Batman: In Darkest Knight

Batman: Elseworlds #/ Green Lantern

by Mike W. Barr, Jerry Bingham (Illustrator)

In Darkest Knight is a one-shot comic book, published in 1994 and written by Mike W. Barr with art by Jerry Bingham. The comic is an Elseworlds story in which Bruce Wayne becomes the Green Lantern instead of Hal Jordan. This one change creates a domino effect which changes many events and characters in the DC Universe. The story draws heavily from related Batman comics, including Year One and The Killing Joke.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Batman, Dc Comics, Superheroes, Comic Book, Fiction

46 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Mike W. Barr is an American writer of comic books, and mystery, and science fiction novels. Barr's debut as a comics professional came in DC Comics' Detective Comics #444 (Dec. 1974-Jan. 1975), for which he wrote an 8-page back-up mystery feature starring the Elongated Man. Another Elongated Man story followed in Detective Comics #453 (November 1975). He wrote text articles and editorial replies in letter columns for the next few years. By mid-1980 he was writing regularly for both DC and Marvel, including stories for Marvel Team-Up, Mystery in Space, Green Lantern, and various Batman titles.

Legion of Super-Heroes #277 (July 1981) saw him take on editorial duties at DC, while writing issues of DC's Star Trek comic, for whom he created the native American character Ensign Bearclaw and a pacifist Klingon named Konom. In December 1982, he and artist Brian Bolland began Camelot 3000, a 12 issue limited series that was one of DC Comics' first direct market projects. In August 1983, Barr created what may well be his most enduring work, the monthly title Batman and the Outsiders with art by Jim Aparo. Barr wrote every issue of the original series, and its Baxter paper spinoff, The Outsiders.

His other comics work includes Mantra and Maze Agency as well as the 1987 OGN hardcover book Batman: Son of the Demon (with art by Jerry Bingham), proceeds from which reputedly "restored DC Comics to first place in sales after fifteen years." This title, and Barr's work on Batman with artist Alan Davis have been cited by Grant Morrison as key inspirations for his recent (2006) run on the Batman title.

In 2007, he wrote a two-part story for the pages of DC's JLA: Classified (#47-48, Jan-Feb 2008), returned to the Outsiders with Outsiders: Five of a Kind—Katana/Shazam #1 (Oct 2007), contributed to Tokyopop's Star Trek: The Manga, and relaunched Maze Agency at IDW Publishing. He has also scripted many of Bongo Comics' Simpsons titles, including a Christmas story for 2010.

In May 2010, the Invisible College Press published Barr's science fiction/fantasy novel, Majician/51, about the discoveries of a scientist working at Area 51.

Reviews

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This batshit crazy but truly excellent idea that Batman becomes Green Lantern is well told, although it feels very dated. At least Bruce feels a little dated in his personality. (Where's the hard pummelling and the angst?) That must be the power of being a Lantern.

Ah, I love Elseworlds.

[David Muñoz · Rating 1 out of 5]

What would’ve happened if instead of a bat crashing through Wayne Manor to give birth to the idea of Batman, it was a pink alien who crash landed outside the manor. Well in this case what happened was a bad story. Another installment in the elseworld one-shots and this time around Batman gives it a go as a Green Lantern. Taking place around the time of ‘Year One’ Bruce Wayne is the human who encounters a dying Abin Sur to become sector 2814’s new Green Lantern. He takes up the mantle in order to bring justice to the death of his parents. He’s introduced to the guardians of the universe in OA, and then sent to stop the rogue Green Lantern, Sinestro. After defeating him, Sinestro is sent to the anti-matter universe of Qward. He’s supposed to be imprisoned but instead finds a new source of power, through his own *yellow* power ring. We see him return to Earth and after combining his mind with the man who killed Bruce's parents, we see him become a somewhat Sinestro/Joker hybrid, cause like duh. Bruce Wayne/Green Lantern then makes it his mission to stop this old but new foe.

Mike W. Barr is the writer on this one-shot and man, did he let me down. This story was such a mess with so much lost potential. The overall plot of Bruce Wayne-Green Lantern vs. the Sinestro-Joker hybrid was SUPER corny. We also get a super powered Two-Face and Catwoman that feel heavily forced into the story. On the heroes side there’s also some ridiculous looking ‘League’ members that also feel forced in, but also just don’t do much. The whole thing feels super rushed and very sloppy, with wack ass pacing, and a dumb ending. I understand with it being a one-shot and only having 50 pages, Barr wanted to add a lot of cool stuff, but other writers with the same tasks have done WAY better with their elseworld stories. Barr was clearly biting off more than he could chew and it left us with a very poorly delivered read.

The artwork by Jerry Bingham also didn’t do much for me and that’s not to say it’s bad, but with the overall pacing being sloppy, the artwork really couldn’t save it. I will say that the character designs are silly looking though. I’ve seen this design for Bruce Wayne’s Green Lantern before and I remember being “meh” about it. Going in and fully seeing it though, I gotta say it’s kinda dumb. I also hated the villain designs that looked super lazy and to top it off the designs for the other superheroes who show up in the end are straight up laughable. A real shake your head moment all around.

Overall; this was kinda a let down, and even though I’d heard it wasn’t as cool as it sounded, I went in hopeful, and optimistic, and I honestly didn’t think it would be this fucking bad. I can 100% confirm it is nowhere near as cool as it sounds. Out of all the elseworlds stories I’ve read this is for sure the worst and I would recommend skipping unless you’re *super* curious.

[Robert · Rating 1 out of 5]

The homage panels to open the story (that are either blatant copies or faithful reproductions depending on your mood) are the only good part of the book. It is nigh on unbelievable that in the course of less than 50 pages and a few days of book-time Bruce Wayne become an admired and famous green lantern, and far to many characters are squeezed into the story without introduction or explanation to be enjoyable by a casual reader.

[Rizzie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well this was unexpectedly awful. Elseworlds from this era have a reputation for being rather generic (eg. "What if Superman landed in x" or "What if x hero became y hero") but I've tended to defend such stories. They usually at least offer some nugget of interest, even if small. But not this one. Despite the interesting concept promised, do not be fooled. This is not a Batman comic. It's just a Hal Jordan Green Lantern comic, except Hal's name is changed to Bruce. The Batman mythos and character do not play into the themes of the story at all. It's just a Green Lantern story, and a painfully generic one. There are so many things you could've done with this concept, considering how very opposite GL and Batman operate, but nope. Nothing. Not an ounce of creativity, just wasted potential. Stay far away.

[Earl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have always like the idea of Bruce Wayne becoming the Green Lantern, and that's why I give a slight thumbs up to this. However, I did not get the Green Lantern-y feel in this graphic novel. It needs more action, more ring wielding, and a deeper Bruce Wayne-Sinestro conflict. Also, sobrang bitin.

[Mhorg · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of the lesser entries in the mostly excellent Elseworlds series. The problem isn't so much the story as the inconsistent artwork. It really needed a far better artist. Batman as Green lantern was nearly as good an idea as Superman being Batman (Speeding Bullets). But Speeding had fifty times the artwork.

