Originally published on Patreon
Batman: Knightwatch is a new comic series (limited to five issues) designed for younger readers, and sees the Dark Knight utilising the people of Gotham to help him to stop crimes as they form the Knightwatch, a kind of neighbourhood watch where they can send the Bat Family information on crimes and shady stuff.
I honestly kind of like the general idea of this series. I think Batman having set up this big social media type network where people can send tips and information is generally a good idea, and I'm kind of surprised that it's not something that's been explored before. Of course, there would be downsides and pitfalls to this, and the system could be co-opted by a villain or something; but I'm sure there are ways to make this work.
The issues of Knightwatch are split into two short stories, giving us small adventures that are likely to appeal more to younger readers. In the first one, Batman is chasing down an escaped Arkham inmate; Clayface. Chasing him over the city, Clayface uses his abilities to turn into different people, and slip away from Batman. Luckily, folks around Gotham have been noticing weird stuff and are posting about it on social media and on message boards. Oracle is able to see this, and uses it to help Batman track down the shape-shifting villain.
This is what births the very idea of the Knightwatch, and it's nice that it's something that the people of the city just start doing, and that Batman kind of stumbles across. It makes it feel less like a Batman scheme, and more of the community coming together to do some good.
The second story, which features Batman, Barbara's Batgirl, and Nightwing, sees a series of diamond thefts across the city. When the gang are unable to figure out who's behind it, a Knightwatch tip about strange activity around old ice packing warehouses leads them to discover that Mr Freeze is the culprit.
Both of the stories have some humour to them, though aren't too silly, and although they're watered down, lighter versions of Batman and his villains they never feel cartoonish or undangerous. There's still risk from the bad guys, it's not like Tiny Titans or anything like that. As such, this series should appeal to readers of a few different ages.
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