SKU: 85459454001

MSD IGNITION BBC Crank Trigger Kit Black 86203

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Description

MSD IGNITION BBC Crank Trigger Kit Black 86203Overview: For a long time, racers have known that one of the best things to do to an engine to improve its performance is to stabilize the ignition timing. The MSD Flying Magnet Crank Trigger system does exactly that by using four magnets embedded in an aluminum wheel. Although similar in appearance to other crank triggers, the MSD Flying Magnet design works on a different principle. Most crank triggers have a wheel, with steel studs sticking out,

Overview:

For a long time, racers have known that one of the best things to do to an engine to improve its performance is to stabilize the ignition timing. The MSD Flying Magnet Crank Trigger system does exactly that by using four magnets embedded in an aluminum wheel. Although similar in appearance to other crank triggers, the MSD Flying Magnet design works on a different principle. Most crank triggers have a wheel, with steel studs sticking out, bolted to the harmonic balancer. As the crankshaft turns, the studs pass by a stationary magnetic pick-up, triggering the ignition. This pick-up can be triggered by other bolts, debris or even vibrations which will cause a loss of power or engine damage. The MSD Flying Magnet Crank Trigger uses four magnets secured in the aluminum trigger wheel that pass by a stationary non-magnetic pick-up to trigger the ignition. This ""flying magnet"" design produces accurate trigger signals and the non-magnetic pick-up cannot be false triggered. Each Flying Magnet Crank Trigger includes a two-piece mounting bracket for the non-magnetic pick-up that in most cases will work on either the passenger side or driver's side of the engine (the SB Chrysler and SB Ford brackets mount on only one side). The CNC-machined aluminum bracket securely holds the pick-up in place and is slotted to provide a wide range of timing adjustment. Spacers are included so you can mount the bracket on engines with standard motor mounts or engines with a .25"" motor plate. These systems will trigger MSD 6, 7 and 8 Series Ignitions and all MSD Timing Accessories.

Features:

    Application:

    Year Make Model Submodel Engine Size
    1968 - 1974 Chevrolet Caprice U/K/8 V
    1975 - 1985 Chevrolet C30 4.25/8 V
    1979 - 1985 GMC C2500 4.25/8 V
    1975 - 1985 Chevrolet P30 4.25/8 V
    1970 - 1972 Chevrolet Caprice 4.13/8 V
    1979 - 1985 GMC C2500 Suburban 4.25/8 V
    1973 - 1974 GMC K25/K2500 Suburban 4.25/8 V
    1968 - 1974 Chevrolet C10 Pickup U/K/8 V
    1973 Chevrolet P10 Van U/K/8 V
    1969 Chevrolet Estate 4.09/8 V
    1973 - 1974 Chevrolet K30 Pickup 4.25/8 V
    1966 - 1973 Chevrolet Chevelle U/K/8 V
    1976 - 1978 GMC K25 4.25/8 V
    1970 - 1972 Chevrolet C30 Pickup 4.13/8 V
    1966 - 1976 Chevrolet Impala 4.25/8 V
    1970 - 1972 GMC K15/K1500 Pickup 4.13/8 V
    1970 - 1974 GMC P35/P3500 Van U/K/8 V
    1975 - 1978 GMC C15 Suburban 4.25/8 V
    1969 - 1970 Chevrolet Nova U/K/8 V