[Tvrtko Balić · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wait... if Bruce Wayne is Green Lantern, why is the comic called Batman? Anyway, lets read this. Oh, it is actually amazing. Elements of Batman's character are beautifully folded into this new origin story. Bruce Wayne still feels like the same character but it works with him being a different superhero none the less and when there is a contrast it is explored wonderfully with differences between this continuity and standard Batman being explored in a way that makes sense so for instance Bruce isn't good at following orders as a member of a police force, Gordon doesn't trust him, origins of the Joker are prevented by Bruce being more in control and with wonderful call backs to The Killing Joke, Sinestro is defeated in a different way which is cool to see... The way the ring works makes no sense, but OK, that's something I would complain about Green Lantern in general. OK, lets see what is happening now. Bruce asked who killed the Waynes? Well that's dumb, it makes his identity pretty suspect. But OK, lets see how this develops. Sinestro found Joe Chill? What's his goal? Him absorbing his mind, whatever the point of that is, makes him laugh maniacally. I guess that's a cool call back to the 1989 Batman movie where the killer of Waynes becomes the Joker. Kind of weird since I thought we weren't doing the Joker. Wait... why is Sinestro in a clown-like suit? There's no explanation. Why does he have a split personality? That's neither Sinestro's nor Joker's thing. Wait... Why is he creating combinations of Batman and Green Lantern villains? They are just shoehorned in, it doesn't work at all. Wait... the Guardians have a problem with two rogue lanterns and their solution is to create more Green Lanterns to stop them instead of using established ones? And why are they choosing already superpowered individuals? And why do they have crappy combinations of their old costumes and Green Lantern uniforms? Batman at least works because it's just a cape. And the other superheroes side with Bruce and basically form the Justice League. OK, I guess it's not out of character if they have no character. And then Bruce flies to space having defeated Sinestro and leaving Earth to the Justice League. And the Guardians say everything is going according to plan. Like... how?
And... that's the story. Half of it amazing setup and half of it is absolute nonsense.
tl;dr: The first half is a five star book and then it quickly becomes dumb and a one star book. It is bizarre.

[Tony Laplume · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been waiting some thirty years to read this…

At the time my favorite hero bar none was Green Lantern. He became my favorite when I was a kid mostly because green was my favorite color, and I got his Super Powers action figure, and the mini comic that came with it was one of the first comics I ever read (along with one that came with Fisto from the He-Man line). By 1994 big changes were happening all over the place at DC, and Elseworlds was in its prime, and while I finally had resources allowing me to delve into comics, as always there were limits, and that postponed a natural read for me, and it’s only now that I’ve caught up.

Unlike most Elseworlds, In Darkest Knight combines two DC properties and just lets that play out, in much the fashion of the typical “What If” story at Marvel. What if Bruce Wayne was recruited by Abin Sur instead of Hal Jordan?

Using Miller’s “Year One” as its narrative starting point besides that, we find a Green Lantern who’s very much a Batman, whose debut takes care of the Joker before his bad day reaches its zenith, only to accept the Guardians’ task of dealing with the rogue Sinestro, who accepts the Joker role anyway…

Eventually it becomes a version of “Emerald Twilight,” though this Green Lantern doesn’t lose his mind. It ends with Bruce Wayne accepting his destiny as Green Lantern and heading out into the stars (though in pursuit of Sinestro), a happy ending mostly because this version of Batman has allowed himself to escape the clutches of Gotham City.

Anyway, I think it works brilliantly, both as a Batman story, and a Green Lantern. It never loses the focus of Bruce’s dedication to his father’s memory (the captions work exceptionally well in that regard, exactly as Miller used them, regardless of the change in context), and yet slips into the familiar beats of Hal Jordan’s career just as seamlessly. That’s an old pro at work, Mike W. Barr (who after all, did write “Year Two”), along with Jerry Bingham, another DC veteran who otherwise didn’t have much of a role to play at the company at that point.

As far as I’m concerned, with this alone their legacy is already well-secured.

[Ben Truong · Rating 3 out of 5]

Batman: In Darkest Knight is an Elseworlds graphic novel published by DC Comics in 1994, written by Mike W. Barr and penciled by Jerry Bingham. It postulates the scenario of what could happen if Bruce Wayne becomes the Green Lantern instead of Hal Jordan and how this one change creates a domino effect which alters many events and characters in the DC Universe.

Bruce Wayne is sitting at home, pondering how to strike fear in the hearts of criminals when an alien spaceship crashes outside of Wayne Manor and Bruce is summoned outside, where he is give a ring of immense power. As Green Lantern of Earth, Wayne is sworn to uphold order and protect the innocent. He's also beholden to the guardians of Oa, something that the strong-willed Bruce Wayne cannot easily accept.

Mike W. Barr has penned the entire trade paperback. For the most part, it is written moderately well. Barr have created an interesting alternative history of what could have happened if Bruce Wayne inherited the Green Lantern ring. With the power of the Lantern, Wayne is able to prevent the Red Hood from falling into a vat of chemicals and becoming the Joker. He has no trouble sweeping up crime. However, interesting enough, some of his allies have a hard time trusting him – in particular, James Gordon.

