For only the 4th time since 1940, there is a new BATMAN #1 available.
Kicking off a bright, shiny new era for The Caped Crusader (specific words chosen for a reason) are writer Matt Fraction and artist Jorge Jiménez (who is no stranger to Batman).
Promised a new jumping-on point, we jump right into a sunny (but a storm’s coming) Gotham City, with GCPD beat cops (Officer Gordon being one of them) being startled by a Killer Croc on the run. High above the city is our Caped Crusader, ready for pursuit after talking to Croc’s doctor. Batman’s chase is intercut with local media, Police Commissioner Savage, the (new) Batmobile, and a takedown of bad guys in a park. All of this before grabbing some shock gloves (nod to ARKHAM ORIGINS?) in prep to subdue Croc…before choosing a different method. By issue’s end, our hero retreats to his cave before receiving an interesting call from an ally.
Matt Fraction is an accomplished writer and has praised Batman in the lead-up to this debut issue. Here, he delivers what was promised, in that we have a new jumping-on point. We get settled into this Gotham, this Batman, and this atmosphere. Batman does some detective work, which is always fun to see. I was slightly worried at the beginning of the issue, as Batman seemed a little too cold, dour, and pessimistic about Croc. By issue’s end, he’s nearly done a 180, which still seemed like quite a jump but also works. We’ll see in a few issues.
Jorge Jiménez is no stranger to this title, as he’s been dipping in and out for a few years now. He does great action, great scenes, and does everything big. Jiménez is sort of a blockbuster-type artist, you know? He excels at doing big scenes with a lot of energy, and I dig that.
My only hesitancies/nitpicks of this new era aren’t necessarily with the new team, but what’s carrying over from the previous one(s). Pennyworth Manor is garbage, and is like trying to make fetch happen. The location and name came at the very end of Chip Zdarsky’s run and was meant to be an homage to Alfred, but I felt it was cheesy, empty, and an incorrect solution to an ongoing problem (no Manor). Alfred’s absence also continues to be felt, and while I respect Fraction’s way of dealing with it here, I’m not completely satisfied. Savage, still as Police Commissioner, is whatever; I can take it or leave it.
A “shiny new era for the Caped Crusader.”
I used these specific words above because that’s what this book is. In addition, Fraction has even mentioned emphasizing “superhero” for this title. I believe this book isn’t going to be our dark, gritty Dark Knight, but a brighter, bigger take on the hero. Is that a bad thing? No, not necessarily. But it is noticeable, at least in this first issue, and we will see how this run plays out. I’ll judge a story that’s presented to me, not one that I’ve written in my head. But I believe Jiménez is a big, bright, blockbuster-type artist (and a damn good one), so this will be on my mind as we begin this new journey.
Overall, this was a fun #1, and obviously, I’m intrigued enough to continue following along. Despite a few minor nitpicks, a few positives, and a lot of impressive art gives me optimistic vibes for this new era of BATMAN. – Ryan Lower
GRADE: B
