Batman #5

It's rare for a creative team to manage a new way to play with the comics medium - and to their credit, that's just what they've done with this issue of Batman.

Writer Scott Snyder and artists Greg Capullo and Jonathan Glapion continue to build a new mythology in Gotham City around a organization known as the Council of Owls. The implication is that the group has been operating secretly in Gotham practically since it became a town, and they have many secrets.

One of them is a vast underground maze where Batman has been wandering for days. Is it real, is he dreaming or drugged? We don't know, but it's shocking to see the World's Most Dangerous Man struggling to survive.

This is more like a horror story than a superhero comic, and isn't recommended for young readers.

The art is terrific, with Capullo doing some amazing, clever things to tell this nightmarish story.

I don't want to say too much or give anything away, because it's a terrific comic - one of the best since the "New 52" started.

We're a long way from the "Best of 2012" list being compiled, but I confidently predict this comic will be on it.

Highly recommended!

Grade: A

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