Jerry Bingham has penciled the entire trade paperback. Since he was the only penciler, the artistic flow of the trade paperback flowed exceptionally well. For the most part, Bingham's penciling is serviceable, rather dated, but it is to be expected.

All in all, Batman: In Darkest Knight is an interesting thought experiment of what could have happened had Bruce Wayne inherited the Green Lantern ring from Abin Sur, albeit moderately executed.

[Seth Abernethy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What had the potential to be a misguided attempt at yet another alternate reality where one superhero is another turned out to be a delightful and well thought out one-shot. In Darkest Knight shows that Barr had a vivid understanding of both the character of Batman/Bruce Wayne and also an understanding of the multitude of characters in the Green Lantern mythos. What fascinates the reader the most in this tale is the butterfly effect we see evidenced by Bruce getting the ring and not Hal. Instead of a hotshot test pilot who is all will and no brains, we get the World's Greatest Detective, and as such he is easily able to outdo some of Hal's earliest problems - the main one being, of course, Sinestro. But in doing so we see a few things go vastly different as a result. His relationship with Gordon is completely different, and being beaten by the Dark Knight - better than him in almost every perceivable way - gave Sinestro a form of psychosis, turning him essentially into a Joker equivalent character. This was an interesting way to incorporate both foes into one combination, and as the story continues we see a few other hybrid adversaries that feel both clever and fun. This issue is an entertaining and decent read for fans of both heroes and the Elseworlds stories. Not exactly the kind of comic you should spend your life hunting, but good nonetheless.

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

5/10

I don't hate the story so much as I hate the premise of Batman receiving the green lantern ring. I don't think Bruce's personality and willpower is suited for the green lantern ring, and that therefore the ring would never choose him. I'm open to a story that does this, as long as its told better. This whole story was a bit of a mess, but surprisingly enjoyable if you don't think about it too seriously. The comic also heavily uses an illegible cursive font for much of the text, which becomes a headache to read.

[José Miguel (TheHudson) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terminando de leer la edición en español de Editorial ECC que contiene:

- Superman: Balas Veloces (Speeding bullets)

- Batman: El caballero más oscuro (In darknest knight)

Ambas historias son entretenidas y satisfacen ver a los héroes icónicos de DC en facetas distintas (elseworlds).

Sandía calada 100% !!

(Sandía calada es un término sudamericano para expresar que se tiene algo satisfactorio con seguridad garantizada)

[John Tillson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great Primus, Terrible Delivery,..

I love the idea of Batman as a Lantern, but this story simply does not deliver. This is comic does not read as a Batman story. It feels like the authors pigeon holed Bruce Wayne into this cookie cutter mold of a Green Lantern.

This is no tale of the Dark Knight. I would have loved to see this tory done right. I am honestly sorry I wasted my time an money on it.

[Charina (ᜆᜒᜌᜇ̢̇ᜈ) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

What an idea to entertain! A more fun read than Gotham by Gaslight imo. I felt like his sleuth skills are weaker because he acquired power, which saved him from doing a lot of the work (technology, intelligence, protocols, etc) that made Batman so impressive. I feel like Batman as himself would’ve contained this situation better.

[Gwendylan Gilley · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was alright. I enjoyed the Superman elseworlds much more. The story felt very quick and a tad hard to follow. They killed Gordon off very quick and it felt VERY unsatisfying that Sinestro killed the Wayne’s’ killer and Bruce did not. Also killing off Alfred? Why? Bruce barely mourned him and instead went to go find sinestro. Unsatisfying events to say the least.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first time I read this about twenty some-odd years ago, it was an exciting idea for a great story and I absolutely loved it. Now, the art is a little outdated, and the concept a little overdone. Still a good read for nostalgia's sake, but not as much of a classic as I once thought it was.

[Trey Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of the better Elseworld books out there. It’s certainly how I think Bruce would react to getting a Green Lantern ring. Other parts of the story seem unrealistic even in this world, but it ends well and in an intriguing way.

