Posted September 22, 2011 by Norby Ela in Comics

COMIC BOOK REVIEW: Batman #1

Norby’s Take:

For the past reviews, I’ve been raving up about Scott Snyder and his flawless runs and works in the DC/Vertigo lines. His first taste in the Batman franchise was Detective Comics with Jock and Francis Francavilla. His arcs with Dick Grayson playing as the dark knight in the city of Gotham. They delivered top caliber work that could be put in the same mantle of great Batman stories, like The Killing Joke, The Man Who Laughs, Death In THe Family and many more. Of all The New 52 books the DC Comics roster, this is the title that I really want get my hands on. After reading it, it was a homerun.

Scott Snyder depicted the darkness and mystery of Gotham City and played Bruce Wayne as the saviour of it. He gave Bruce new goodies of techs and gadgets. It gave me an impression: Snyder’s Bruce Wayne reminded me Fraction’s Tony Stark in Invincible Iron Man. Comparing from today’s Detective Comics & Batman and Robin are quite different apart from each other. Away from being emo and philosphical, Snyder approached the character in a more held back kind of way, intellectual and reserved. The last few pages for the set up of the cliffhanger was good as good as the cliffhanger of Tony Daniel’s Detective Comics. This issue is a good build up for a great story in the next future issues as the plot thickens.

Another big factor on why I’m getting this title is Greg Capullo. He did a stellar job in this issue. Panels, angles and lines were executed splendidly. Capullo’s style of gore and is so perfect for this book. His Commissioner Gordon and Harvey Bullock reminded me his favorite characters to draw when he was still penciling in Spawn – Sam & Twitch. I only wished Danny Miki could’ve inked this.

Batman #1 is a Batman issue. A Bruce Wayne focused issue. This book overlapped my expectations. Greg Capullo and Scott Snyder is just a perfect combination for me. And as long as both talents are together, I’ll never drop book.

Earl’s Take:

Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s first team up is one we all should consider as a “success” in all senses. The art to the dialogue and everything in between captures the modern Batman in every aspect. One thing that fans seem to notice though is that this new iteration of Bruce Wayne reads a bit more like Tony Stark from Marvel. Whether that would be a good thing or a bad thing we’ll all have to see in the near future.

Scott Snyder (American Vampire) knows how to tell his stories. The monologue that Batman does at the very start was very appealing even for new readers but still retains a sense of mystery. The surprise twist at the end of the new Batman volume was also pretty clever. In my opinion, this has got to be one of the bigger bat-stories I’ve encountered in recent years.

Greg Capullo’s artwork can be described as pretty strong. Some panels might look a bit cartoonish but this master artist still knows how to draw men in capes. The panel all work well here and even if you go and read the story without the dialogue, it would still be understandable enough even for new readers.

Much like Peter Tomasi’s Batman and Robin # 1, Batman # 1 is definitely enjoyable. It has ties to the old DCU while at the same time makes a statement that this is a brave new world with tougher problems and smarter opponents. The visceral violence in this book has also been toned down significantly unlike Tony S. Daniel’s Detective Comic book that (IMO) read like a fan-fiction crossbreed between “Saw” and the “Batman” franchise. It was in more ways than one akin to “CSI” with enough gory scenes to actually move the story across but still left some decency for the younger readers who will be picking up the title.

Overall, the book is nothing short of stellar. Great art, great storytelling and a plot that will dropkick readers.

Verdict: EXCELLENT

Comic books used for this review was provided by: