Batman Eternal #33 Review

Batman Eternal is having a really good run as of late. The book is at its best when it’s less cluttered and less pressured to tie multiple plotlines together. Lately, all of the character development in previous issues (some of which I was convinced was going absolutely NOWHERE) is really paying off for a couple of key players.

Well, when we last left our hero, Hush had just slipped past Batman and revealed the next step in his grand plan to level Gotham: blowing it up using Batman’s secret bunkers filled with explosives. Because Batman wouldn’t be Batman if he didn’t have The Most Horrible Thing Imaginable ready to go just in case of The Most Horrible Thing Imaginable. It occurs to me that for a guy that always seems to have a plan for every occasion, he NEVER seems to have a plan for someone coming along and stealing his plans. You never really have to have a plan for beating Batman. You can just use one of his. It’s not like he’ll see it coming. Anyway, now, Batman and Julia Pennyworth have teamed up to try and beat Hush to the punch and neutralize the bunkers before Hush can blow Gotham all to Hell. Kyle Higgins is quarterbacking the scripting on this issue and does a really good job of balancing action and exposition.

Having a smaller cast to deal with this time around helps him really flesh out characters and make some that haven’t gotten their due feel a bit more fleshed out. Jason Fabok’s visuals have definitely stepped up a notch from last week. He seems to be improving each week. The action beats feel twice as crisp, the facial expressions feel even more definitive than before. This, mixed with the improvement in script pacing, makes this chapter in the series one of the best yet.

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Batman Superman #16 Review

Batman/Superman “The Nemesis Objective” has mind wiped itself of all the mind wipe hullabaloo that came before. We have a brand new arc that is a good jumping on spot for new readers, much like Justice League this month. Also, like Justice League, there is a new artist on board and I’m very excited about it. For all the newness in the title, Greg Pak is still at the helm and guiding this ship. While I don’t think this issue exemplified his finest writing moments, I’m certainly willing to follow especially if we can keep our new artist Ardian Syaf along.

The issue opens up with a set-up for something I found very momentous. What I’m talking about is the guys who dressed up as Batman and Superman to entertain those little kids in the hospital. I won’t ruin it, but it’s sad and that’s an emotion I rarely honestly have while reading comics. (Certainly most of us have been desensitized to the death of Martha and Thomas Wayne. Even though I know it’s sad, I don’t always feel it.) Superman, Supergirl, Steel and Krypto are saving some orca whales when suddenly something terrible happens.

Of course, Superman dons his glasses to do some investigative reporting. But as we all know, this is Batman/Superman and Clark just isn’t smart enough to figure things out on his own, so he goes to see the world’s greatest detective, Benedict Cumberbatch… I mean, Batman. After some moments at the hospital, they return to the Batcave where I believe some of the worst dialogue takes place.
Up until the cave I felt very strongly about this issue. It had heart, looked great, and was interesting. We get to the Batcave and Bruce just starts talking very strange. I’m not opposed to the root of what is said, but it’s presented to us -the readers- as it might have been presented to the editors at DC.

“Here’s an idea guys, what if Superman had to face a villain similar to one of Batman’s? What if, somehow, Bruce could use his intimate psychoanalysis of a certain nemesis that would come in handy when Superman has to deal with the same type of threat?” I felt like it was another case of telling us what was going on than showing us. The set-up with the volunteers was great to show a particular point: the villain is cruel and that guy was truly a hero. But there should have been hints at this too that would help the reader accept it and feel those tiny pieces of information fall into place. Instead, we get an opening transcript from Lois Lane about people feeling better. I’m all about what is revealed, but the process and way it was presented was lacking. That disappoints because I felt it had/has potential.


But not all the dialogue and flow of the story is off. There are sincere moments between Bruce and Clark that are written well. There is an element of danger that feels honest and not contrived. One page in particular really shows the potential for danger that is headed Superman’s way. I really want to see the next issue, so that is a plus for sure.

