As most know by now, Vicki Vale knows the secret identities of random members of the Bat family. What she doesn’t have to bring the identities to the world... is proof. Vicki Vale’s proof from Batman #703 (a Bat tracer) was stolen by Alfred in Road Home: Red Robin. So right now, every criminal from Batman’s past is trying to kill her. By now all of the Road Home issues have been released so we know that, Ra’s Al Ghul set the hit on Vicki Vales’ head. Commissioner Gordon is protecting her from two deadly super-powered opponents whom are working for the Penguin. What was a great add to this story, was when Insider and Commissioner Gordon interacted with one another. It’s been a long while since Bruce has contacted Gordon, so seeing them work side-by-side was a pleasure.
By far, Commissioner Gordon is one of my favorite non-powered partner of a superhero. Rick Jones (yes shocking I know) would probably be the first. Anyway, this one-shot issue really captured my attention. I personally like Noir stories like, Deadpool Pulp, or something that has that sort of writing and artwork. Adam Beechen really captured Commissioner Gordon’s character. While he might be the old partner/friend of Batman, he’s not ill equipped. Szymon Kudranski artwork was the really cool. I think that his Commissioner Gordon’s face is really unique from other artist who've drawn that character in the past. The color that was used in this comic brought life to the artwork. While Szymon’s artwork was excellent, it was John Kalisz colors that made the lighting, night, and face expressions stand out.
Adam Beechen (Batman Beyond: Hush, Gen 13) is a great Batman writer. His current run on the Batman Beyond series is really interesting; he incorporated a bunch of elements from the TV series and other comic series into Batman Beyond. Adding Hush to the mix is a dream come true for me personally. While it isn’t Tom Elliot I was still glad to see that Hush is in a Batman Beyond story. His run on this issue is a great start for things for Commissioner Gordon. Szymon Kudranski (Asylum of Horrors, Zombie Cop) artwork is like a zombie mixed with noir artwork. I like how he draws the faces of certain characters. The faces are drawn extremely well with precise care. DC Comics needs more Szymon’s artwork on Commissioner Gordon.
Bruce Wayne Road Home is a great read for those who like Oracle, Red Robin, The Outsiders, Batgirl and others joining together to celebrate Bruce’s return! While November is already here, Batman is certainly not out of surprises! The writing and artwork were a good mix, not all writers and artist can pull of Commissioner Gordon, but Adam Beechen and Szymon Kudranski took to Commissioner Gordon’s story with ease. Next up Road Home: Oracle!
Writing: 6.5
Art: 7.0
Overall: 8.8
