriguing yet haphazardly told narrative that needs to work on its tone to be truly engaging
The dialogue is enjoyable… but the handling of tone is nowhere near as effective
Issues 1-3 Writer Gary Whitta Artist Darick Robertson Publisher DC Comics
So many Bat-related comics are being released at the moment that any new contenders need something attention-grabbing to stand out from the crowd. In the case of six-issue miniseries Batman: Fortress, it’s the presence of writer Gary Whitta (best known as the original screenwriter on Rogue One), but even that can’t make up for all the flaws in this messy adventure.
The story begins with a worldwide blackout caused by the arrival of a mysterious alien spacecraft. With Superman missing for reasons unknown, an assault by the Justice League goes badly wrong, leaving Batman as the only hope against a potential alien invasion.
Whitta’s screenwriting background serves him well in terms of crafting set-pieces, with issue one’s cold open being a stand-out. The pace is kept high across these first three issues, the dialogue is often enjoyable and wellcrafted, and the overall mystery of whether or not Superman might be descended from war criminals certainly has potential.
Unfortunately, Whitta’s handling of tone is nowhere near as effective, and frequently creates moments of full-on whiplash, shifting at a moment’s notice. This happens as early as issue one, where in the space of two pages, Batman goes from brutally beating a criminal who’s just murdered a young couple, to exchanging action-movie quips with Alfred in the Batcave.
Best known for co-creating pitchblack superhero satire The Boys, artist Darick Robertson does pull off some highlights, especially in the action sequences, but is let down by the broad, slightly grotesque edge to his quieter, character-based scenes.
While it’s possible Whitta and Robertson might redeem themselves and finally nail the tone with their concluding three issues, Batman: Fortress is currently landing firmly in the “interesting but ultimately failed experiment” category.