My Rating
“Times Fade Away”
An elderly man walks alone through the dark streets of Gotham City’s old Dutch district. He appears to be searching for something, although exactly what remains unclear. His name is Mr. Sands, and seventy years ago, this neighborhood was his home. Once populated by hardworking blue-collar families, the district has since fallen into decay. Abandoned buildings, street gangs, and violent criminals now occupy the streets of his childhood. In this part of Gotham, trouble is never far away.
Sands rounds a corner as a thick fog begins rolling through the neighborhood. The humidity suddenly rises, and something about the atmosphere doesn’t feel right. Unfortunately, there is little time to ponder the changing weather. A group of street thugs emerges from the darkness carrying knives and crowbars. They want the old man’s wallet, and they aren’t taking no for an answer.
Then a Batarang rockets out of the shadows!
The weapon strikes one of the attackers in the hand and sends his switchblade flying. A flash of green and red follows as Robin launches himself into the gang. Within moments, the Boy Wonder sends the would-be robbers running for their lives.
Sands quietly backs into the fog while the masked vigilante finishes his work.
Robin turns to question the elderly stranger, only to discover him continuing deeper into the old Dutch district. Something about the man—and the strange fog surrounding him—doesn’t sit right. Robin reluctantly follows. Someone Sands’ age has no business wandering alone through one of Gotham’s most dangerous neighborhoods. If the criminals don’t get him, something else certainly might.
But street crime may be the least of their worries.
Why did Mr. Sands skip the statue ceremony honoring the original Challengers of the Unknown? Why are U.S. soldiers from a long-forgotten Vietnam infantry unit suddenly attacking the citizens of Gotham City? Will Batman assist the Challengers in their search for their director’s missing partner? And perhaps the most important question of all—where is Robin? Collect the series to find out!
Review
We have Batman!
“Times Fade Away” is a very well-written beginning to a new story arc, and moving the action to Gotham City immediately gives the series a different atmosphere. Steven Grant doesn’t simply throw Batman and Robin onto the cover for a cheap crossover. Instead, he slowly introduces us to Mr. Sands, the decaying Dutch district, and a mysterious fog before bringing Robin into the story. By the time the Challengers become involved, the mystery already has me hooked.
I especially enjoyed the opening sequence with Mr. Sands. There is something wonderfully creepy about an elderly man wandering through a neighborhood he remembers from seventy years earlier while the modern city crumbles around him. Then the fog rolls in, the humidity changes, and things start feeling increasingly unnatural. Throw in soldiers from a forgotten Vietnam infantry unit appearing on the streets of Gotham, and suddenly we have ourselves one hell of a mystery.
Steven Grant continues to impress me. In my opinion, he’s beginning to surpass Marv Wolfman when it comes to the storytelling on this series. Grant seems especially comfortable mixing science fiction, horror, mystery, and traditional superhero elements without allowing one genre to completely overwhelm the others. Batman and Robin fit naturally into this story because Gotham already feels like a place where something strange could emerge from the fog at any moment.
The Artwork
I’m also liking John Paul Leon’s artwork more and more with each issue. His darker, somewhat gritty approach fits this particular story perfectly. Gotham shouldn’t look clean and inviting, especially when we’re wandering through a rundown neighborhood at night. Leon gives the streets a grim atmosphere that complements the mystery surrounding Sands and the strange apparitions. I wasn’t completely sold on the artwork when I started this series, but it has definitely grown on me.
Between Batman, Robin, ghostly soldiers, missing people, and another unexplained phenomenon for the Challengers to investigate, “Times Fade Away” delivers exactly the kind of story I want from this series. This is a very solid issue and a great opening chapter. Five out of five stars.