[Jacob Shaffer · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐️

This books pretty rough to start, and then it’s interesting, and then it’s over

The Elseworlds character hybrids here are fun ideas but the art style does them no favors and honestly the designs are weeeeak, take this hero, slap a GL logo on their chest

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty interesting introduction to the premise that Bruce Wayne becomes a Green Lantern rather than Batman.

[Josema · Rating 2 out of 5]

Un dibujo pasable, color de otra época y dos guiones justitos

[Alicia Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love both Green Lantern & Batmanrhen this short comic is for you.

[Mr. Andrew Mason · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's okay

It's okay not brilliant, not terrible. A rather flat ending. I didn't like the cursive handwriting style. Artwork was good

[Victor Orozco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing! This was a short story, but oh, so sweet! Not as long but was well told as other epic stories like The Dark Knight Returns.

Set in a DC post-Crisis universe in which Green Lantern Abin Sur crash lands not in the vicinity of Coast City but in Gotham City. His ring finds a man full of willful rage and determination to avenge his murdered parents as not just a bat flies into his window but a message from the dying Green Lantern that he is worthy of the ring's power. Bruce Wayne with his worldly training obtains a power that magnifies all that with the power of will as a Green Lantern.

This is one of the many reasons why Elseworlds stories exist. A great idea that comes to life that wouldn't normally be allowed and it works phenomenally. Using his training he masters the ring, aware of its strengths and weaknesses. Going as far as to stop criminals better than he ever could but he is bound by the authority of the Lantern Guardians to fulfill responsibilities beyond his own family and city. But it is those intergalactic troubles that come home to bite him. With Thaal Sinestro's rogue actions still having him arrested and turned over, in this universe, Sinestro's rage is directed at Bruce just as Hal Jordan was targeted in the main universe. With major repercussions, this is not just a Green Lantern but Batman as well. His city, his loved ones, and his foes become fuel for the fire that is Sinestro's rage. Bruce himself was overcome by the consequences of his actions. Just as Hal's arrogance was unwelcome by the Guardians so is Bruce's.

From Sinestro using a Qwardian technique with his new ring to commune with Joe Chill, as well as using his power to enthrall Harvey Dent. Somehow managing to turn Selina Kyle into the Star Sapphire. As well as killing many of Bruce's close allies. Yet at the same time, the odds are even as the Guardians enthrall the members of what we know from the Justice League to become Green Lanterns as they ally with Batman, the Justice Lanterns. As I was reading this in a quiet corner, decorum had me smile but internally I was screaming joyfully at the sight of Superman, the Flash, and Wonder Woman as Green Lanterns.

All things end marvelously the only thing that makes me mad about this story is not just how short it was but how badly I wanted a sequel. The Justice Lanterns deserve a spin-off, particularly in how they function while Batman is away. This story uses the Post-Crisis as its background, using stories like Batman: Year One, The Killing Joke, and a bit of Batman: The Man Who Laughs and Batman: Year Two. Superman is recruited as he was enjoying a meal after doing farm chores in Smallville, meaning he probably never left to live in Metropolis. Barry Allen is struck by lightning and chemicals that shine bright green meaning his connection to the Speed Force could be different, as well as this takes him into account that instead of simply acknowledging Wally, this could reference his existence before his death in the Post-Crisis. Wonder Woman being Hippolyta but with Green Lantern powers could settle the Post-Crisis adaptation of her being a member of the Justice Society instead of her daughter Diana being in the Pre-Crisis. I can only imagine what those three could do using Batman's headquarters as the Green Lanterns of Earth. Is Clark Kent a reporter for the Gotham Gazette instead of the Daily Planet? Is Barry accepting a transfer from CCPD to GCPD? Does Queen Hippolyta become Wonder Woman and take on the guise of a Gotham socialite alongside her old friend Alan Scott? Maybe Clark has a relationship with Vicki Vale instead of Lois Lane, or he impresses his fellow Justice Lantern Hippolyta as she finds him worthy of her daughter Diana? Does Barry probably recruit Batman's sidekicks? Does Hippolyta become the leader of the Birds of Prey as her own Amazon unit in Gotham? The possibilities are remarkable, and I'm pissed they never made a spin-off.

