Batman Kings of Fear #1 Review

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Arkham Asylum, Batman, Batman Kings of Fear, Batman Kings of Fear #1, Batman Kings of Fear #1 review, Batmobile, comics, DC Comics, Kelly Jones, Michelle Madsen, NCBD, Scarecrow, Scott Peterson, The Dark Knight, The Joker

Batman Kings of Fear #1

Review by Paul Bowler

Renowned artist Kelly Jones returns to the Dark Knight’s world with Batman Kings of Fear #1, the first issue in DC Comics stunning new miniseries written by former Batman editor Scott Peterson. Batman has been watching over Gotham City for many, many years, but now the Dark Knight is beginning to question the effectiveness of his relentless war on crime. Plagued by self doubt, insecurities, and personal fears that threaten to overwhelm him Batman must now face Scarecrow as he unleashes chaos in Arkham Asylum! This blockbusting new six-issue miniseries has Batman confronting the darkest challenge of his crime fighting career and portrays Scarecrow in a terrifying new way that’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.

Batman Kings of Fear #1 kicks off in a fittingly macabre fashion as Batman takes on the Joker and stops another of his maniacal schemes. Kelly Jones striking visuals and Scott Peterson’s intense storytelling quickly immerses us in the warped schism that Batman and the Joker seem perpetually condemned to play out. Scott Peterson weaves some especially insightful and haunting dialogue into their journey to Arkham Asylum – so much so that the Clown Prince of Crime even seems to jangle the Dark Knight’s nerves at one point. Once inside Arkham the dark humour, a snarky Doctor, and the ensuing breakout of mayhem all collude to ramp up the ominous air of brooding menace that’s been closing in on Batman right from the outset.

Kelly Jones illustrated some of the most acclaimed Batman comics imagery during the 1990’s, including the brilliant Batman & Dracula trilogy – which kicked off with Red Rain back in 1991 – and many of the covers for the acclaimed Knightfall storyline where Bane broke the Bat. Esteemed writer Scott Peterson also worked as an editor on the Batman books during Knightfall and many other pivotal Bat-stories from the 90’s. Its great to see Jones and Peterson working together again like this on Batman Kings of Fear, and their shared creative vision for the Dark Knight shines through just as vividly now as when they originally worked together on the Batman books in the 90‘s. The story in Batman Kings of Fear is not connected to DC Comics current Batman storylines, but is instead set after Bruce has been the Dark Knight for many years – giving the creative team the scope to explore the core facets of the character in new and dynamically exciting ways.

Artist Kelly Jones brings all the hallmarks of his distinctly dark, horror-tinged gothic style to Batman Kings of Fear, and then some! I’ve always been a huge fan of Kelly Jones artwork, especially Jones’ portrayal of Batman as a constantly shifting shape that always seamlessly blends in with the shadows. One of the major highlights in this issue is a face-off with some of the darkest members of Batman Rogues Galley – a truly jaw dropping sequence that places you right in the heart of Batman‘s nightmarish predicament. Another nice touch with Batman Kings of Fear is that it features the Dark Knight in his classic costume – yellow oval and all! I love how Kelly Jones always renders Batman’s billowing cape in a way that gives him an almost supernatural visage, effectively making the cape and cowl as equally a distinct character in its own right. It is this, together with Michelle Madsen’s gloriously sombre color pallet that perfectly encapsulates the raw, terrifying, almost primal presence that makes Batman so uniquely special and intimidating.

The greatest threat though comes from the Scarecrow’s terrifying plot against him. Jones and Peterson’s darkly compelling story is made even more striking by having Scarecrow as the major villain of the piece, and this creative team certainly don’t look like they will shy away from brining the most frightening aspects of this creepy iconic character from Batman’s rogues gallery to the fore either.