Recommended if:

• You want to see a Batman/Superman issue with good artwork again.
• You think there’s nothing better than the dualities between Batman and Superman.
• You’re looking to start this series. It’s a great place to pick it up.

Overall:
I am thrilled to see Syaf’s artwork. I like the overall direction this arc looks like it’s taking us. I feel like the last quarter of the book had more potential than was recognized, at least in the writing department, though the rest of the book made up for it. It’s a good first chapter in a new story arc. I’d recommend it.

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Batman Eternal #32 Review

Kyle Higgins and Jason Fabok have outdone themselves! This issue is officially in my top three best issues of Batman Eternal thus far, and I couldn’t be more pleased with it. We end up getting a massive number of resolutions to plot lines that were hanging out there and a fantastically explosive setup for the issues to come. While some may have felt that Eternal has been meandering about for a little bit, this story puts it firmly back on course and full steam ahead!

I’m not really sure how Mr. Higgins managed to pull this issue off. Usually when we have so many events occurring, things tend to get overcrowded and rushed. With this story, however, despite the large number of events that occur, I felt like the issue really spent it’s time establishing the scenes and atmosphere. There wasn’t anything superfluous about the included scenes, nor did I find myself wishing for anything more than I was given. Everything flowed well from one scene to another and every piece was necessary to the picture this story was painting. There were times that this felt extremely cinematic in nature. So much, that I could actually hear the kind of score in my head that would usually accompany scenes of these types.

Jason Fabok handles art for this story, and from the composition of his action scenes to the facial expressions and body language of his characters; from being able to highlight the quiet moments as well as the bombastic ones; for generally being all around competent in his ability to tell a story with visuals alone, Fabok shows a real mastery of his craft. His stuff has a similar beauty to it as the work of Jim Lee, but while Lee has a more stylistic comic look, Fabok takes it to a more realistic comic style. I love this shot of Batman standing in front of that fire. I wish that dialogue balloon wasn’t there. In my opinion it is not telling us anything relevant and is intruding in a beautiful panel.

Recommended if…

You want to see an awesome physical confrontation between Batman and Hush.
You find enjoyment in paced character moments that allow you to breathe in the scene.
Having stories show loose ends getting wrapped up is important for you.
You appreciate when scenes are aligned in an order that enhances them.

Overall:

This issue is officially in my top three best issues of Batman Eternal thus far. If you aren’t treating yourself to this issue, I can only assume that it is because you hate yourself, because there is nothing in the issue itself that would warrant you not buying it. This is the kind of comic I wish I could read every week. Action packed, emotional, and expertly paced. I tip my hat to you Higgins and Fabok. You have shown a real mastery of your crafts in this issue.

Get full review from Batman News here

Batman #36 Review

It would have been a reasonable guess to assume that "Batman" #36 is more of Batman fighting the Justice League. Instead, Snyder lets it play out to an appropriate conclusion, before using that entire battle as a launching point for what's next. In other words, it's just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, little more than a lure for something bigger and more dangerous. And when you consider that the lure is the entire Justice League contaminated with the Joker's toxin, well you know that Snyder is planning something big.

At the same time, don't think that Snyder is simply brushing off the first big battle of the issue, as Batman tries to take down Superman. Snyder plays off the whole idea of Batman being forever prepared with great effect; Batman's well-armed for such a possibility, even as he realizes that there was one thing that he failed to account for that makes the battle less sure than first assumed. It's fun to see the crazy ideas that Snyder lets Batman dream up here, the ultimate extension of having every resource at your fingertips to come up with larger-than-life weapons for a larger-than-life foe.

What I probably appreciate the most in "Batman" #36 is the long-term planning of this story. Seeds planted much earlier finally come to fruition, and while the clues are in some ways a little obscure to have truly picked up on them, it's still fun to see how Snyder's been waiting for this moment for quite some time. As the issue screeches towards a conclusion and all of the pieces fall into place, Snyder and Capullo have created a genuinely tense closing scene; it feels eerie and awful in a way that the mentally-altered Superman just can't compare. This is the moment where everything has come to a head, and not in a good way for Batman.

