Halloween is the spooky season, so why not treat yourself to one of the scariest Batman stories ever told? Batman: The Black Mirror is a psychological thriller centered on James Gordon Jr., Commissioner Gordon’s sociopathic son. The storyline brings new levels of horror to Gotham, as the Bat-Family finds themselves victims of James Jr.’s twisted game.
Batman: The Black Mirror is available as a trade paperback at most comic book stores and book retailers. The storyline ran in Detective Comics #871-881 and is available to read on DC UNIVERSE INFINITE as individual issues or in collected form.
The Premise:
Bruce Wayne is traveling the globe to set up Batman Incorporated, leaving Dick Grayson to act as Gotham’s guardian. Suiting up as the Dark Knight, Dick investigates a secret black market which has been selling items belonging to Gotham’s most dangerous criminals. However, there is more to this secret organization than meets the eye, and Dick soon finds himself in over his head.
Elsewhere, Jim Gordon’s son James Jr. is back in town, but the reunion between father and son is anything but joyous. While Jim and his daughter Barbara have never been able to prove anything, they know something is off with the young man. Bad things seem to happen whenever James Jr. is around, and sometimes people go missing.
It isn’t long before James Jr.’s true intentions are revealed, and the Bat-Family soon find themselves fighting for Gotham’s survival.
Let’s Talk Talent:
Batman: The Black Mirror is the first Batman story ever written by Scott Snyder, beginning his historic run on the Caped Crusader. Snyder is known for his work on Batman: The Court of Owls, Batman: Zero Year, The Batman Who Laughs and many other classic stories featuring the Dark Knight. This is where it all began. Reading The Black Mirror, it’s easy to see how Snyder became one of DC’s superstar writers. Snyder puts together a thrilling (and disturbing) script that will leave you hooked for more.
Snyder is joined by Jock, who would go on to illustrate many other classic Batman stories, such as The Batman Who Laughs and the more recent Batman: One Dark Knight (which he also wrote). Jock takes horror to new heights here with many disturbing sequences. The scene where Jim Gordon finds his ex-wife infected by Joker Venom will live in your nightmares for months. Even the covers turn up the terror. Take a look at the cover to Detective Comics #880, where a group of bats fly in the shape of a Jokerized corpse. It’s one of the most chilling and memorable Batman covers of this century.
Francesco Francavilla also provides artwork for the storyline, supplementing Snyder’s thrilling script with chilling images. The way Francavilla pencils James Gordon Jr. adds a sense of sinister menace to the character. Take a look at the diner conversation between James Jr. and Jim in Detective Comics #874. James Jr.’s demeanor may be calm, but there is something about his body language that just jumps out with Francavilla’s pencils. You can tell this is one dangerous individual…especially when Francavilla covers his face with the red shadows.
A Few Reasons to Read:
The Black Mirror is the story that made James Gordon Jr. into one of the scariest villains in Gotham City. He may not have the resources of Amanda Waller or Lex Luthor, but James Gordon. Jr is psychopathic, unpredictable and has the additional weight of being family to two of Batman’s closest allies.
This story was written during Dick Grayson’s tenure as Batman prior to DC’s New 52. If you’re a fan of Nightwing, then you’ll love seeing him act as the Dark Knight, taking on the worst the city has to offer. And believe me…the city throws EVERYTHING at Dick throughout this storyline.
If you enjoy Scott Snyder’s work on Batman, you’ll notice shades of his later stories here. For example, the Mirror House has some similarities to the Court of Owls, especially when they gather in their masks. As you read James Jr.’s scenes, you’ll see some characterization and themes that will pop up again in The Batman Who Laughs (which builds on some of the events that take place here).
Are you into true crime and horror stories about serial killers? This storyline is for you. The comic begins with a teenager getting his arm bit off by another classmate, and another sequence has a human corpse being discovered in the belly of an orca. And wait until you see what James Jr. does to his mother and sister.
Why It’s Worth Your Time:
Reading Batman: The Black Mirror will give you the same feeling you get when you watch a psychological thriller. The tension escalates with each chapter, culminating in a finale that will leave you at the edge of your seat. James Gordon Jr. is truly unpredictable and will get under your skin in ways you won’t expect. Batman: The Black Mirror is Gotham at its most disturbing and is the perfect Batman comic for the Halloween season.
Batman: The Black Mirror by Scott Snyder, Jock and Francesco Francavilla is available as a graphic novel collection and can be read in full on DC UNIVERSE INFINITE.
Joshua Lapin-Bertone writes about TV, movies and comics for DC.com, is a regular contributor to the Couch Club and writes our monthly Batman column, “Gotham Gazette.” Follow him on Twitter at @TBUJosh.
NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Joshua Lapin-Bertone and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.