Batman Kings of Fear #1 hurtles along at a cracking pace, the eerie atmosphere is brilliantly offsets by the spectacular visuals, and the chilling cliff-hanger rounds off this start of this superb miniseries in fine style. Kelly Jones and Scott Peterson have certainly crafted a brilliant premise here, with Scarecrow seeking to make the Dark Knight face his greatest fear, and I’ve no doubt the creative team will continue to weave their dark magic as this story unfolds. If you like your Batman classic, unburdened by recent continuity, and laced with overtones of gothic horror then Batman Kings of Fear is the Bat-Book you’ve been waiting for!

Publisher: DC Comics

Writer: Scott Peterson & Art and Cover: Kelly Jones

Colors: Michelle Madsen / Letters: Rob Leigh

Variant Cover: Bill Sienkiewicz

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Batman White Knight #6 Review

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Batgirl, Batman, Batman White Knight, Batman White Knight #6, Batman White Knight #6 Review, Batmobile, comics, DC Comics, Jim Gordon, Mad Hatter, Matt Hollingsworth, Mr Freeze, NCBD, Neo Joker, Nightwing, Sean Murphy, The Joker

Batman White Knight #6

Review by Paul Bowler

Gotham’s most iconic alliance is shaken to the core in Batman White Knight #6 as Gordon’s trust in Batman reaches breaking point! The Dark Knight’s fall from grace has been orchestrated by the reformed Joker – aka Jack Napier – now seemingly cured of his homicidal madness by therapy and medication. But the drug Jack relies on is gradually loosing its effect, the city is slowly descending into chaos, and with Batman defeated it’s up to Jack to step up to the plate when the Neo Joker finally instigates her grand plan to seize Gotham…

Set in a world that has uncannily turned the Batman into the villain and the Joker into a hero, Batman White Knight, with its story and art by Sean Murphy, and colors by Matt Hollingsworth, continues to go from strength to strength with every successive issue. Napier’s ascension in this mini-series has seem him cured and released from Arkham, from where he’s gone on to expose the corruption that has festered in the GCPD for decades, becoming a champion of the middle-classes, and covertly using an army of super-villains – along with the collateral damage this conflict causes – to discredit the Batman‘s standing in the eyes of Gotham‘s citizens.

Batman White Knight #6 sees this mini-series reach a major turning point, as Murphy’s dark tale brings Batman’s world crashing down. Seeing Gordon resolve to bring Batman in is a powerful, defining moment here, as is Nightwing assisting him by delivering the means for him to do so, and the subsequent fracturing this has on the Bat-Family when Batgirl, aghast at Nightwing’s actions, refuses to have anything to do with the plan.

This book and its starkly grim take on the Bat-Mythos, especially the look and tone of Gotham itself – being more industrial and gothic, and less generically NYC like most of the main Bat-Books – are key elements that really make Batman White Knight stand out from the crowd. Sean Murphy’s edgy, moody artistic style further enhances the grim sense of foreboding in this issue, while Matt Hollingsworth’s richly atmospheric colors bring added gavatis to every scene. The sheer fan boy glee at seeing the Batmobile from the1989 Tim Burton Batman movie Vs the Batman White Knight’s Batmobile in a high-speed chase sequence is undoubtedly one of the big highlights of the issue, however, it is the blood-spattered, bone-churching face-off between Batman and Jack Napier that follows which really steals the show – whilst also vividly illustrating the warped schism Murphy has crafted between the Batman and the Joker in this mini-series.

With Batman facing an ignoble fate in Arkham, its not long before the Neo Joker, having taken control of the villains utilizing Mad Hatter’s technology, seems hell bent on holding the city to ransom after she unleashes a giant freeze cannon on Gotham. Other standout moments that shine in this issue are an especially poignant scene between Mr Freeze and Batgirl, and Harley tires in vain to get through to Jack again as he prepares to face Neo Joker.

This was another thoroughly enjoyable issue. With its intense action, brooding characterization, unexpected plot twists, and striking visuals Sean Murphy and Matt Hollingsworth constantly keep you on your toes in Batman White Knight #6, and as this mini-series enters its final act we are left wondering if the Batman can find possibly find a way back from everything that‘s happened, or will the Joker have the last laugh after all?

