In Review: Realm: Batman: The Blind Cut

Synopsis: Batman: The Blind Cut is a new, original adventure of the Dark Knight. The Caped Crusader and Zatanna join forces. Once again, a terrifying adversary threatens to bring Gotham City to its knees. 

Review: Realm wishes us all a Happy Halloween! Ghosts, graves, and gargoyles greet the Dark Knight. Later, witches add their own brew to the mix.

Who does the Batman turn to? Zatanna, of course. 

Story

I have one quibble. I’ll get it out of the way before I proceed. Batman is sidelined for a significant chunk of the story.

There are extremely valid tonal and thematic reasons for this. However, I think the marketing folks should have changed the title to reflect Zatanna as functional co-lead.

That said, Batman: The Blind Cut is awesome! K Arsenalt Rivera, Martin Cahill, and Catherynne M. Valente give fans everything they could ask for.

The Rogue’s Gallery is active throughout. Indeed, the writers add a new member. What’s more, the story’s title is explained during a pivotal interaction between two of them.

As for the heroes, Batman and Zatanna are joined by two members of the Justice League Dark. Even with that help, the Caped Crusader and the sorceress are backed against the wall throughout.

The villains are so effective because no one knew they were there. It’s an old trope. For all that, though, the writers execute it nearly flawlessly.

The villains are more than antagonists, however. They are windows into the history of Gotham City. As a result, listeners get a narrative with true depth and scope.

Added to that, listeners get a wonderfully realized Halloween ambiance. Realm certainly chose the right combination of DC characters to deliver the spooky goods.

Narration

Dave Fennoy and Natalie Naudus alternate throughout the story. They’re both excellent throughout. That said, Naudus has a slight edge, as she has to handle Zatanna’s backward spell dialogue.

Overall

Thank you for this tale, Realm. It’s better than DC’s screen stories involving the same characters.

You can purchase Batman: The Blind Cut here.