    1970 - 1971 Pontiac Acadian 4.25/8 V
    1966 - 1972 Chevrolet Biscayne 4.25/8 V
    1968 - 1972 Chevrolet Biscayne U/K/8 V
    1976 - 1978 Chevrolet K5 Blazer 4.25/8 V
    1975 - 1985 Chevrolet C20 4.25/8 V
    1965 - 1969 Chevrolet Biscayne 4.09/8 V
    1969 - 1972 Chevrolet Townsman 4.25/8 V
    1973 - 1974 GMC G35/G3500 Van 4.25/8 V
    1973 - 1985 Chevrolet C20 Suburban 4.25/8 V
    1970 - 1975 Chevrolet El Camino 4.25/8 V
    1973 - 1974 Chevrolet G20 Van 4.25/8 V
    1970 - 1972 Chevrolet Townsman 4.13/8 V
    1975 - 1976 Chevrolet G30 4.25/8 V
    1965 - 1969 Chevrolet Impala 4.09/8 V
    1970 - 1975 Chevrolet Monte Carlo 4.25/8 V
    1968 - 1974 GMC K25/K2500 Pickup U/K/8 V
    1966 - 1969 Pontiac Laurentian 4.09/8 V
    1968 - 1974 Chevrolet Corvette U/K/8 V
    1970 - 1972 Chevrolet C20 Suburban 4.13/8 V
    1970 - 1972 GMC K15/K1500 Suburban 4.13/8 V
    1975 - 1980 Chevrolet C10 4.25/8 V
    1966 - 1969 Chevrolet Caprice 4.09/8 V
    1973 - 1974 Chevrolet Laguna U/K/8 V
    1968 - 1969 GMC K25/K2500 Suburban 4.09/8 V
    1968 - 1974 GMC C15/C1500 Suburban U/K/8 V
    1972 Chevrolet P30 Van 4.13/8 V
    1973 - 1974 GMC C15/C1500 Suburban 4.25/8 V
    1973 - 1974 Chevrolet Blazer 4.25/8 V
    1970 - 1974 Chevrolet P30 Van 4.25/8 V
    1966 - 1974 Chevrolet Corvette 4.25/8 V
    1973 - 1985 Chevrolet K20 Suburban 4.25/8 V
    1975 - 1978 GMC P35 4.25/8 V
    1968 - 1974 GMC C25/C2500 Suburban U/K/8 V
    1970 - 1972 Chevrolet K20 Pickup 4.13/8 V
    1966 - 1976 Chevrolet Caprice 4.25/8 V
    1973 - 1974 Chevrolet K20 Pickup 4.25/8 V
    1971 - 1974 GMC Sprint U/K/8 V
    1976 - 1979 Chevrolet P20 4.25/8 V
    1968 - 1974 Chevrolet C20 Pickup U/K/8 V
    1970 - 1972 GMC K25/K2500 Suburban 4.13/8 V
    1970 - 1972 GMC C25/C2500 Pickup 4.13/8 V
    1968 - 1969 Chevrolet K20 Pickup 4.09/8 V
    1970 - 1974 Chevrolet P30 Van U/K/8 V
    1968 - 1969 GMC K15/K1500 Pickup U/K/8 V
    1973 - 1980 Chevrolet C10 Suburban 4.25/8 V
    1970 - 1973 Chevrolet Chevelle 4.25/8 V
    1968 - 1974 GMC C35/C3500 Pickup U/K/8 V
    1979 - 1985 GMC P3500 4.25/8 V
    1979 GMC P1500 4.25/8 V
    1973 - 1974 Chevrolet C20 Pickup 4.25/8 V
    1973 - 1974 Chevrolet C30 Pickup 4.25/8 V
    1970 - 1972 Chevrolet Bel Air 4.13/8 V
    1969 - 1972 Chevrolet Kingswood 4.25/8 V
    1968 - 1969 GMC C25/C2500 Pickup 4.09/8 V
    1979 - 1985 GMC C3500 4.25/8 V
    1976 - 1978 Chevrolet K20 4.25/8 V
    1970 - 1974 GMC P35/P3500 Van 4.25/8 V
    1970 - 1972 GMC K25/K2500 Pickup 4.13/8 V
    1975 - 1978 GMC C15 4.25/8 V
    1979 - 1980 GMC C1500 Suburban 4.25/8 V
    1968 - 1969 Chevrolet Camaro U/K/8 V
    1968 - 1974 Chevrolet K20 Pickup U/K/8 V
    1965 - 1969 Chevrolet Bel Air 4.09/8 V
    1968 - 1969 Chevrolet K30 Pickup 4.09/8 V
    1977 - 1985 Chevrolet K30 4.25/8 V
    1973 - 1974 Chevrolet C10 Pickup 4.25/8 V
    1969 Chevrolet Camaro 4.25/8 V
    1968 - 1974 Chevrolet K10 Pickup U/K/8 V
    1968 - 1974 Chevrolet K30 Pickup U/K/8 V
    1979 - 1980 GMC C1500 4.25/8 V
    1968 - 1974 GMC C25/C2500 Pickup U/K/8 V
    1968 - 1969 Chevrolet C30 Pickup 4.09/8 V