The only part of "Batman" #36 that doesn't feel completely on point is the backup feature. It's great to see Graham Nolan drawing a story in Gotham again -- I have fond memories of his "Detective Comics" run back in the '90s -- and his stripped down, cleaner art style is always welcome. James Tynion IV's story never quite comes together for me, though; maybe when the next installment shows up it will feel a bit more focused.

"Batman" #36 is a fun comic, and those who enjoyed the first chapter of "Endgame" will find a lot to like in the second. It's easy to see why DC Comics was trying to keep a lid on the contents of this issue prior to release; it's an excellent comic, and Snyder and Capullo's reveals are best left unspoiled. That said, even if you know what's coming, it's still a strong and well-composed comic. This is more than just surprises lurking in the corner, and that's the sign of strong craft. Wherever "Batman" goes next month, I'll be ready and waiting.

Get full review from Comic Book Resources here

DC Comics Essentials: Batman Year One Review

Batman’s 75th anniversary celebration continues with another promotionally priced special presenting one of the Dark Knight’s greatest tales plus related pages from the 2014 DCE Essential Graphic Novels catalogue! This special kicks off the acclaimed, best-selling tale of Bruce Wayne’s first year as the Dark Knight.

Batman Eternal #31 Review

For me, one of the most enjoyable aspects of Eternal has been all the crazy team-ups.  Eternal seems to have a knack for placing characters together that we have never seen teamed-up before and then creating engaging scenarios through the juxtaposition of those characters.  The Alfred/Bane pairing is one I have been looking forward to since September, after seeing it in a solicitation, and it doesn’t disappoint.

The book is split up pretty evenly, devoting an equal amount of time to the exploits of both Alfred and Batman with a dash of Spoiler thrown in for setup.  While the Bane and Alfred back and forths are great and the resolution to their time spent together is very satisfying, the book suffers from a heavy dose of convoluted conveniences and confusion, but more about that later.  Batman also had some great moments in which he effortlessly takes out 4 Arkham inmates. When it comes to physical confrontations, this story illustrates that psychosis is all that most of Batman’s enemies have going for themselves. Looking at Batman handle the situation, it is obvious that the true threat most of his villains pose is in their schemes, and that Batman has to spend a lot more time and effort locating them and figuring out what they are up to than in actually beating them.

Even though the Batman and Alfred scenes are indeed amazing, they could not offset the drawbacks of this story.  There are downsides to this issue, and they all revolve around conveniences or things happening without appropriate explanation.  Alfred overcomes the fear toxin.  Was it overcome by force of will? or perhaps because the reality of the situation he was thrust into was scarier than any hallucination he might generate?  Take your pick because it’s never really explained and I came to those on my own.  (And I liked them better than thinking it was because the writers just needed him to get over it in order to continue the story.)

Next, Batman had a feeling that something was up with Alfred, requiring Julia to check up on him which in turn added emotional weight to her scenes.  Along with being stressed out over doing all this computer stuff under pressure she is now forced to deal with the uncertainty of Alfred’s fate.  While it does add poignancy to her scenes, the way it is introduced is once again unexplained and fit in just right for the sack of the story.  This is the third or fourth time I have brought this up, and I get that Batman is smarter than us, but could we PLEASE have some insight into his train of thought.  I want to marvel at his intellect, not be left in the dark.

At this point, it is starting to feel more like a crutch that the writers are using to get away with doing stuff that makes no sense.  It just seems to me that the writers aren’t bothering to come up with/work out logical deductions for Batman to use to come to these conclusions.  That is why they aren’t sharing them with us, because they don’t exist.  Part of the fun of Batman is seeing him put the pieces together, and us realizing that they were always there and that we just missed them.  This hasn’t been happening in Eternal.