Publisher DC Comics

Writer / Artist / Covers / Sean Murphy

Colors & Cover Colors Matt Hollingsworth

Leters Todd Klein

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Sci-Fi Jubilee My New You Tube Channel Batman: Return to Arkham Collection Arkham City

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Arkham Asylum, Arkham City, Bane, Batman, Batman Return to Arkham Arkham City Walkthrough, Batman: Return to Arkham Collection, Batmobile, Catwoman, Gotham, Harley Quinn, Hugo Strange, Killer Croc, Mr Freeze, Paul Bowler YouTube, Poison Ivy, PS4, PS4 Share, Ra's al Ghul, Scarecrow, The Joker, The Penguin, The Riddler, Two Face, YouTube

Sci-Fi Jubilee My New You Tube Channel Batman Return to Arkham: Arkham City

Hi everyone! Thanks for checking out my YouTube Channel while I’ve been playing the Batman Return to Arkham Collection. I had a great time completing Arkham Asylum, so, after short break I’ve now started Arkham City. I’m really enjoying revisiting Arkham City again, the scope and scale of the game is even bigger than Arkham Asylum, and there are loads of great story moments and villains for Batman fans to enjoy!

The first video I streamed features the opening of the Arkham City as Bruce Wayne is captured by Hugo Strange and sent to Arkham City. Once Batman suits up its time to save Catwoman from Two Face. We also get to see Penguin, Calendar Man, Harley Quinn, and Bane, before Batman tracks down the Joker’s hideout in the Steel Mill.

Having reached Joker’s lair its time for Batman’s first confrontation in this game with the Joker! I found a few Riddler trophies as well, sorry if I wander around a bit looking for them! There’s also the first part of the Catwoman storyline here as well, I’ve never played any of the DLC for Arkham City before, so that was fun.

In this video Batman searches the Old GCPD building to find out where Penguin has taken Mr Freeze. The Riddler and Deadshot missions begin, and this part concludes as Batman makes a poignant visit to Crime Alley.

I think the remastered graphics in Arkham City look really good as well, even better than Arkham Asylum. I’ll stream and post some more Arkham City videos on my channel as I play through the game, obviously it’s a much bigger game than Arkham Asylum, so I’ll probably concentrate on the main storyline and boss fights. I might uses some of the different character skins as well, like the 70’s Batman or Dark Knight Returns Batman, to mix things up a bit. So, look out for new videos on my YouTube channel as I explore Arkham City, I hope you enjoy them, and please feel free to hit that like button and subscribe if you do.

Thanks for watching and cheers for all your support!

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Sci-Fi Jubilee My New You Tube Channel Batman Return to Arkham Collection: Part 2

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Arkham Asylum, Arkham City, Arkham Knight, Batman, Batman Return to Arkham Arkham Asylum Walkthrough, Batman: Return to Arkham Collection, Batmobile, Gotham, Harly Quin, Killer Croc, Paul Bowler YouTube, Poison Ivy, PS4, PS4 Share, Scarecrow, The Joker, The Riddler, YouTube

Sci-Fi Jubilee My New You Tube Channel Batman: Return to Arkham Collection

Part 2 Arkham Asylum completed!

Hello everyone, and thank you checking out my YouTube Channel.  I’ve been playing the Batman: Return to Arkham Collection recently, and I’ve now completed Arkham Asylum!

I’m a big Batman fan, and I love all the Arkham games – so I’ve been eagerly awaiting the chance to play the remastered version of Arkham Asylum in this collection. The trio of new videos here cover lots of my favourite moments from playing Arkham Asylum again.

First is a face-off with the Scarecrow, featuring a really wacky mind-trip for Batman that cleverly gives us a chilling new version of the games opening sequence.

Time to explore Killer Croc’s lair! This was probably my favourite part of Arkham Asylum. Its creepy, atmospheric, and you never know when Killer Croc will jump out!