All in all, this was a great story. I have to admit the combination is very striking concerning Batman's distaste for a power that condemns fear when his original form used fear as a great weapon. Not to mention whether it was Hal, Kyle, and especially Guy, Bruce has always been more annoyed with a Green Lantern. In this story, he becomes one in many ways and is an alpha version of Batman with a green costume. My only beef is that his costume is not Batman enough. If anything, I liked one version of his enthrallment in a Green Lantern Geoff Johns story.

In Brightest Day, In Darkest Knight indeed!

[C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

(originally written Oct. 5, 2003)

As Bruce Wayne sits, beaten and bleeding, despondent over his miserable first night out as a vigilante, wondering what he can do to complete his task, a bat approaches his library window. In seconds, the bat will crash through, terrifying Bruce and giving him the inspiration to create his later-ego, Batman. At least, that's how it's supposed to happen. But this is Elseworld and in this version, the bat is distracted by a brilliant green flash coming from the sky and crashing down in the woods surrounding Wayne Manor. As Bruce sits, pondering the murder of his parents which led him to this point, a voice speaks.

"Bruce Wayne . . . you have been chosen!"

Bruce follows the voice outside and discovers the crash had been an alien ship coming down. The occupant is dying and in his last few moments, he bequeaths to Bruce his power ring. Bruce Wayne is now the Green Lantern of space sector 2814. And now he has the power to carry out his mission, which is avenging the deaths of his parents and getting crime out of Gotham City.

This Elseworlds story from Mike Barr and Jerry Bingham is a very quick and pleasant read. What if, instead of Hal Jordan, Abin-Sur had crashed down near and given his power ring to Bruce Wayne, moments before Bruce becomes The Batman? In Darkest Knight answers that question very well.

And dig that title. Batman has been, for many years now, the Dark Knight. And part of the Green Lantern creed is "In brightest day, in darkest night", so I was really impressed with the clever wordplay in the title.

The differences between Wayne's Green Lantern and what we know of Hal Jordan's GL are very evident. Hal Jordan took his role as protector of the entire 2814 sector of space, which includes Earth, seriously. Bruce Wayne, on the other hand, is more concerned with cleaning up Gotham and protecting mainly the populace of his hometown. But he is called away to space at one point to depose an evil Green Lantern who has begun abusing his power: Sinestro of space sector 1417. Bruce captures Sinestro and returns him to the Guardians of the Galaxy, the alien race responsible for the GL Corps. and the power rings. The Guardians banish Sinestro to an anti-matter dimension, but once there, Sinestro is met by someone who was expecting him, someone who gives him another power ring, this one yellow--the one weakness of the GL power rings. Somehow Sinestro makes it to earth where he assumes his new role as Bruce Wayne's archenemy. I'm assuming that, the Gotham City slant aside, the anti-matter dimension and the strange welcome committee is part of the original Sinestro origin.

Mike Barr did a great job of combining aspects of the Batman story with aspects of the Green Lantern story to create this all-new version. There is an alternate version of The Joker, Two-Face, and Catwoman, who goes by the name Star Sapphire--a Green Lantern character.

And Jerry Bingham was great on the art with lots of action, strong characters, and detailed settings. I'd be happy to read any monthly title these two collaborated on.

Digital Chameleon did the colors and while I don't normally condone farming out jobs to a firm that specializes (Richard Starkings and Comicraft, anyone?), the colors here are very vibrant and really brings the illustrations to life. I did have a slight problem with the letters, provided by Pat Brosseau. The normal dialogue balloons were fine, but why is it everyone insists on making Bruce's inner dialogue in cursive, as if written as a diary entry? If you want the inner dialogue in first-person, great, but everyone please stop putting it in cursive. It's distracting.

That small qualm aside, In Darkest Knight was a great Elseworld story, one of my favorites, and I'd love to see a sequel. Originally published in 1994--and since I haven't read comics regularly in about 6 years, who knows, there might be a sequel. If anyone knows of one, let me know.