    1966 - 1969 Pontiac Parisienne 4.09/8 V
    1973 - 1975 Chevrolet Malibu 4.25/8 V
    1969 - 1974 Chevrolet C20 Suburban U/K/8 V
    1975 - 1976 GMC G25 4.25/8 V
    1970 - 1972 Chevrolet Townsman U/K/8 V
    1970 Pontiac Strato-Chief 4.25/8 V
    1965 - 1974 Chevrolet Impala U/K/8 V
    1968 - 1969 GMC C25/C2500 Suburban 4.09/8 V
    1967 - 1969 Chevrolet Camaro 4.09/8 V
    1968 - 1974 GMC C15/C1500 Pickup U/K/8 V
    1968 - 1974 Chevrolet El Camino U/K/8 V
    1973 GMC Jimmy U/K/8 V
    1968 - 1974 GMC K35/K3500 Pickup U/K/8 V
    1973 - 1974 Chevrolet G10 Van U/K/8 V
    1970 - 1972 Chevrolet K10 Suburban 4.13/8 V
    1968 - 1969 Chevrolet C20 Suburban 4.09/8 V
    1965 - 1969 Pontiac Strato-Chief 4.09/8 V
    1976 - 1977 GMC K25 Suburban 4.25/8 V
    1965 Chevrolet Corvette 4.09/8 V
    1973 - 1975 Chevrolet Laguna 4.25/8 V
    1970 - 1972 Chevrolet C20 Pickup 4.13/8 V
    1979 - 1985 GMC K3500 4.25/8 V
    1966 - 1975 Chevrolet Bel Air 4.25/8 V
    1963 Chevrolet Biscayne 4.31/8 V
    1970 - 1972 Chevrolet Kingswood 4.13/8 V
    1973 - 1974 GMC C35/C3500 Pickup 4.25/8 V
    1973 - 1974 GMC C15/C1500 Pickup 4.25/8 V
    1968 - 1969 Chevrolet C10 Pickup 4.09/8 V
    1975 - 1978 GMC C25 Suburban 4.25/8 V
    1968 - 1974 Chevrolet Bel Air U/K/8 V
    1968 - 1969 GMC K25/K2500 Pickup 4.09/8 V
    1970 - 1972 Chevrolet Camaro 4.13/8 V
    1969 - 1972 Chevrolet Brookwood 4.25/8 V
    1970 - 1972 Chevrolet El Camino 4.13/8 V
    1968 - 1974 GMC K15/K1500 Suburban U/K/8 V
    1975 - 1978 GMC C25 4.25/8 V
    1971 - 1975 GMC Sprint 4.13/8 V
    1970 - 1972 GMC K35/K3500 Pickup 4.13/8 V
    1973 - 1974 GMC C25/C2500 Pickup 4.25/8 V
    1968 - 1969 Chevrolet C10 Suburban 4.09/8 V
    1970 - 1972 Chevrolet Brookwood 4.13/8 V
    1973 - 1974 GMC K25/K2500 Pickup 4.25/8 V
    1968 - 1969 Chevrolet C20 Pickup 4.09/8 V
    1976 Chevrolet G20 4.25/8 V
    1968 - 1969 GMC K15/K1500 Suburban 4.09/8 V
    1970 - 1972 Chevrolet K20 Suburban 4.13/8 V
    1970 - 1972 GMC C15/C1500 Pickup 4.13/8 V
    1973 - 1974 GMC K15/K1500 Pickup 4.25/8 V
    1973 Chevrolet K20 Suburban U/K/8 V
    1968 - 1969 GMC C35/C3500 Pickup 4.09/8 V
    1965 - 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle 4.09/8 V
    1973 - 1974 Chevrolet G20 Van U/K/8 V
    1966 - 1969 Chevrolet El Camino 4.09/8 V
    1970 - 1971 GMC P25/P2500 Van 4.25/8 V
    1970 - 1972 GMC C15/C1500 Suburban 4.13/8 V
    1970 - 1972 Chevrolet Chevelle 4.13/8 V
    1971 - 1975 GMC Sprint 4.25/8 V
    1965 - 1969 Pontiac Beaumont 4.09/8 V
    1975 - 1978 GMC C35 4.25/8 V
    1970 - 1972 Chevrolet Impala 4.13/8 V
    1970 - 1971 Chevrolet Nova 4.25/8 V
    1973 - 1974 Chevrolet G30 Van 4.25/8 V
    1970 - 1972 GMC C25/C2500 Suburban 4.13/8 V
    1970 - 1972 Chevrolet Monte Carlo 4.13/8 V
    1970 - 1973 Chevrolet P20 Van 4.25/8 V
    1973 - 1974 Chevrolet G10 Van 4.25/8 V
    1970 - 1972 Chevrolet K30 Pickup 4.13/8 V
    1968 - 1974 Chevrolet C10 Suburban U/K/8 V
    1968 - 1974 Chevrolet C30 Pickup U/K/8 V
    1970 - 1973 Chevrolet P20 Van U/K/8 V
    1970 - 1972 Chevrolet Nova 4.13/8 V