After defeating Poison Ivy in the Botanical Gardens, its time for the epic showdown with the Joker, and the final battle with the Titan / Joker! I’ve included the end credits as well and the cut scene afterwards.

This is the first time I’ve streamed a game from start to finish like this on my YouTube Channel, it went quite well, and I’d just like to say thank you for all the support you‘ve given me. It was a lot of fun to do. I thought the remastered graphics in Arkham Asylum looked very impressive overall, the storyline and combat mechanics were just as good as I remembered, and I loved the dark, creepy atmosphere of the whole game. All my Arkham Asylum walkthrough videos (1-12) are now on my YouTube channel, so please feel free to check them out and like and subscribe if enjoy them. I’ve had a great time playing Arkham Asylum again, cheers everyone, and thanks for joining me!

Next stop, Arkham City!

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Sci-Fi Jubilee My New You Tube Channel Batman: Return to Arkham Collection

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Arkham Asylum, Arkham City, Arkham Knight, Batman, Batman Return to Arkham Arkham Asylum Walkthrough, Batman: Return to Arkham Collection, Batmobile, Gotham, Harly Quin, Killer Croc, Paul Bowler YouTube, PS4, PS4 Share, The Joker, The Riddler, YouTube

Sci-Fi Jubilee My New You Tube Channel Batman: Return to Arkham Collection

Hi all, thank you checking out my YouTube Channel. I’ve been a little busy with lots of comic book reviews recently, so I haven’t had as much time to play PS4 games for a few weeks. Anyway, I’ve been really looking forward to the Batman: Return to Arkham Collection, and I’ve just started Arkham Asylum.

I’m a huge Batman fan so I’m going to have fun revisiting Arkham Asylum and Arkham City. These two new videos feature the opening parts of Arkham Asylum that I’ve played so far, I think it really set up the dark atmospheric tone of the game. From what I’ve seen so far the remastered graphics look good, but not quite as good as those in Batman: Arkham Knight.

I hope you enjoy the Return to Arkham videos, please feel free to hit that like button and subscribe if you do. I’ll probably post more Arkham Asylum videos on my channel as I work my way through the game. Maybe I’ll do longer clips like these, or just focus on the boss battles, which do you prefer? Let me know. So watch this space and get ready to meet some of Batman’s deadliest and craziest enemies as we return to the asylum…

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Batman #51 Review

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Alfred Pennyworth, Batman, Batman #51, Batman #51 review, Batmobile, comics, Danny Miki, DC Comics, DC Rebirth, FCO Plascencia, GCPD, Gotham, Gotham City, Gotham Is, Greg Capullo, Jim Gordon, Scott Snyder, The Bat-Cave, The Court of Owls, The Joker, The New 52

Batman #51

Review by Paul Bowler

In the wake of recent events Batman #51 sees the Dark Knight facing a new challenge. Batman has battled so often to protect Gotham from his deadly rogues gallery of villains over the years, from everyone to the Joker, the Court of Owls, and now Mr Bloom, so how will Batman deal with a quiet night in Gotham City..?

Scott Snyder has written for three different characters who have worn the mantel of the Bat, including Dick Grayson during his initial stint on Detective Comics, to Bruce Wayne on Batman, and Jim Gordon in the recent Superheavy arc. Now as Scott Snyder’s incredible run on Batman with artist Greg Capullo concludes in Batman #51, we can reflect on how their collaboration on this title has transformed it into a modern classic, and their tenure in Gotham is sure to down in history as including some of the finest Batman stories ever told.

Now that Mr Bloom is presumably pushing up daises somewhere, Batman #51 presents the Dark Knight with an unusual challenge – a seemingly uneventful evening in Gotham City! Scott Snyder’s final story in this run is a clear love letter to both the character of Batman and the fans themselves as past and present become one. Centred around the powerful resonance of a small life-styles piece in the Gotham Gazette, Gotham Is delves into the world of Batman and the Gothamites he has vowed to protect in a way quite unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. From the wonderful opening scenes in the Bat-Cave featuring Bruce and Alfred, which Snyder makes both emotionally moving and brilliant fun; wounds old and new are simultaneously healed via a patchwork quilt of new developments, before Batman races away into the night on a clear road to Gotham in spectacular fashion!

