If there is one Batman run that doesn’t get enough praise, it’s the strand of highly entertaining stories published in Gotham Adventures #15-60, from 1999 to 2003, written by Scott Peterson, mostly with pencils by Tim Levins, inks by Terry Beatty, and colors by Lee Loughridge. Adapting the characters and visuals of The New Batman Adventures animated show, these were action-packed comics that steadily delivered exciting standalone tales without talking down to their audience. The ultra-compressed narratives – effectively carried by taut dialogue as well as by an art style of crisp lines and low average of panels per page – were a lesson in minimalistic storytelling, spinning twist-filled yarns that were rich in characterization yet never felt overloaded.
Of the many outstanding features of this run worth pointing out, today I want to focus on Tim Levins’ ability to bring to life ‘silent’ (i.e. wordless, without even sound effects) sequences that go on for pages. Scott Peterson clearly trusted his artists to convey all the necessary information and knew that readers enjoyed visually-driven set pieces, so his scripts provided Levins (and the rest of the creative team) with plenty of chances to shine.
Levins rose up to the challenge. Take ‘Do the Wrong Thing’ (Gotham Adventures #23, cover-dated April 2000), a super-fast-paced affair in which the Dark Knight investigates the mysterious disappearance of some of Waynecorp’s business associates. Between the opening splash page and the downbeat dénouement, we get a string of tight scene-to-scene transitions, a fair amount of detective work, and a climactic fight with global stakes (keeping with the show’s running theme of rogues with sympathetic motivations taken to violent extremes). And yet, among all this, the issue still manages to include a trio of lengthy ‘silent’ sequences in which Levins shows off his skills, starting with this one:
Gotham Adventures #23
Working with one of the best inkers in the business, Tim Levins’ deft pencils inject this sequence with peerless vitality through tilted angles and, in the second page, tilted borders (as the layout smoothly establishes the scene’s rhythm). Notice how Levins uses a small number of panels, letting the pages breathe, yet suddenly multiplies the images of the Caped Crusader, which gives the impression of a quick (yet clear) succession of graceful movements. Besides creating a loop for the readers’ gaze as it follows the action across the page (thus further increasing the dynamism of the reading experience), this neat trick efficiently illustrates an incredible acrobatic feat, underlining how athletic and cool Batman is.
Along with delivering thrills, this type of wordless sequences can serve to clinch characterization. In ‘Second Timers’ (Gotham Adventures #50, cover-dated July 2002), a typically multilayered issue about the difficult relationship between Batman and Catwoman, Tim Levins gets to explore the characters’ conflicted feelings, including through this amusing flashback where Selina goes through a whole range of emotions:
Gotham Adventures #50
Levins sure knows how to frame a free-for-all fight scene for maximum effect… Aware of this, Scott Peterson let him have one last hurrah in their knockout final issue, ‘Leaves’ (Gotham Adventures #60, cover-dated May 2003), another deceptively simple tale that actually strikes at the heart of the Batman mythos while kind of reimagining the classic one-shot The Killing Joke.
At one point, the Dark Knight singlehandedly faces around fifty thugs at dawn. Stylishly framed against a red sky (like in the sequence from ‘Do the Wrong Thing,’ except that here Loughridge pushes the mood even further by enveloping the bodies in a dusky palette), Tim Levins delivers a seriously badass battle that captures the exhilarating sense of an individual overcoming overpowering odds. The result is a virtuoso sequence akin to flicks like Kill Zone 2, John Wick 3, or The Night Comes for Us.
I know I should probably play it cool and simply enjoy this article in silence (no pun intended), but I just want to thank you for taking the time write it. I’m flattered and so pleased to know that the work Scott, Terry, Lee, and I did during our run on the series is appreciated. I was very lucky to have the opportunity to tell stories about such an iconic character with this talented group of people.
It was a privilege and an honour to work with Scott in particular — even though we were strangers when we started on the book, we were in sync with each other right off the bat. Your article highlights my contributions, but make no mistake that Scott was always a vital part of these “silent” sequences, even if his words were absent from the final product. Our work together was a true collaboration.
Thanks again!
Wow, I am so glad you saw this! I am a huge, huge fan of your whole run with Scott. In particular, that last silent fight scene, with fewer and fewer panels per page until the final splash, has always stuck with me…
That was definitely a powerful sequence to draw, and I’m glad that it’s stuck with you after all these years. Thanks so much for the kind words, and keep up the great work here on your site. It’s nice — and rare — to find a comic book website with such insightful and well-written articles!