    1970 - 1972 GMC C35/C3500 Pickup 4.13/8 V
    1969 Chevrolet Kingswood 4.09/8 V
    1973 - 1976 GMC Jimmy 4.25/8 V
    1976 - 1980 Chevrolet K10 4.25/8 V
    1973 - 1974 Chevrolet K10 Pickup 4.25/8 V
    1973 - 1974 GMC K15/K1500 Suburban 4.25/8 V
    1976 GMC G35 4.25/8 V
    1973 - 1974 Chevrolet K10 Suburban 4.25/8 V
    1970 - 1974 Chevrolet Monte Carlo U/K/8 V
    1970 - 1972 Chevrolet C10 Pickup 4.13/8 V
    1968 - 1969 Chevrolet K10 Suburban U/K/8 V
    1968 - 1969 GMC K35/K3500 Pickup 4.09/8 V
    1970 - 1971 GMC P25/P2500 Van U/K/8 V
    1970 Chevrolet Estate 4.13/8 V
    1968 - 1969 Chevrolet K10 Pickup 4.09/8 V
    1970 - 1972 Chevrolet K10 Pickup 4.13/8 V
    1973 - 1974 GMC K35/K3500 Pickup 4.25/8 V
    1965 - 1967 Chevrolet Malibu 4.09/8 V
    1968 Chevrolet Chevy II U/K/8 V
    1968 - 1969 GMC K15/K1500 Pickup 4.09/8 V
    1968 - 1969 Chevrolet K20 Suburban 4.09/8 V
    1973 Chevrolet P10 Van 4.25/8 V
    1973 - 1974 GMC C25/C2500 Suburban 4.25/8 V
    1970 - 1972 Chevrolet Kingswood U/K/8 V
    1973 Chevrolet Blazer U/K/8 V
    1968 - 1969 Chevrolet K10 Suburban 4.09/8 V
    1968 - 1969 Pontiac Acadian 4.09/8 V
    1973 - 1974 Chevrolet Malibu U/K/8 V
    1968 - 1974 GMC K25/K2500 Suburban U/K/8 V
    1969 - 1970 Chevrolet Estate 4.25/8 V
    1970 - 1972 Chevrolet Biscayne 4.13/8 V
    1968 - 1969 GMC C15/C1500 Suburban 4.09/8 V
    1968 Chevrolet Chevy II 4.09/8 V
    1980 GMC K1500 4.25/8 V
    1970 - 1972 Chevrolet C10 Suburban 4.13/8 V
    1970 Pontiac Laurentian 4.25/8 V
    1973 - 1974 Chevrolet G30 Van U/K/8 V
    1968 - 1969 GMC C15/C1500 Pickup 4.09/8 V
    1976 GMC K15 4.25/8 V
    1969 Chevrolet Nova 4.09/8 V
    1969 Chevrolet Brookwood 4.09/8 V
    1970 Pontiac Parisienne 4.25/8 V
    1963 Chevrolet Impala 4.31/8 V
    1969 Chevrolet Townsman 4.09/8 V
    1963 Chevrolet Bel Air 4.31/8 V

    Specs:

    Brand MSD
    Color Black
    Diameter 8""
    Emission Code 4
    Make Chevy
    Product Type Crank Trigger Kit
    Sensor Dimensions 3/4"" x 2.25""
    Sensor Type Non Magnetic
    Trigger Type 4X
    Warning California Proposition 65
    Warranty Limited 1 Year Warranty
    Wheel Width 3/8""
    Shipping Notes
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    Exchange/Return Notes
    • We offer a 30-day return/exchange service after receiving.
    • Final sale items are not eligible for returns or exchanges.
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    SKU: 85459454001

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    4.7 ★★★★★
    Based on 539 reviews
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    Kurt
    Lake Worth, US
    ★★★★★ 5
    Great Sequel to Long Halloween
    Format: Paperback
    This takes all of the great elements of the Long Halloween and keeps it going. The two of those books together is a great story telling. Ticks all the boxes of a great Batman book. If you like this and Long Halloween check out The Penguin show on HBO Max. and if you like The Penguin but haven't read these two books you should since the show pulls a lot of influence from them.
    WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
    Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2024
    K
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    kindlemom1 (My Guilty Obsession Blog)
    West Palm Beach, US
    ★★★★★ 5
    Worth the price!
    Format: Paperback
    Great set!
    WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
    Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2025
    J
    Verified Purchase
    John Hall
    Boise, US
    ★★★★★ 5
    The Robin Origin Tale We Needed
    Format: Paperback
    Hot off The Long Halloween Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale return for another murder mystery. This is a direct sequel and follows the aftermath of The Long Halloween. The art is stellar and the story is deep and dark. The trinity of Batman, Dent and Gordon is gone and the isolation is real. At the heart of it, life goes on. Sofia Falcone is back and ready to get revenge. Meanwhile, Dick Grayson's about to go through the darkest chapter of his life. There's a surprise villain who makes a chilling introduction and much more. If you wanted more after Batman: Year One and The Long Halloween, this is the book for you.
    WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
    Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2025
    T
    Verified Purchase
    The Blue Thunder Bomb
    Massapequa, US
    ★★★★★ 5
    The Best BATMAN Tale since YEAR ONE.
    When I first started reading Scott Snyder's run on DETECTIVE COMICS, I was unfamiliar with his work. It seemed like they had just grabbed a new name after arcs done by distinguished writers such as Grant Morrison (which I actually thought was terrible during his RIP arc), Greg Rucka (who did a brilliant job with bringing the character of Batwoman into the fold), and Paul Dini (whose work ranged from not great to just about perfect). Snyder just seemed like a Johnny-Come-Lately, and the previous arc on DETECTIVE had been particularly disappointing, but alas I had faith that another solid arc was due for the Darkknight Detective, so I kept collecting. Nothing could have made me happier, since Snyder and his partners in crime, artists Jock and Francesco Francavilla had crafted the most solid, unified and smartest Batman tale since Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli's eponymous BATMAN: YEAR ONE. Not to get too bogged down in plot detail, but essentially, the "Black Mirror" arc begins with Dick Grayson as The Batman (since Bruce Wayne was too busy fighting his way through time... argh...) and he's closing in on a secret auction where 'collectibles' of Gotham's most notorious villains are being sold to an elite crowd of wealthy degenerates, such as Scarecrow's fear gas and the crowbar actually used to beat Jason Todd almost to death. The main villain of the piece is hardly Batman's most powerful enemy, but it does leave some psychic scars on Dick. Next Dick is forced to deal with a dead woman found in an office building. Hardly worth Batman's specific attention, but what is is that the woman's body was found inside a dead killer whale's mouth in an office building. Making matters more complicated is that the woman this murder is sending a message to is actually the daughter of Tony Zucco, the gangster responsible for the death of Dick's parents. While these stories are exciting, well-crafted and beautifully rendered by Jock, we enter a much more personal tale of Commissioner Gordon: the return of his son James Jr., who we haven't seen much of at all in his life. Apparently, James Jr. is a psychotic who is taking a new anti-psychotic medication and hopes to return back to society in some way. This becomes a very personal tale for the Gordon family, including Gordon's ex-wife Barbara and of course his daughter Barbara, formerly Batgirl and now the wheelchair-confined information gatherer Oracle. These interludes are illustrated by the brilliant Francavilla, whose every page looks like it's suitable for framing. Unfortunately for everyone involved, Jr. is not exactly what he seems to be and this leads to a small-scale but highly emotionally charged finale. Scott Snyder did several things in this book that very few before him were able to do successfully. First and foremost, he captured the essence of Dick Grayson bearing the responsibility of being Batman. It's not something he shirks from, but he does feel out of place living in Bruce's penthouse and basically taking the mantle of Batman is no small matter. He is more emotional than Bruce and has more issues with his own fears. Second is that he's one of the few writers to really get the essence of Batman being a detective. While Dick is not as brilliant as Bruce, he was trained by the best, and Batman is not just a machine of brute force dispensing justice with his fists and cool gadgets; he's also considered the world's greatest detective and it's always exciting to see an author with a good handle on that aspect of Batman. Third is Snyder's awareness of Gotham not just being a city, but as being an integral character in the adventures of Batman. There's a darkness to the city that the good people strive to rise above, which is why the partnership of Batman and Jim Gordon has been the lifeline of Gotham's survival. Also on wonderful display here is Snyder's understanding of the supporting cast. He gives all of them equal and necessary life in the story, and has a superb handle on their individual characters. In the few years since Snyder started in this business, first gaining prominence on AMERICAN VAMPIRE (which is another breath of fresh air to a dying genre) and then his work on DETECTIVE gaining him even greater accolades, he has become possibly the best writer currently at DC. Several people, including myself have heralded him as the next Alan Moore. He has an understanding of character, dialogue and structure that is unusual and continually striking. He's been the standout star of DC's "New 52", continuing his work on Batman with as well as bringing back one of DC's greatest horror titles, . He has also continued to establish himself as one of comic's premier horror writers by doing the best horror comic in years over at Image Comics called (you can find my review of that book via that link), as well as doing a mini-event that explores the beginnings of Gotham City in . THE BLACK MIRROR is a Batman classic that people will still be discussing in years to come, as well as his other work in the field. I couldn't suggest more highly picking up any of his books. It doesn't get much better.
    WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
    Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2012
    J
    Verified Purchase
    JR. Forasteros
    Bozeman, US
    ★★★★★ 5
    Dark, Brooding and 100% Batman
    This review is super-spoilery. If you haven't read The Black Mirror yet, do yourself a favor and go grab a copy ASAP. You won't regret it. No matter who we are, we can't escape our past. Where we've come from and who we've been leave indelible marks on us. Nowhere is this more true than Gotham City, and in Batman: The Black Mirror, Scott Snyder gives us a glimpse into the Darkness that lies at the core of the city. If you're not a regular Batman reader, you may not know that everyone in the DC Comics universe thought Bruce Wayne was dead for a while. While he was gone, Dick Grayson - the original Robin - took up the mantle of the Batman. After Bruce Wayne's return, he kept Dick as the new Gotham City Batman.* Black Mirror is actually a story featuring Dick Grayson - not Bruce Wayne - as the Batman. Snyder's story is one of the best Batman stories I've ever read. It's a dark, brooding and good, old-fashioned detective story. And it actually works better with Dick instead of Bruce under the cowl. That's a writing feat nothing short of miraculous. Snyder's Gotham is a monstrous city that seeks to poison everyone in it. It turned both Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson into masked vigilantes. Dick was the child of circus acrobats who were murdered in Gotham. He was taken in by Bruce Wayne, who lost his own parents to Gotham criminals and trained Dick to become Robin. Eventually Dick outgrew the Robin persona and became Nightwing, working in a city near Gotham. Joining Dick in the spotlight of Black Mirror is Commissioner James "Jim" Gordon, who's no less a victim of Gotham's darkness than Dick. He and his first wife Barbara have a son named James, Jr., who left with Barbara when she and Jim divorced. Jim also has a niece named Barbara who came to live with him after her parents died. Barbara dated Dick in high school, and she became the first Batgirl. In Alan Moore's epic The Killing Joke, the Joker shoots Barbara in the stomach, paralyzing her. In a wheelchair, she's now the Oracle. She serves as the information hub for Batman, Robin and their allies. The Black Mirror introduces us for the first time to the adult James, Jr., who has returned to Gotham searching for a second chance. We learn from his suspicious father that James, Jr. is a clinical psychopath: he doesn't feel typical human emotion (yes, just like Dexter). But he comes claiming to be on a new medication that stimulates the brain to produce the chemicals psychopaths lack. He reveals that he's volunteering at Dr. Leslie Thompkins' free clinic. Jim Gordon is suspicious, distrustful. But he can't stop himself from being hopeful, too. Is it possible that his son has found peace and even redemption? Snyder keeps us guessing about James, Jr.'s true nature through the whole book. We feel the tension Jim Gordon feels, torn as he is between Oracle's pessimism and Dick's optimism. Barbara is convinced that James, Jr. is a monster who can and will never change, while Dick is hopeful. And so with this tension established, Snyder asks us a most basic question: can we be anything other than what we have been? We meet Sonja Branch, the estranged daughter of the mobster who killed Dick's parents. A wealthy, successful executive, Dick wonders to Jim Gordon if she's as upstanding as she seems. Dick muses that "it's nice to know that maybe, once in a blue moon, the apple does fall far from the tree in Gotham." The expression on Jim Gordon's face as he echoes, "Once in a blue moon," reveals that he's still wondering about James, Jr. An old case has led Jim to reflect on his son to wonder yet again what made him the way he is. To wonder what he could've done differently. He concludes that Gotham is fundamentally sick. He wonders to Dick: Do you ever feel like... like the more good you do or try to do for people out there, for strangers, the more the ones close to you, the ones you love, get hurt? ...I don't mean in general. I mean here. In Gotham... I'm talking about the damn bedrock. There are times I feel a dark heart down there, Dick. A dark, malformed heart. Since Alan Moore's The Killing Joke, the Batman mythology has suggested that Gotham's villains arise as a response to the Batman's presence. The