Of course, we all know there’s no such thing as a quite night in Gotham City, or is there? A sudden power outage soon brings with it some more pressing concerns and a new threat to the city. Scott Snyder’s dazzling writing style and excellent characterization makes Gotham Is an absolute joy to read, we are treated to a wonderful scene with Jim and Batman next to the Bat-Signal, there’s an intriguing mystery right at the heart of the story for Batman to solve, and plenty of our old Arkham favourites are on the loose as well!

Needless to say, Greg Capullo’s artwork for this issue of Batman is as stunning as ever. From those stylish and fun moments in the Bat-Cave, to the dramatic face-off in Arkham, Capullo channels the narrative of Gotham Is across a wondrous montage of interconnected scenes that beautifully addresses elements from previous arcs, and sets everything up for a glorious final page that will simply take your breath away. Danny Miki’s inks brilliantly highlight every nuance of Capullo’s work, but it is in those shadow swathed scenes during the blackout, on the rooftop of GCPD, then deep below ground, and high over a silhouetted Gotham skyline where Danny Miki really excels. FCO Plascencia’s colors infuse this issue with an uncanny blend of vibrant and muted tones throughout, with flashes of bright purple enhancing the inside the new cape while the vivid yellow of the new Bat-Insignia on Batman’s chest that skilfully blends the old with the news almost leaps off the page at you, and that stunning final scene… Quite frankly, this issue looks incredible!

Featuring a stunning regular cover by Greg Capullo, Danny Miki, and FCO (Which, incidentally, I think would make an brilliant poster, please make this happen guys!), as well as a terrific variant cover by John Romita Jr. , Batman #51 concludes in the most fan pleasing way imaginable, as Scott Snyder rounds off the narrative of his previous story-arcs in fine style, and effectively brings his tenure with Greg Capullo on Batman full circle in the most heartfelt, exciting, and moving way imaginable. It’s a thoughtful, funny, intense, dialogue-heavy issue, and to say more would spoil it, but suffice to say I enjoyed every single moment of it – even though my enjoyment was tinged with a little sadness that Batman #51 is Snyder’s and Capullo’s final issue.

DC’s Rebirth event has initiated a major wave of change throughout the DCU that is going to herald some big developments in the Bat-Universe. Even though Scott Snyder is indeed moving on from DC’s flagship Batman title, he isn’t leaving the Dark Knight behind completely; in fact, Snyder will now be fronting the brand new monthly series All Star Batman that will also feature art from some of the finest talents in the industry: including John Romita, Jr, Jock, Sean Murphy, and many more. With its epic storyline All Star Batman allows Snyder to use some of the villains that he never got to focus on that much before, such as Two-Face, Mr Freeze, and Catwoman, together with a rotating roster of superstar artist, and back-up stories featuring Duke Thomas. Meanwhile, Greg Capullo will be busy over the next six months working on an uber secret project with Mark Millar, and that’s certainly something that we will all be looking forward to as well. Scott Snyder has also confirmed that he will be working with Greg Capullo again on a new project for DC Comics in 2017 at some point, and I’m sure we will all be excited to see what that will be.

So, as we say farewell to Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo with Batman #51 and their brilliant run on Batman with Danny Miki and FCO Plascencia, there’s still Batman #52 written by James Tvnion IV to look forward to before this current volume of Batman ends and everything changes in the Rebirth event. With Tom King taking over on Batman, while James Tynion IV helms Detective Comics, with Tim Seeley on Nightwing, and with Scott Snyder writing All Star Batman, these are certainly exciting times for Batman fans!

