Batman #1
Writer: Matt Fraction
Artitst: Jorge Jimenez
Colors: Tomeu Morey
Letters: Clayton Cowles
Story:
Some spoilers to follow for Batman #1
Mundy: Batman 1 is here! Lauded writer, Matt Fraction, has vowed to bring us more superhero-centric Bat-adventures, and I think we’re off to a decent start here. We open on a sunset in Gotham, with two beat cops (one being no-longer-Commissioner Jim Gordon) enjoying a quiet moment in the summer heat that’s soon interrupted by a monster smashing down into a meat truck for his evening meal!
Foggy: I agree- we are off to a great start. I really enjoyed this issue. There are series I have loved by Fraction, and others that baffle me- I’m looking at you AdventureMan. I’m happy to report that this Fraction, the one who brings interesting angles to characters is sitting firmly in the pilots seat. I am now excited to see what he has in store for Bruce. I haven’t read Batman for a while so I was not up to speed on why Gordon is no longer commissioner. Fraction shows us where the characters are through some clever dialog. I don’t feel like I’ve missed something. I know enough to enjoy the story without having to know decades of continuity.
Mundy: Page 3 gives us the “reveal” of Batman’s pretty new gray and blues, and sets up our first case: the escape of Killer Croc from Arkham Tower! Bats collects evidence as he gets more details from Dr. Zeller, a new arrival at Arkham. We may need to keep our eyes on the good doctor. She’ll either be a wonderful new ally for Bruce, or the other shoe will eventually drop. We’ve only just met her.
Foggy: I got that same feeling about the good doctor when she showed up to collect Croc. There was something about that image of her walking in with her staff behind her- it was slightly menacing. I would imagine if that’s the case, it will be part of a long game for Fraction. As for the suit, it looks fantastic! The book can be grim without his suit being entirely black. Visually, the aesthetic for the whole books look great.
Mundy: Another interesting device that’s already been leaked is the return of Alfred…as an AI, Jarvis-like entity. So far, I’m not loving how Fraction is handling him. He seems to only be there as someone for Bats to talk to out loud, but it’s only conversation, and not terribly useful. It feels like Bruce created it because he missed Alfred, but we all know Bruce has a utilitarian reason for almost everything. Time will tell.
Foggy: Not sure how intuitive Alfred will be, but I do think that Bruce relies on Alfred for advice. I don’t read a ton of Batman, but read a lot of Robin stories. Typically, Bruce relies on Alfred to deal with the kids as Alfred seems to understand family better than Bruce. Aaaaaaand, let’s be honest, it’s a pretty cool concept. (seems to coincide with Ironheart as well)
Mundy: After a quick head-busting side quest, Bats catches up with Croc. The resolution is actually quite touching, but ultimately feels like it’s just setting the table for later meals. There’s a super fun cliffhanger ending that will definitely bring me back for the next issue!
Foggy: I really liked this interaction with Croc and Batman. The fact that Bruce takes off the cowl and speaks to croc as Waylon personalizes the entire scene. There is a serious connection. Before Waylon is taken away he shows concern for Bruce, about fixing his head. I assume that Fraction will explore this more as the series goes. As for that cliffhanger, I’m in!
Art
Mundy: Let’s talk about Jorge Jiménez. He absolutely understood the assignment! His line work is clean and kinetic. His designs for the new suit(s), the Batmobile, Croc, and even Gotham, are divine. I can’t imagine anyone else I’d rather see handling the art duties at this point in time. (I do hope the new suit is explained at some point, but I digress.)
Foggy: Ditto! Jorge Jimenez is fantastic!!! His first full page with the new Batman suit is gorgeous- the birds eye view and composition is stunning. And, let’s not forget about Robin’s redesign here. Tim’s suit looks fresh and practical. We only got the one shot in the final panel, so I’m curious to see it in action in issue #2. My question here would be why Tim and not Damian. If his role is to be more of a detective, this makes total sense. Or perhaps it fits the theme that Fraction is going for. Damian has grown a lot since his introduction, but is still more violent and aggressive than Tim. Time will tell, but I’m in. He looks great and I love the character.
Mundy: Overall, I think Batman 1 does what any first issue of an established character’s new book should do. It introduces a new look, a new direction, a new “feel,” and sets the stage for what’s to come. I’m looking forward to the rest of this run, and I’m in for the long haul! Super solid 4.25/5!
Foggy: I absolutely loved this issue. It is an easy entry into this new run, there is heart, there is action, there are seeds and there is a great cliffhanger. I haven’t read a Batman solo book in a long time, but I will now. 4.75/5!
Finally, let’s talk about the Blind Bag Variants. I know a lot of people complained about this. “It is a gimmick.” “It hurts the local comic shop because they can’t upcharge a 1:500 or 1:1000 variant.” As a comics reader and collector, I love it. I certainly don’t want to hurt my local shop, but I enjoyed unwrapping my bag to see what I got. I didn’t get one of the big variants, but I did get the David Aja variant, 1:50. I wouldn’t want every comic’s release to be like this, but it’s fun every once in a while. Comics are a fun medium, let’s not over-think the fun here.
Come back next month, Mundy and I will follow up and let you know if Fraction and Jimenez continue to knock it out of the park.
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