So far, All-Star Batman has been an action-packed road trip from Hell, focusing on notable appearances from Batman’s rogue gallery of villains and the Caped Crusader’s infinite array of crazy gadgets and get-out-of-jail-free cards. In several ways it’s reminiscent of 1966’s Batman film where it’s non-stop thrills and spills, with only a teeny thread of story holding it together.
In All-Star Batman #4, the guest appearances slow down and the story’s thread unravels further, to perfectly demonstrate why Two-Face is a writer’s dream antagonist. Unpredictable, wild and spontaneous, Harvey Dent flips the coin until he’s satisfied with the outcome (for momentarily) and changes the course of direction when he wants to – and he does it perfectly in this issue.
When a blinded Batman, Duke and Two-Face are caught in a seemingly inescapable bind, Harvey shows what he’s capable of by changing the rules once again. It’s a simple, yet effective, turn that throws everyone off what he’s true intentions are. What’s marvellous about the story is it reveals how Batman, Duke and the rest of the cast have all been merely puppets in Two-Face’s plan. Even Batman, the world’s greatest detective, didn’t see this one coming. Mind you, does Harvey himself know what his endgame is? That’s a question sure to be answered soon enough.
If All-Star Batman #4 proves one thing, it’s that Two-Face remains one helluva of a wild card for any Batman story. You know there’s another twist coming and it’s bound to be insane.