I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing nearly every issue of Snyder’s and Capullo’s run on Batman. Their take on Batman got me back into reading comics regularly again with Batman #1 (2011). Actually, I was still recovering from badly injuring my left hand at the time – a glass broke while emptying the dishwasher and sliced right though my middle finger, palm, and thumb – but their amazing storylines helped inspire me though that particularly dark time, and now I’m writing and reviewing comic books and stuff here on my blog, and on other sites now as well. So, thank you Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo for your legendary run on Batman, because thanks to you guys, for me, and I’m sure for many others besides, Gotham Is: “Batman, fan, forever.”

Publisher DC Comics / Writer: Scott Snyder / Art: Greg Capullo

Inks: Danny Miki / Colors: FCO Plascencia / Letters: Steve Wands

Cover: Capullo / Miki / FCO / Variant Cover: John Romita, Jr.

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Batman Eternal #35 Review

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Batman, Batman Eternal #35, Batman Eternal #35 Review, Batmobile, comics, Commissioner Bard, DC Comics, Fenando Blanco, Gotham, Hush, James Tynion IV, Kyle Higgins, Marcelo Maiolo, Ray Fawkes, Scott Snyder, Tim Seeley

Batman Eternal #35

Review by Paul Bowler

Events in Batman Eternal #35 introduce the new world order in Gotham. Batman confronted Hush and defeated him. However, it was far from a decisive victory for the Dark Knight. Wayne Enterprises and its subsidiaries have been seized because of their involvement with Batman’s secret weapons caches. Bruce Wayne’s assets are frozen, Wayne Manor is being transformed into Arkham Manor, and now it seems that the GCPD have actually beaten Batman!

Batman Eternal #35 opens with a short flash forward to the action-packed final moments depicted on this issues cover, before detailing the events that have transpired following the fall of Hush. Out of Control begins the third act of Batman Eternal with a bang, in this fast paced story by writers Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV, with script also by James Tynion IV, and consulting writers Ray Fawkes, Kyle Higgins, and Tim Seeley, in which Lucius Fox sets out just how bad things really are for Bruce Wayne now that Wayne Enterprises has fallen and the remnants of Batman Incorporated have been raided by Commissioner Bard.

With Hush now confined in the Batcave and construction crews working on Arkham Manor, it falls to Julia Pennyworth to keep watch over their prisoner while ensuring the cave is secure until Bruce can establish a new base in the city. Meanwhile, Vicky Vale begins working on new story, one that leads her back to Bard’s old stomping ground in Detroit. In order to draw Batman out, Commissioner Bard orders the demolition of the Wayne housing restoration project. Thanks to a thinly veiled warning from Lucius Fox, Batman knows he will be driving into a trap, yet despite Julia’s warnings his attempt to force a confrontation may yet prove unfounded as Bard and the GCPD seem better prepared than the Dark Knight anticipated.

The art by Fenando Blanco, with its dynamic panel layouts, really brings across the intense tone of Batman Eternal #34, and the colors by Marcelo Maiolo also complements Blanco’s work perfectly. From Bruce’s initial meeting with Fox in the shadow of Wayne Tower, to the scenes in the Batcave, and the pedal to the metal excitement of the closing moments, Blanco’s richly detailed environments and Maiolo’s bold colors ensures this issue of Batman Eternal looks great and wrings every ounce of tension from the action-packed plot.

The big highlight of this issue sees Commissioner Bard doing a Batman Returns style hijack of the Batmobile, taunting the Dark Knight from the screen on the dashboard, while Batman struggles to regain control of the vehicle. Over the exciting final pages, the net slowly closes in on Batman as the Batmobile is sent flying – quite literally – through the heart of everything Bruce’s fortune and reputation stands for before culminating in one of this weekly series most thrilling cliff-hangers to date.

It is this moment, together with the startling revelations uncovered by Vicky Vale about Gotham’s new Police Commissioner, that kicks off this dark new chapter of Batman Eternal and keeps us guessing right up until the final page as Batman’s world gradually unravels around him. Batman Eternal #35 contains plenty of twists and turns in the plot to keep you hooked right from the first page, which together with its excellent artwork, makes this another thoroughly exciting and enjoyable issue of this weekly DC Comics series.

