We have reached the halfway point. Superman is still missing and Batman is now teamed up with Lex Luthor to try and put a stop to the alien threat. I’ve made it very clear how I’ve felt about this comic so far and as you can imagine, I was dreading this review. The last issue did end with a development that hinted toward greater things, but I can’t say I had high hopes.
Now for the shock of shocks. I actually kind of enjoyed this issue. It still has a ways to go, but the improvement over what came before is vast!
Let’s start with the art this time. Half the comic is set in the arctic. Apparently, Robertson has a secret skill. He’s great a rendering snow and ice and I’ll take it! When combined with some other interesting locations later in the comic, I can easily say this is visually my favorite issue of Fortress yet. In general, this is a far more visually active comic than the first three issues. Not only are there more action scenes but the lower energy moments are more powerful as well. I’ve been critical before about how many panels have been simple back and forth head shots, which is something I can’t claim about part four. I think this change is mostly due to a better script allowing Robertson something more to work with. This page is a good example.
While, in some ways, this doesn’t feel all too different from the type of thing we’ve seen before, it's actually far more visually interesting to me. I find Robertson’s drawings of the trio of alien antagonists rather stiff while D’ayl feels much more natural. This is at least partially because D’ayl has the visual feel of an earthly animal and fits Robertson’s style much better. As an artist whose work lies firmly in the realm of gritty realism, Robertson finds far more success the closer his subject is to reality. What enhances the work even further is the fact that the script allows some level of physical interaction to take place. D’ayl sits on the desk, he floats, he raises his finger to make a point. These slight moves work wonders for what would otherwise be a totally static conversation between talking heads.
As for the script, we have a similar case. There is much more emphasis on fun in this issue and as I’ve claimed before, that’s exactly what this comic needed. The dour tone that dominated the first few parts was not doing it any favors. Here it is the new introductions such as D'ayl that introduce some levity. It's not always a joke either. Sometimes the personality of a character can help change the tone of a scene and I can't state enough how much more enjoyable the lighter tone made this issue.
Honestly, it feels like a lot of my wishes have come true. Not only has the tone changed for the better, but we are also introduced to interpersonal drama. FINALLY. Having Lex Luthor along for the ride makes for a significant improvement. I’ve always found his dynamic with Batman interesting and this comic was in serious need of someone to challenge Batman personally and offer some kind of stakes. He brings some moral issues to the table and also acts as an obstacle for Batman to overcome. Adding Luthor was definitely a good choice.
Show Spoiler
It honestly doesn’t matter what happens in the rest of the comic. I’m awarding at least one extra point just for this.
Truly, one of the coolest reveals I’ve seen in a comic in a long time.
Recommended if…
- It’s getting better all of a sudden
- That one awesome moment under the spoiler tag
- There are some fun character interactions here
Overall
Look, I focused on the positives. I've got four more issues to complain if need be. I do still think this is a fairly weak story that didn’t need to be told and even if it does continue to improve it’ll be tough to get past those first three issues. For the moment, though, I’m just happy to say I see significant growth and I can imagine this ending up an enjoyable tale by the end.
Score: 6/10
Disclaimer: DC Comics provided a copy of this issue for the purpose of this review.
