Oh, thank heavens. Scott Snyder is writing Batman again. After his run on Batman ended I was left adrift on what American comic books could fill the void left by one of the greatest, if not the greatest run on a Batman comic book that there has ever been. Snyder and Capullo’s run on Batman was so good, it literally made me lose interest in almost every other book on the shelf because they simply could not match the quality Snyder and Capullo were putting out.
And while Snyder has returned to write a character he has proven to hold a deep understanding of, Capullo has unfortunately not returned with him. I suppose I will just have to accept John Romita Jr.– one of the most respected and desired comic book artists out there– as a consolation prize. Suffice it to say the art is good.
This first books jumps right into the action. Batman is taking Two-Face somewhere that might potentially rid Harvey Dent of his dangerous alter ego. Unfortunately, Two-Face has put out the word that whoever stops Batman will be paid an enormous reward, prompting both villains and civilians to try and kill Batman as he tries to get Two-Face to his destination. It’s been fun so far, but Snyder hints at some reveals that will affect the history of Batman and his relationship with Alfred.
Personally, I am excited to see Snyder take on the character of Two-Face. Besides Joker, Two-Face is arguably Batman’s most dangerous villain and I am eager to see Snyder’s insight into the Batman universe applied to this character.
In addition to the Two-Face story, there is also a side story involving Batman’s new ally, Duke. He is undoubtedly not Robin, and the story goes into figuring out what kind of hero he will be. It was a surprisingly compelling side story and I’m eager to see more of Duke and Zsasz.
Score: 7.1/10 A fun, action packed start to a promising Batman story.
Muse Bank 