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First Image of Ben Affleck as Batman

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Batman, Batman 75, Batman Vs Superman, Batmobile, Ben Affleck as Batman, DC Comics

First Image of Ben Affleck as Batman!

After offering us a glimpse of the new Batmobile, Zack Snyder has now tweeted a new picture of Ben Affleck as Batman standing next to the Batmobile! The new Batsuit certainly looks good!

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Batman Eternal #3 Review

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Batman, Batman Eternal, Batman Eternal #3, Batmobile, Brad Anderson, DC Comics, James Tynion IV, Jason Fabok, Jim Gordon, Scott Snyder, Stephanie Brown, The New 52

Batman Eternal #3

Review by Paul Bowler

Gang war breaks out in Batman Eternal #3 as Gotham City is rocked by a power struggle within the criminal underworld. With his old friend Jim Gordon arrested for causing the train crash in the subway station, the Dark Knight continues his search for evidence to help him. When the crime war begins GCPD seems unwilling to help Batman contain the violence. Also, get ready for the New 52 debut of Stephanie Brown!

With Gordon languishing in a cell at GCPD, the situation is grim, and even Batman’s analysis of the evidence fails to offer up many new leads. The return of Carmine Falcone also spells big trouble for the Penguin; soon Gotham is reeling from an explosive outbreak of violence. Batman Eternal #3 is a blisteringly good read, with its story and script by writers Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV (consulting writers Ray Fawkes, John Layman, and Tim Seeley) and great art by Jason Fabok, the events following the aftermath of the train crash begin to escalate dramatically.

There are some great scenes at the GCPD, particularly where Lieutenant Bullock and Captain Sawyer have a heated confrontation with Forbes. Gordon’s arrest has really shaken the department to the core, tempers are frayed, and it’s not looking good for Gordon either. The responsibility for arresting Gordon is also weighing heavily on the shoulders on the new recruit Jason Bard; this certainly wasn’t how he expected his first day on the job to turn out. Bard’s conversation with Gordon in the holding cells is especially poignant, even Jim Gordon feels the evidence is stacked against him, it’s a great scene, and Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV pitch it perfectly.

As the scene shifts to the Penguin at his Iceberg Casino the full implications of Falcone’s return to Gotham begins to sink in. However, there is more at stake here than just the Penguin’s empire. The corruption in Gotham reaches all the way to the top, as shadowy meetings begin to shift the balance of power for all concerned.

Batman Eternal #3 features some terrific art by Jason Fabok, the action doesn’t let up for a moment, and with such a large cast of characters, Fabok does a terrific job, and the colors by Brad Anderson are excellent. I really like the pages in the Batcave, the attention to detail here is staggering. The moments in GCPD are also handled really well, drawing you into the story. The Batmobile adorns Fabok’s awesome cover for Batman Eternal #3 as well, and the car looks stunning in the issue too. I really like this Batmobile, it’s like a pimped up version of the Tim Burton movie Batmobile, and I hope we get to see a lot more of it as Batman Eternal progresses.

Batman Eternal #3 also features the long awaited debut of Stephanie Brown in the New 52 continuity. Its great to see Stephanie again, I always liked the character, and Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV make this issue a fitting introduction for her. Snyder and Tynion have remained entirely faithful to the essence of the character, and they way her involvement in events also ties into the main storyline of Batman Eternal is really inspired.

Batman Eternal #3 is another great issue in this new weekly series. With great plotting and characters, the debut of Stephanie Brown, and with all the big changes affecting the criminal underworld and GCPD, this is an issue not to be missed!

