There's a New Batman in Town

I'm sucker a big new publishing initiatives. Take DC You for example. Not only did I sample many of the new titles; but I gave older titles a try as well. Alas, I have not kept up with them much at all. Since DC decided to make September 26th, Batman Day, in addition to watching some episodes of the old Adam West show, I finally read Batman 41, Batman 42, and Detective Comics 41. Yeah, I am a tad late; but I have much better feel for the new Batman.


Jim Gordon as Batman appeals to me. Hope DC maintains the new status quo for a couple years at least. One thing that struck me after watching those old Adam West episodes of the old television series then following them with the initial issues of Gordon Batman is how much of mirror of the West-era Batman the new Batman is. Like Batman '66, the new Batman is a legalized deputy who works alongside the law and is a public figure. The enemies are big and colorful facing off against a Batman that is big and colorful in a manner of speaking. There's even a role reversal of which I'll spoil among the reviews below. Since all three issues came out two to three months ago, I am not as hesitant to include spoilers as I usually am.


Detective Comics 41
When I first saw the cover, it did not grab me at all. Upon closer inspection, I loved the faint detail of a map of Gotham in the background. Detective Comics 41 is a first issue of sorts albeit with one following forty previous issues. Harvey Bullock is the primary point-of-view character as a flashback tells the story of how Renee Montoya recruits him to join the Batman Task Force. In between the flashbacks, the story tells of a confrontation between Robo-Bat and a heavily-armed street gang. The issue ends on a pair of cliffhangers as the Task Force joins the fray and in the flashback Bullock finds out Gordon is new Batman, while we find out that his partner may very well not be on the side of the angels.
The Verdict: This is probably closest to a Gotham comic and a Gotham-starring an actual Batman that we'll get for the foreseeable future. I give this initial issue 3.5 out of 5 stars. A solid beginning.


Batman 41
Bigger Batman. Bigger villains. Batman 41 kicks off on a high note. Not only does the new Batman face his first major villain - someone whom can project an avatar composed of energy- but there's a flashback showing the process that led to Jim Gordon deciding to become the new Batman. Loved the fact that Gordon made the wisecrack of how the suit looks like a giant bunny. Cause it does. Capullo and Miki do a solid job on art. As I stated when I reviewed the FCBD comic, I loved their work on Spawn. They do not disappoint. The issue ends with twin revelations. One, there's actually two Bat-suits. One is the armor. Meanwhile the other suit is a more traditional Bat-suit. The second revelation is that Bruce Wayne is still alive. Okay, that's should not surprise anyone. However, I am glad DC is admitting that right away.
Verdict: I wish had actually placed this title on pull instead of buying it off the rack. Snyder/Capullo/Miki deserve all the hype. Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars.


Batman 42
Reading this issue reminds me how I sometimes miss the days when I did not read the monthly solicitations. The Mr. Bloom mystery/storyline officially starts here and being in the 'dark' would have been a treat. Should be interesting to discover how Mr. Bloom relates to Jim Gordon as the mystery as to who is bestowing powers (with a fatal fail-safe) upon Gordon's former collars. Gordon demonstrating is knowledge of both the city and its criminals based on his years of experience is a nice touch. We learn one of his new associates had prior experience with the old Batman. Since I have not read much of the current Batman comics, it ought to be interesting what that connection was. Batman 42 introduces one of many Batmobiles of which the one that makes its appearance is a Bat-Truck. More like Bat-Semi... Anyway Jim Gordon learns an important lesson that his perception of how he should be Batman and what it means to be Bat-man may differ as he confronts a super-powered individual who can manipulate anything containing silicate. Can we say Bat-Golem? Oh yeah, the issue ends with Gordon meeting with Bruce Wayne. Yep, this is the suspected role reversal that I mentioned earlier.
Verdict: Another excellent issue. Only a slight downgrade from the previous issue. Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.