In an effort to make its stories more accessible to new
readers, DC recently launched The New 52, cancelling all of its existing titles
and starting 52 new series with revamped and rebooted versions of its major
characters. But how will the New 52 affect the DC universe? Will new readers
actually be attracted? Will old fans still be interested? Will the new titles
be fresh and new, or disappointing and unfaithful to the original continuity?
After buying and reading all but a few of the 52 new #1s that DC released over
the course of a month, I have set out to review some of the major ones and let
potential readers know which new titles are and are not worth reading. So,
without further ado…
Batman #1
Writer: Scott Snyder
Penciler: Greg Capullo
Review by Samuel N. Harris
Batman is probably DC’s most popular character these
days, and the source of most of their current success. Fans and readers love
seeing the Dark Knight using his resources and his fists to fight against the
forces of injustice and evil in Gotham City. Since the Batman franchise was
doing so well already, it’s not surprising that this reboot doesn’t seem to
have affected him much. He’s still billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne by day and a
dark crusader of justice by night. His continuity has remained the same in that
he still has strong trusting relationships in this issue with former sidekicks
Dick Grayson and Tim Drake, and with the current Robin, his son Damian Wayne. And
his stories still carry enough action, suspense, and mystery to keep a reader
entertained. Batman #1 is a great
issue that hardly seems rebooted at all, because it’s just another chapter in
the life of a Batman I'm already familiar with.
This comic opens up with a scene of Batman at Arkham
Asylum, trying to contain a break-out. We get an enjoyable, action-packed fight
as Batman goes up against familiar faces such as the Riddler, Two-Face, the
Scarecrow, Mr. Freeze, Killer Croc, and some more obscure characters. The story
is fun to read and contains a few interesting surprises along the way.
This issue sees Batman, as usual, exchanging help and
information with his trusted ally on the Gotham Police Force, Commissioner Jim
Gordon. Later, we see Bruce and the boys (Dick, Tim, and Damian…and Bruce’s
butler Alfred) at a fancy party where Bruce announces a new set of renovations
for Gotham City that he plans to fund with his company. Reporter Vicki Vale is
also present and gets in a few words with Bruce about his plans. At the end of
the issue, as Batman again, he goes with Detective Harvey Bullock to
investigate yet another violent and mysterious murder. In short, the familiar
cast of characters and recurring crises are all there to help make this issue
great.
At the end of the comic, Batman is called upon to
investigate a murder victim, and he discovers a mysterious hidden threat
against the life of Bruce Wayne, right before the issue ends with a surprise
revelation and a cliffhanger. I won’t reveal the details of the revelation at
the end, but I will say that it left me wanting to find out what would happen
next. It also seems to tie into information that was revealed in Nightwing #1, so it would appear that some sort
of big plot is forming among multiple Bat-titles, and it’s nice to see some
continuity among the titles of the new DC universe.
Some readers may also be pleased to know that this
particular issue contains less violent or disturbing content than other Batman
titles might. I cautioned readers about the content in my review of Detective Comics #1, also featuring Batman, but this issue is
not nearly as extreme as that one. The depraved, psychopathic Joker is (technically)
not in this issue, and we don’t see any villains torturing victims this time
around. The worst of it is one single image of the murder victim at the end,
whose body has been stripped almost bare and stabbed full of knives. If you can handle that, then this issue shouldn't present many problems to you as far as moral or objectionable content.
Overall, there is not a lot for me to say about this
issue—not because it lacks anything, but, quite the opposite, because it has
everything it should. It’s a good comic and so there is not much for me to
criticize. The story is enjoyable, the characters are as they should be, the
art is pleasing to look at, and I look forward to reading more.
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