Joker of Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns is comatose, awaking only when news breaks that the Batman has returned to Gotham. And Heath Ledger's Joker in The Dark Knight laughs that Batman thinks Joker wants him dead - the Batman completes Ledger's Joker. But Snyder dares to step beyond this to suggest that it's Gotham, the city itself that creates both the heroes and the monsters. Gotham created the Batman just as it created the Joker. Gotham created Robin by murdering Dick's parents. And now that Dick is the Batman, we learn that Gotham has been creating a new nightmare just for him. Dick's opposite, his dark mirror, isn't the Joker. That surprise comes when we finally meet the newly-escaped Clown Prince of Crime after Batman tracks him down. The Joker knows instantly, chastising Batman: Do you even know what Gotham means, little bird? ...It means a safe place for goats! And do you know what preys on goats? Bats. The bat makes the goat sick. But every bat does this in its own way. And you, you're not my bat! So what sickness has arisen as a response to Dick's new Batman? By the time we reach Snyder's gut-wrenching, perfectly, agonizingly timed reveal, we realize it could have been no one else but James, Jr. James, Jr. is a pure, true psychopath. He's reversed his medications - instead of stimulating the brain to produce more of the drugs that give us emotions, James, Jr.'s drug suppresses them. His master plan - an eerie successor to the Joker's inaugural caper - is to drug a factory in Gotham that manufactures infant formula. James, Jr.'s goal is to create a generation of psychopaths, to remake Gotham's children in his own image. He calmly explains as much to Dick as he tortures his cousin, Barbara: Gotham is a city of nightmares... in the truest sense because what's a nightmare if it isn't a warning? A vision of yourself at your weakest... Batman - the real one - he shapes Gotham out of an obsession... but you new crop, you do it out of compassion. Out of empathy. Out of weakness... And out of all of them, Dick, you're the weakest. [Gotham] is a city of nightmares, and I'm yours. I'm the face you see in the glass. A man with no conscience. No empathy. Gotham made me to challenge you... I am Gotham's son. And the city made me so I could help usher in a new generation of children. Dick proves that his compassion is more a weapon than a weakness, thwarting James, Jr. (probably). But Black Mirror leaves us with an unsettled, uneasy sense that this fight is darker and longer than we thought. We start to wonder if the Batman's quest is actually winnable, in the end. But Dick Grayson never wonders. That's what separates him from the James, Jrs. of the world. That's what separates him even from Bruce. This is a different Batman. Full of optimism. Playful - he makes jokes and teases his teammates. Dick's Batman is at once totally different from Bruce's and at the same time wholly Batman. Most importantly, Dick is hopeful. And it's ultimately that hope that lifts us up over even a surprisingly ambiguous ending. Dick said it perfectly early in the book: I couldn't understand why Bruce... always chose to drive through the streets, moving on the ground... when he could've just soared above it all. But I get it now. Because even back then he understood that Gotham is a place you can never get above, a place you can never see clearly... I can't help it, though. I'm built differently. Because there's something about seeing Gotham from the sky that energizes me, gives me hope, if only for a moment before I come back down to earth. Dick hopes that Gotham can be better. It's a hope that transcends anything even Bruce has. And it's that hope that draws him and those around him - like Jim and Barbara to fight the good fight. Bottom Line: Whether you're a long-time fan of the Batman or only know The Dark Knight, Snyder's book is a must read. The characters are amazing. The plot is fantastic. The art is breathtaking. From start to finish, The Black Mirror is a sterling example of the literary power of comics you'll want to read over and over again. *Since DC Comics has rebooted their entire franchise, none of this is the case anymore. Bruce is back to being the Batman and Dick Grayson has returned to his role as Nightwing.
    WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
    Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2011

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