Short Review: Batman: Streets of Gotham #1

Picked up a copy of Batman: Streets of Gotham #1 on Tuesday and in a surprising turn of events had actually read it that day. Much like my review of an issue of House of Mystery, here's my quick take on BSoG #1.

Rating 4 out of 5 stars.

Why four stars? Streets of Gotham opens right out of the gate with not only the main plotline but two subplots. Why is this significant? Because as far as I know, Paul Dini has rarely included subplots in his previous stories. Previous stories have been either done-in-one, two-parters, or trade fodder. Needless to say, I am excited. Another reason for my rating is that I like the disembodied feeling of the story. Its not just a Batman story. Its an ensemble piece with the streets of Gotham as its focus. The narrative changes between characters and scenes at a rapid pace. I also liked how Dini handles Firefly. Honestly, I am not too familiar with Firefly so this is a nice change of pace from the usual villains. Furthermore, Firefly comes across as a significant threat in this issue. Looking forward to reading how the crisis is resolved.

Now, this isn't just a Batman book. There is a co-feature starring Manhunter. The Manhunter co-feature meshes well with the street vibe of the main feature. I am looking forward to Kate Spencer being the DA of Gotham. Ought to be interesting in the long run as she, as Manhunter, takes a more final approach to criminals than Batman does. Overall, I have to say that this particular 10-page backup was worth the extra dollar.

The Bad: Like most comics these days, the art doesn't wow me. That's not say it isn't good. It just doesn't fit my tastes completely. Also, if you didn't read the Detective Comics RIP tie-in, collected as Heart of Hush, one thing may catch you off guard. I also think there may be some overlap with Gotham City Sirens in regards to Hush. So I'm hoping the reader doesn't have to read both titles in order understand things.