Francavilla depicts Gordon Jr in two ways, equally chilling. He employs a very limited selection of colours extremely effectively, to greatest effect in the key chapter where there’s a conversation between Commissioner Gordon and his son in a strangely empty diner, fostering seat-squirming tension. Jock is involved, but the bulk of the material looking at Gordon Jr is drawn and coloured by Francesco Francavilla, who’s some artist. Is he still psychotic? Is he cured? Is he manipulating others? Is he being manipulated? Everything unwinds in extremely satisfactory fashion with the conclusion matching the well-considered set-up. The way he’s depicted is intense and compelling, and because he’s a new character, we’re never sure about the truth. Over the remainder of the book Snyder takes a deep look into what Gordon Jr was, and what he is now, casting a magnificent shroud of deceit over the entire proceedings. In people like me, though, it under produces.” It’s what allows people to interpret signals from the outside world correctly. It’s the part of the brain the helps with socialization. His past was troubled, with several disturbing incidents, but he returns as an adult to Gotham claiming his medication has been refined and he can now function in society. It’s never explicitly stated as such, but he’s written as someone on the autistic spectrum, emotionally withdrawn and having problems with humour. That feeds into the character of James Gordon Jr, who’s a continuity implant. Daughter Barbara was once Batgirl until crippled by the Joker, something heavily referenced by Snyder, with one extremely chilling possible revelation. The key story, though, features very little Batman as we look at Gotham Police Commissioner James Gordon and his family. Hallucogenic experience is key to this material, as in places we’re nearing the suspense more associated with horror comics, and Jock delivers. This and later encounters with two further new foes are illustrated by Jock, whose work is sketchy, but creates an appropriate atmosphere. Snyder inserts some unpleasant details inducing a twinge of horror. Batman discovers that someone is auctioning the accoutrements of Gotham’s criminals to wealthy thrillseekers, which doesn’t sit well.

Scott Snyder leads us in sedately, but with material that has a profound effect on what occurs later.

It might not start out that way, but The Black Mirror is a very impressive and densely twisting psychological drama, set during the period when Dick Grayson was filling in as Batman for a missing Bruce Wayne.

Batman black mirror