Batman is the fifth Bat-related book I've reviewed since the "New 52" started, and the good news is, it's the best of the bunch.(Here are the reviews of Detective Comics, Batgirl, Batwoman and Batman and Robin.)
The bad news is, like the other Batman books, this one has a graphic image of a character who was killed. Which is a shame, because it's the only black mark on an enjoyable issue.
It starts out with a heck of an action sequence, which gives artists Greg Capullo and Jonathan Glapion lots of opportunity to shine - and it continues through the rest of the issue. They do stunning work here, including an amazing panorama of the Batcave.
I'm also impressed with the story by Scott Snyder. It's a good jumping-on point for new readers, as it introduces the title character, his supporting cast (including three of four Robins), a few sub-plots and a cracker of a mystery.
The only disappointment is one page of gore - again, is Batman supposed to be a horror comic now?
But this is a strong foundation to build on, and of the Bat-books I've seen, this is the one you don't want to miss.
Grade: A-
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5 comments:
Is it only me or are all DC "New 52" books full of gore?
Is this what sells these days?
....
-sigh-
Eyz, It's not just you.
Chuck, I have been totally dismayed by the issues I've purchased. Other than Justice League #1, the level of violence is far beyond what I expected from mainstream comics like these.
Len, I've been surprised as well - and I just read the new Wonder Woman, and it's the goriest yet.
Interesting that they've "merged" the Vertigo line with DC and Wildstorm, because it looks like Vertigo is "winning." Do they really want young readers seeing this kind of graphic violence, or am I just way behind the times?
I will add that I do like the attention given to Bruce Wayne in this issue. Again, with my old school way of thinking, Bruce Wayne was who he was, and Batman was his alter ego. Somewhere along the line, it changed.
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