Batman #1 review

Summer in Gotham City. Beat cops Gordon and Espinoza are having a coffee in the baking heat when events get a jump on them.

It’s longtime Gotham resident Killer Croc, apparently in need of a snack. His doctor calls Batman to Arkham where they chat about his recent moods.

Following Croc’s lead by leaping out of the tower, but in a more controlled manner – hello Bat-Wing gliding suit – Batman swaps to his Batmobile, whose latest add-on is an AI Alfred.

Before catching up with Croc, Batman stops to save two young joggers from a scissor-happy gang going by ‘The Creeps’.

After saving the day, Batman notices an exotic butterfly a long way from where you’d expect to find it in Gotham – the vivarium at the Natural History Museum. Something has disturbed it…

And soon, at the museum – where Batman was probably already heading, having had that hunch…

A word from AI-lfred has Batman think again as to whether a person can change. He puts down his new electric gauntlets, and, as Croc calms down, pulls down his mask.

Now that surprised me. OK, Batman presumably has some gimmick to block the CCTV, but we saw a cop and his charges hovering, and anyone could pop in at any moment. As someone does. And why would taking the mask off make any difference? Yes, people can change, but the doctor told Batman that Croc had been mutating, he’s unstable. And he’s always been on a short fuse at the best of times.

Croc rambles on, but I couldn’t decipher his dialogue enough to work out if it’s random nonsense or he’s trying to tell Batman who’s been mutating him – he witters on about a ‘head’. Maybe the head of Arkham Tower? There’s a panel in which artist Jorge Jiménez seems to be positioning Dr Zeller as head of a gang of thugs. Also, Arkham doctors are always dodgy.

This issue ends on not so much a cliffhanger as a lead-in to next issue’s story; writer Matt Fraction says he’s planning a series of single issue tales. This opener efficiently lays out Batman’s current status quo – he’s still living in a mansion in Gotham, he’s on the outs with the police, Jim Gordon is the oldest street cop in the US, he has a few new gimmicks, and Alfred is still dead.

That’s the only thing that bothers me. Alfred was killed for shock value something like five years ago, but every time I’ve checked in with the series since then Alfred has been a presence, constantly remembered by cast members. As would be the case in real life. But this isn’t real life, it’s comics! You don’t need an AI-Alfred to talk to, you can just bring him back to life. Nobody likes a dead Alfred.

I’m a little torn about the likes of the flight suit and lightning gloves. On the one hand, it seems to make things a little too easy for Batman; on the other, from his beginnings in the Golden Age Batman had his gadgets… Bat-Gyro to Batplane to Whirlybats, and so on. It’s just that seeing Batman soar with no apparent means of support looks like a step too far.

One thing carried over from the last Batman run, which began in 2016, is classic supervillain Vandal Savage as Gotham police commissioner. I just do not get how this was a thing, and why it’s being continued.

I suppose an immortal like Vandal needs new interests, but isn’t he a known DC Universe villain? At the very least the superheroes might be expected to remove him. And Jim Gordon must be well past retirement age, is Vandal letting him go back to uniform in the hope he’ll quietly expire one day?

This is a first issue, Fraction has total licence to alter the status quo to his tastes, so it must be that he likes Commissioner Caveman, and thinks an AI-lfred is cool. I do suspect he’s taking Batman back to Wayne Manor, given that apparent moment of melancholy he has while sitting down with Killer Croc.

None of which is to say I didn’t enjoy Fraction’s script, which is typically well-crafted, with sharp dialogue. The only thing that disappoints is that there’s no real fight with Croc, after an impressive splash panel showing the Caped Crusader activating the gauntlets, their electric charge just peters out.

It’s also unclear just how the parked Batmobile is meant to protect the joggers as Batman continues his quest for Croc.

Is a force field being thrown around them?

I wonder if Fraction is relying a little too much on artist Jiménez to get the story points across. Jiménez is a terrific storyteller, but sometimes you just need a few words.

Jiménez is great with the superhero action, but I enjoy his city streets and skyscapes even more, with the earthy tones of Tomeu Morey adding extra life.

AI-lfred is great too, while Bruce looks stunning stripped down to his Batsuit basics.

So, how about the new Batsuit? I like it better inside the comic, as coloured by Morey, than I do on the cover, presumably toned by Jiménez; the cover image is certainly striking, but the lightness of the blues screams not ‘Batman’ but ‘Nightwing’. As for the fresh logo, it has impact, with the very blocky letters evoking city streets, but I’d prefer something fitting the bat-shape more organically. Still, it’s heaps better than the last masthead.

The lettering from Clayton Cowles is splendid, never over the top, with nice subtle touches such as a slightly lighter font shade for AI-lfred.

This debut issue was good enough to pretty much guarantee I’ll be buying next issue. Well, that and the final page…