Another example of convenience/no explanation is when we see Spoiler fleeing the area of a giant explosion.  My first thought was: all the bounty hunters are still after her, but then it turn out to be the police.  Since when were the police chasing her?  Are they chasing her from when she broke into that prison that was holding her father?  Or are these the cops that work for Hush, helping him coral her into his trap?  Much like the Alfred toxin thing, you can generate your own story with the information given to you, but I’d really rather read the story that the writers intended and not the one I had to make up on my own because the story presented is not concise enough to provide me with some kind of cohesion.

Recommended if…

Seeing Alfred own everybody in his path makes you happy.
Seeing Batman own everybody in his path makes you happy.
You’re willing to overlook some logical inconsistencies.

Overall:

Alfred is great as always and the action set pieces staring him and Batman are a ton of fun, but the leaps in logic and the plentiful amount of conveniences was just too much for this fan to overlook.  If you’re just looking to sit back and be entertained I’m sure you’ll get a lot more fun out of this book than I did, but for those of you who want a little more cohesion in your stories, you’ll probably feel similarly to me. The good still overweights the bad, making that book better than average.

SCORE: 5.5

Get full review from Batman News here

Batman Eternal #30 Review

Ray Fawkes presents what definitely feels like what the first chapter after a turning point should feel like. The previous issue set things up in a less-than-perfect way, but this issue completely redeems itself with exciting storytelling, dramatic dialogue, and dynamic artwork. While there are a few hiccups in the visual storytelling and an all-too-brief appearance of a fan-favorite superhero, issue #30 of Batman Eternal easily replenishes some of the steam that has been lost in this series of late.

Batman Eternal is a series that strives to do too much on a weekly basis. Not only are they tackling a great deal of characters, but they are also attempting to capture the different corners of the Gotham “universe.” While this isn’t always successful, the weekly format does allow fans to quickly gloss over the failures of this series in favor of stand-out issues like this one that features high-octane action, moments of emotional drama, and exciting surprises. This issue finally gives us some payoff of the magic-based portions of Eternal. The consequences of this storyline are bigger than anyone could have expected and there is already fallout that has come of it in the form of the new Arkham Manor series. We also finally get to see a huge, cosmic-level hero make his Eternal debut and while what we get is great, it’s unfortunately short-lived.


Get the full review from IGN here

Batman Eternal #29 Review

In my opinion, the Arkham issues are the red headed stepchild of Batman Eternal, and I wish I could kick his teeth in…  I usually try and find something positive to discuss, even in issues that I don’t appreciate as much, and I can usually put my personal feelings aside and review strictly from a technical aspect.  Sometimes I tackle my review by sharing, not necessarily what happened in a given story, but by how it made me feel or the related thoughts it generated.  Today is not one of those occasions.  This issue is not deserving of an in depth analysis; it deserves a synopsis…at best.  The rest of this “review” is nothing but spoilers so don’t read anymore if you want to go into the issue spoiler free.

I love how smart Batman is! I love seeing him do the detective work and whenever they show that I’m always super ecstatic about how he deduces stuff from clues. In this issue: I FELT CHEATED!  Even Julia thinks it is a rather peculiar jump in logic to make and says as much.  If Batman really has any reason for making this kind of deduction it would have been nice if he would have explained it to Julia who was questioning him so that we would have been able to understand it in the process, and if he’s just guessing… well, this is just cheap!

Blackfire:  Most of his dialogue ends up being meaningless mystical rant stuff.  At one point he tells Corrigan to hush, and I suppose that was to tip him off about Hush’s involvement, but after that goofy bit from a previous issue where the tower vibrated Hussshhhhhh, which clued Batman on to Hush’s involvement, I wasn’t looking forward to getting another little cutsie way of informing us of the involvement of a villain we already knew was involved!  When the writer keeps the audience in the dark and then we discover what is going on, along with the characters, it is genuinely shocking, but this is like the third time we have had characters stumble upon shocking information that we already knew about.  It just reads as very hollow.

This is, hands down, the worst issue of Eternal in my opinion.  Believe me, I take no pleasure in saying it either!  I wish I could give glowing reviews for everything.  I want to read good stories, but if they aren’t putting out worthwhile material, I’m not going to lie about it.

Get the full review from Batman News here