About_Faces!

So I revisited the first mention of Erin McKillen (the woman who is now responsible for scarring Harvey Dent) back in Two-Face's Forever Evil tie-in issue which came out one month before Erin own story kicked off in The Big Burn. Rereading this, I noticed that there was no mention of a twin sister, and that Harvey was credited for putting away "that McKillen gal," singular.

What's more, this panel indicates that she was married to a man who was the head of the McKillen crime family, whereas no such husband has shown up in The Big Burn, where we learned that she and her twin sister Shannon inherited the crime family after their father died. Again, we're talking major differences from issues set just a month or two apart.

Between this and the fact that Carrie Kelley was supposed to be at the center of this story before mysteriously vanishing without anyone raising an eyebrow, I now strongly suspect that The Big Burn was DRASTICALLY rewritten at the last minute. Erin's twin sister is so central to the plot of The Big Burn that I honestly cannot imagine how the story could have worked without her, but there's every indication here that Shannon was a later addition, so now I really want to know what the original Big Burn was supposed to be and how Carrie was supposed to have fit in!

It's honestly a bit upsetting that Harvey Dent is now being utterly redefined for the DCnU with a story that was Frankensteined together from the scraps of an earlier version at the last bloody minute. 

Further details on Harvey Dent's early days in the New 52 continuity, showing that he once had a lucrative career as a defense attorney who exploited Batman's vigilantism for how own benefit. Oh, and he's also on retainer for two of the most ruthless mob bosses in town. Well, at least he's shown to be in a happy, healthy relationship with Gilda, so that's something nice, I guess.

Also, the crime lords having their lawyer use a phone they gave him? Anybody else getting a Saul Goodman vibe from this scenario? I can't blame Tomasi too hard for potentially being inspired by Breaking Bad, as lord knows I'd be tempted to go back to that well repeatedly if ever I wrote Batman comics.

From Batman and Robin Two-Face #27, written by Peter J. Tomasi, art by Patrick Gleason and Mick Gray

Preview for the next issue of Batman and Robin er no Two-Face The Super-Awesome Adventures of Erin McKillen, as the New 52 continues to waste Harvey with no relief in sight.

As you might be able to tell, I've pretty much given up hope that this story is going be worthwhile. I'd also still really like to know what the hell happened to Carrie Kelley and why nobody seems to care that she's vanished from what was supposed to be her origin story.

"Thanks for the save, Batman..."

From Batman and Robin Two-Face #26, written by Peter J. Tomasi, art by Patrick Gleason and Mick Gray

The reunion.

From Batman and Robin Two-Face #26, written by Peter J. Tomasi, art by Patrick Gleason and Mick Gray.

Ah yes, the "Two Wolves" story, which has recently been making the rounds as a Zen Pencils comic. Funny thing about that "Cherokee" story: it's phony. It was actually written by American evangelist minister Billy Graham in 1978, who originally wrote it about Eskimos. Somewhere along the way, someone said that it was about Native Americans, a myth that persists today.

Look, I'm not gonna lie: when I first heard this "folklore," I thought it'd be rather fitting for a Two-Face story, and I suppose it still is, regardless of its origins. Nonetheless, the inaccuracy is jarring here, especially since both Bruce and Alfred are both smart enough to know better.

Of course, there's another concern with how the story is used here: it's a lousy way to write a comic. Look at that wall of text! This is a comic, not a dramatic monologue for an actor to breathe life into with his performance. I appreciate that Tomasi wants to draw some comparison of Two-Face (or rather, Erin) to the Two Wolves, but stopping all the action to deliver a moral, that's pretty much the laziest way to do it.

Bruce: Shannon was one of the only kids who got me to talk about my parents after they died... and she was easy to talk to, had that gift of making you feel like you were the most important person in the world.

Erin: Shannon did do that, didn't she? Each day without her is like the ache of a phantom limb-- she's here and she's not, if that makes any sense... and it's all thanks to Harvey Dent.

From Batman and Robin Two-Face #26, written by Peter J. Tomasi and drawn by Patrick Gleason and Mick Gray.

For this story, the role of Harvey Dent will be played by Benedict Cumberbatch and/or an anthropomorphic cat.

Final cover for Batman and Robin Two-Face #26, art by Patrick Gleason and Mick Gray

--Brian Bolland