Review: Mother Panic- Gotham AD

Quick Summary

Pros: The setting is an awesome change-up and is a joy to learn more about. The narrative here is more focused and streamlined than before, which helps it sufficiently develop its final messages. The conclusion is meaningful and suits the comics well. The artwork looks good and feels creative.

Cons: Some readers may not appreciate this volume’s more standard approach to vigilante justice.

Overall: This dramatic shift for the Mother Panic series is an enjoyable twist on a character who already has a lot going for her. It spotlights a new and interesting world where an exciting conflict takes place. It also concludes Mother Panic’s story in a way that suits her and should feel satisfactory to fans of her journey thus far. Anyone who enjoyed Mother Panic as a character should continue reading about her with this collection.

Story

Mother Panic: Gotham AD, by Jody Houser, takes the series from the streets of a familiar Gotham to a whole new world altogether. This volume is set in a dystopian future where evil corporations manipulate the city’s structure while other groups rage against this control. However, it isn’t just the setting that has changed, this comic also throws more action and vigilante justice into the mix, rather than the maverick exploits seen in past volumes. All of this leads into the collection and series’ conclusion, which delivers a meaningful message about redemption that works as the comic’s finale. All in all, this is an exciting and worthwhile addition to Mother Panic’s legacy that fans of her character are sure to appreciate.

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The biggest change going into Gotham AD is, obviously, the setting. This comic takes place in a world where Gala essentially rules Gotham City and is only countered by heroic resistance from Catwoman and chaotic resistance from Red Hood. Learning about this new world and discovering the differences between it and modern Gotham is a very satisfying experience and ends up being a huge draw for this book. The backup stories are particularly helpful in detailing this new world, which makes them more even more interesting to read about.

The other big difference here is that Gotham AD feels more like a standard vigilante adventure. Mother Panic’s mission in her new environment forces her to act in a way that is quite similar to someone like Nightwing or even Batman. While this takes away some of the comic’s unique appeal, it also allows it to be more streamlined and focused than ever before. I found this switch to be worthwhile for the final volume in this series and appreciated the way in which it was pulled off.

However, the best part about Gotham AD is its focus on redemption. All of Mother Panic’s previous adventures have placed a lot of weight on the importance of mental health, especially when it concerns trauma from the past. This collection has characters finally make progress in moving past the problems that have troubled plagued them for so long. Specifically, by the end of this collection, Violet has finally found her place in the world and has used her new position to help other people like her. It is a touching and satisfying end to her journey that suits the conclusion of this series.

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Art

The artwork in Gotham AD is great all the way through and does a lot to help enhance this book’s setting. Though previous volume’s had some trouble matching the book’s artwork with the book’s tone, Ibrahim Moustafa has no problem with this. Moustafa’s gritty pencils and bold inks allow the dark tone of this story to blossom and help hammer home the emotions in specific segments. It also helps that Moustafa’s work is very creative and helps bring the unique world of Gotham AD to life. The reimagined versions of familiar characters all look great and, even without the story, provide an enjoyable visual experience. In the end, the artwork in this collection is consistently positive and is a big help in making this volume worthwhile.

Continuity

Mother Panic: Gotham AD continues the story from Mother Panic Vol. 2: Under Her Skin (Review) and Milk Wars (Review) (Reading Order).

As of now, Mother Panic’s story ends here and does not continue in any specific comic.