[drown_like_its_1999 · Rating 1 out of 5]

What if Batman was also Green Lantern? A uninspired premise executed with no creativity, in other words another bat comic by Mike W. Barr. Not only are changes to the universe uninteresting but these modifications also take up a sizeable focus of the storytelling. Prose is spartan, plotting is lazy, and the only theme to be found is fan service. The art isn't awful at least!

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Call this 3.5 rounded up.

In Darkest Knight is an Elseworlds tale that ponders what would have been had the dying Green Lantern that crashed on Earth bequeathed his ring to Bruce Wayne, a soul driven by his own sense of justice and regret. Will the young, dark hero embrace his new responsibilities? How will he choose to wield his sudden near limitless power?

Taking the opportunity of a Kindle release I revisited this story for the first time since it's original publication twenty years ago. I enjoyed it quite a bit more than I remember doing back then. As usual with this type of stand alone story a bit too much is crammed in and some of the cameos from both heroes' normal mythos are rather tortured. That said there are also a lot of clever nods and details and the overall story is solid and imaginative. It also avoids the trap of trying to tie everything up. This is a complete and satisfying story, but not all loose ends are resolved and there was room left for more.

In Darkest Knight is a fun read which is a clear product of its time and pretty much exactly as advertised - an over the top, condensed adventure answering "what if Earth's Green Lantern was Batman"?

[Prasidh Ramson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holy Oa, Batman!

What would happen if Batman received a ring that enabled him to have Green Lantern's powers? This is the premise of this Elseworlds novel. After obtaining the ring from a dying Lantern, he is summoned to Oa and given an important mission to bring in a rogue Lantern on another planet. In his quest to do so, The Batman/Green Lantern sets off a chain of events that brings a battle with a familiar Lantern nemesis intertwined with regular Gotham characters to the city.

I found the art to be very detailed and almost, 80's-like. The action sequences were fun, playful and exciting. The writing and storytelling adequately crosses over both Batman and Lantern universes. At the same time, I think one will find more appreciation as a Green Lantern fan, as there are many nods to Lantern stories and characters from the past, which I may have missed.

Overall, an exciting read for the new and old Batman fan.

[Dovile · Rating 2 out of 5]

The back cover promises not just another happy Elseworlds tale, but if you really want a dark, distorted Elseworlds story, I recommend Batman vs. Dracula and other vampires in Batman & Dracula: Red Rain, Batman: Bloodstorm and Batman: Crimson Mist.

A 'Bruce-Wayne-becomes-a-Green-Lantern' story might be possible to accept, at least it's no less believable than Kal-El's rocket landing in Gotham, being adopted by the Waynes and becoming the Dark Knight in Superman: Speeding Bullets, which by the way, is a better and darker story than this one. Maybe it's just me, because I'm just not interested in Green Lanterns and don't care for those stories, so I didn't particularly like this one either. Also, these was too much shouting for my taste.

Maybe if you are actually interested in Green Lanterns, you'll like this story better.

[David Caldwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This what if...I mean Elseworld story revolves around the premise that Bruce Wayne received the Green Lantern power ring instead of Hal Jordan.

His villains are different. They tend to be a mix of the classic Batman and Green Lantern villains. Sinestro combines with Joe Chill to make a multiple personality that dresses like the Joker. I don't know why he doesn't act like Two-Face besides the fact that Harvey Dent becomes a villain known as Binary. Considering neither Sinestro nor Joe Chill dressed in purple suits, it was a strange choice.

Batman tries to keep to his mission of bringing justice to Gotham City, but a Green Lantern needs to cover a much larger territory. This brings Bruce into conflict with the Guardians of Oa.

Overall, a very good story of what might have been with just a few head scratchers thrown into the mix.

[Michael Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

This fusion of superheroes is, ironically, split down the middle. For the first half, the two myths are combined rather well. There's a tightness and logic to the situation – particularly to the idea that giving Bruce Wayne superhuman powers at just the wrong moment might have sent him down an even darker path.

In the second half, however, things come apart as the authors deliver twists aimed at the fans while letting the story drift. The effect of Batman being a Green Lantern is lost when suddenly everyone is, and I've no idea why Sinestro gets dressed up like the Joker. Great setup: poor resolution.