Batwing, Vol. 1: The Lost Kingdom by Judd Winick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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This New 52 spinoff takes the Batman mythos out of Gotham and into the Democratic Republic of Congo. Batman, himself, plays largely a supporting role as mentor and equipment provider to David Zavimbe, a.k.a. Batwing. The book is careful to avoid having Batman play the role of rescuer, but instead, when Batwing and Batman fight together they do so largely as peers.

I’ve got to say that the name had me worried. It’s like a mashup of “Batman” and “Nightwing” and seems lazy and uninspired in a way that I feared might infect the comic. However, character building is a strength in this volume. David Zavimbe is a former child soldier in the Congo, particularly gifted in killing — though tormented by it, torment that reflects itself in PTSD.

While Batwing’s abilities paired with Bruce Wayne’s technology makes the Congolese superhero a force to be reckoned with, Batwing meets his match in a mysterious villain who calls himself “Massacre.” This six-issue volume focuses on the on-going battle between Batwing and Massacre, as the former tries to disrupt the latter’s killing spree.

This arc is stimulating in that it deals heavily in the complex realities of war-torn Africa. There is the issue of redemption, and whether it is even possible for someone who has been a cold-blooded killer. But the story also generates ambiguity about who is right, and even whether “right” is meaningful in a context where everyone has blood on his hands.

I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it for all comic book readers, especially those who like either Batman, Black Panther, or both.

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