[[{“value”:”Halloween is the spooky season, so why not treat yourself to one of the scariest Batman stories ever told? Batman: The Black Mirror is a psychological thriller centered on James Gordon Jr., Commissioner Gordon’s sociopathic son. The storyline brings new levels of horror to Gotham, as the Bat-Family finds themselves victims of James Jr.’s twisted game.
Batman: The Black Mirror is available as a trade paperback at most comic book stores and book retailers. The storyline ran in Detective Comics #871-881 and is available to read on DC UNIVERSE INFINITE as individual issues or in collected form.
The Premise:
Bruce Wayne is traveling the globe to set up Batman Incorporated, leaving Dick Grayson to act as Gotham’s guardian. Suiting up as the Dark Knight, Dick investigates a secret black market which has been selling items belonging to Gotham’s most dangerous criminals. However, there is more to this secret organization than meets the eye, and Dick soon finds himself in over his head.
Elsewhere, Jim Gordon’s son James Jr. is back in town, but the reunion between father and son is anything but joyous. While Jim and his daughter Barbara have never been able to prove anything, they know something is off with the young man. Bad things seem to happen whenever James Jr. is around, and sometimes people go missing.
It isn’t long before James Jr.’s true intentions are revealed, and the Bat-Family soon find themselves fighting for Gotham’s survival.
Let’s Talk Talent:
Batman: The Black Mirror is the first Batman story ever written by Scott Snyder, beginning his historic run on the Caped Crusader. Snyder is known for his work on Batman: The Court of Owls, Batman: Zero Year, The Batman Who Laughs and many other classic stories featuring the Dark Knight. This is where it all began. Reading The Black Mirror, it’s easy to see how Snyder became one of DC’s superstar writers. Snyder puts together a thrilling (and disturbing) script that will leave you hooked for more.
Snyder is joined by Jock, who would go on to illustrate many other classic Batman stories, such as The Batman Who Laughs and the more recent Batman: One Dark Knight (which he also wrote). Jock takes horror to new heights here with many disturbing sequences. The scene where Jim Gordon finds his ex-wife infected by Joker Venom will live in your nightmares for months. Even the covers turn up the terror. Take a look at the cover to Detective Comics #880, where a group of bats fly in the shape of a Jokerized corpse. It’s one of the most chilling and memorable Batman covers of this century.
Francesco Francavilla also provides artwork for the storyline, supplementing Snyder’s thrilling script with chilling images. The way Francavilla pencils James Gordon Jr. adds a sense of sinister menace to the character. Take a look at the diner conversation between James Jr. and Jim in Detective Comics #874. James Jr.’s demeanor may be calm, but there is something about his body language that just jumps out with Francavilla’s pencils. You can tell this is one dangerous individual…especially when Francavilla covers his face with the red shadows.
A Few Reasons to Read:
The Black Mirror is the story that made James Gordon Jr. into one of the scariest villains in Gotham City. He may not have the resources of Amanda Waller or Lex Luthor, but James Gordon. Jr is psychopathic, unpredictable and has the additional weight of being family to two of Batman’s closest allies.
This story was written during Dick Grayson’s tenure as Batman prior to DC’s New 52. If you’re a fan of Nightwing, then you’ll love seeing him act as the Dark Knight, taking on the worst the city has to offer. And believe me…the city throws EVERYTHING at Dick throughout this storyline.
If you enjoy Scott Snyder’s work on Batman, you’ll notice shades of his later stories here. For example, the Mirror House has some similarities to the Court of Owls, especially when they gather in their masks. As you read James Jr.’s scenes, you’ll see some characterization and themes that will pop up again in The Batman Who Laughs (which builds on some of the events that take place here).
Are you into true crime and horror stories about serial killers? This storyline is for you. The comic begins with a teenager getting his arm bit off by another classmate, and another sequence has a human corpse being discovered in the belly of an orca. And wait until you see what James Jr. does to his mother and sister.
Why It’s Worth Your Time:
Reading Batman: The Black Mirror will give you the same feeling you get when you watch a psychological thriller. The tension escalates with each chapter, culminating in a finale that will leave you at the edge of your seat. James Gordon Jr. is truly unpredictable and will get under your skin in ways you won’t expect. Batman: The Black Mirror is Gotham at its most disturbing and is the perfect Batman comic for the Halloween season.
Batman: The Black Mirror by Scott Snyder, Jock and Francesco Francavilla is available as a graphic novel collection and can be read in full on DC UNIVERSE INFINITE.
Joshua Lapin-Bertone writes about TV, movies and comics for DC.com, is a regular contributor to the Couch Club and writes our monthly Batman column, “Gotham Gazette.” Follow him on Twitter at @TBUJosh.
NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Joshua Lapin-Bertone and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.”}]]
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