BATMAN ANNUAL 2022 #1 Review

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If you’ve been keeping up with the BATMAN title, you’ll know a few issues ago that Ghost-Maker is now the leader of Batman, Inc. What we don’t know is how he got to that position.

Well, the BATMAN ANNUAL provides the answers.

It’s no secret I am not a fan of the character, and feel like he continually is forced upon us readers. If you enjoy him, I’m happy for you. I just can’t jump aboard the Ghost train.

Here, Batman brings the character to a Batman, Inc. meetup and just lays it out on them that he’s in charge. There’s some character drama, character fighting, and a tease of what’s to come in a future comic.

Max Shreck said it best: YAWN.

Bias aside, I just wasn’t entertained by this issue in the least. I’m not a hater of Batman, Inc. I enjoyed their inclusion in the recent arc from the title. But I don’t care enough to follow a book that doesn’t include Bruce Wayne himself. Then to throw in a character I don’t like as the face of the book? No thanks.

The interior art of the book from John Timms is pretty good. His character designs for Inc. are cool. The action is clear. The colors pop. No complaint about the art.

If Ghost-Maker and Batman, Inc. are your thing, then BATMAN ANNUAL is for you.

For me, he isn’t and they aren’t (without Bruce Wayne), and this is a big setup for a book I’m not interested in.

Pass. – Ryan Lower

GRADE: C

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Ryan Lower
Representing the Midwest, Ryan has been a BOF fan since 2003, and started contributing to the site in 2017. He is the host of “The Batman Book Club” podcast. Ryan has written reviews for comics, animated movies and TV series. He has also appeared on BOF podcasts and Social Hours for Batman discussions, reviews, and interviews. Thanks to BOF, he was able to meet and have a one-on-one discussion with his favorite artist, Lee Bermejo. Follow him on Twitter @lower_ryan.