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Batman #25 Review

Tags

Batman, Batman #25, Batmobile, Dark City, DC Comics, FCO Plascencia, Greg Capullo, James Tynion IV, Scott Snyder, Zero Year

Batman #25

Review by Paul Bowler

Contains Spoilers

Gotham has been plunged into darkness by the Riddler, leaving the city in the grip of a frenzied crime wave as the GCPD resolve to hunt down the Batman. With a major storm set to hit Gotham in the next few days, Batman investigates a series of grisly murder scenes as he waits for the Riddler to make his next move. Old wounds are reopened when Bruce clashes with Lieutenant Gordon, the Batmobile takes to the streets of Gotham for the first time, and a new enemy prepares to strike at Bruce Wayne from the shadows…

Batman #25 starts with an intriguing prologue in Nigeria before Snyder and Capullo’s Zero Year: Dark City returns us to the streets of Gotham, where the CGPD are going all out to capture Batman and his new Batmobile! After evading the GCPD, Bruce returns to the Cave to evaluate the Riddler’s plans with Alfred and find out what killed the two Wayne Enterprises researches. Both victims were injected with a formula that caused their bones to grow rapidly, tearing their bodies apart, and it seems the serum was developed by a former Scientist at Wayne Enterprises…

After a tense meeting with Lieutenant Gordon, where secrets about the murder of Bruce’s parents are confronted but left unresolved, Bruce goes to Gotham University to meet Lucius Fox. Knowing that Lucius was trusted by his father, Bruce asks him about the scientist who was hired and the formula he developed. As he learns the truth about the serum, Bruce is shocked by betrayal and a new adversary is revealed…

Batman #25 is a great example of how Snyder and Capullo’s new take on the Batman’s origin continues to thrill and surprise at every turn. This issue is much more than Batman roaring around Gotham in his brand new Batmobile, which is great fun, and Snyder and Capullo ingeniously orchestrate how the vehicle escapes the GCPD. The “new” Batmobile itself is very much a reflection of this younger Batman’s personality, as is the way he drives it, and I think Capullo’s early version of Batman’s iconic vehicle is absolutely brilliant!

We also get some great scenes with Lieutenant Gordon as he investigates the gruesome murder scene, and later when he almost stumbles on the entrance to the Batcave. This leads to a superb moment between Bruce and Gordon, where it becomes clear there is a lot of bad blood between them, due to Gordon’s involvement on the night Bruce’s parents were murdered. The dialogue in this scene crackles as Bruce makes no attempt to hide his animosity towards Gordon, and we are left wondering for now exactly what happened to cause such rift between them.

It’s no secret that Poison Ivy would be making her debut in this section of Zero Year, and Pamela Isley does indeed appear, but it is the unexpected introduction of another villain from Batman’s past that will surprise many. It’s great to see another of Batman’s villains redesigned by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo, especially as it embraces so many elements of the past, while fitting in perfectly with Zero Year and their new approach to Batman’s early career.

The art by Greg Capullo is as awesome as ever, with inks by Danny Miki, FCO Plascencia’s colors, and letters by Nick Napolitano. With the Riddler’s attack on the cities power grid causing a blackout, Capullo makes the Gotham skyline seem even more menacing than ever before. The spectacular opening, where searchlights from the GCPD blimps cut through the darkness as they attempt to track the Batmobile, is really effective. You get a real sense of a city on the brink, with Batman maintaining order as he runs rings around GCPD, before we come to that aforementioned scene with Bruce and Gordon that really heightens the dramatic tension – and the excellent use of tone and color by Danny Miki and FCO Plascencia accentuate every scene perfectly. The gory murder scenes are also vividly detailed, with the corpses horribly twisted and distorted almost beyond recognition.

The back up story for Batman #25 by Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, with art by Andy Clark, features a young Harper Row and her little brother Cullen who are left on their own by their father during the blackout caused by the Riddler. This is a great little tale, were Harper looks after Cullen when he is afraid of the dark, and it also nicely illustrates how Zero Year is about to spin-off into a number of other DC titles as Harper fixes a lamp.

Batman #25 is another exciting and compelling issue by Snyder and Capullo. Zero Year continues to impress, offering new insight into Jim Gordon and the events surrounding the Wayne’s murder, a fleeting glimpse of Pamela Isley, and the surprise appearance of an old villain from the past makes Batman #25 unmissable.