There were many of "The New 52" titles I was looking forward to (and I still am - the month isn't over quite yet after all!) but Scott Snyder's debut on
Batman #1 was right at the top of the list. After an amazing run on
Detective Comics, I was very excited to see his take on Bruce Wayne. He successfully crafted Dick Grayson into a Batman that many wanted to see stay in the cowl post relaunch, and in a dark and often twisted story arc, he told one hell of a tale which will surely be remembered for a long time to come. So, being given writing duties on
Batman #1 must have put a lot of pressure on the writer. Did he manage to live up to the lofty expectations of fans? Well, for me, he did for the most part.
The issue opens up with a narrative from Bruce Wayne about the city of Gotham, how it's seen by the people who live there, and how it's villains will never define it. Snyder made a great deal of effort to turn Gotham into a "character" during his run on
Detective Comics, and the same clearly applies here. Later on in the issue, we see his plans to rebuild the city in order to turn it into a more hopeful place (whether this ties in to the mention of him allowing Crime Ally to be knocked down over in
Batman and Robin isn't made clear) but this was immediately a more interesting take on Wayne's business enterprises than what we've seen over in
Batman Incorporated recently. After all, it makes perfect sense that he'd use his wealth to improve Gotham, just as he uses the rest of his time to stalk the streets as Batman!
Seeing Batman taking on most of his rogues gallery during the first third of the issue is great fun, and shows just how formidable he is...if anything though, he's a little too tough! However, the tide soon turns, and we see him team up with a very unexpected ally. At first I was baffled, especially after the events of
Detective Comics #1, but all is soon explained, and I can't help but think this is sure to play a larger role somewhere in either this arc or the future of the title. Indeed, the ability to make Dick look like The Joker isn't the only bit of technology on offer here, and I was extremely pleased that Snyder effectively put the "Detective" in the "World's Greatest Detective" tag that Batman has been given over the years, with a very gory murder scene which sees him put those skills to full use.
The issue squeezes a lot more in. We see the introduction of a new Mayoral candidate, (anyone else wondering whether there's more to Lincoln March than meets the eye?) the dynamic between Batman and Commissioner Gordon, a mysterious threat, one hell of a cliffhanger (I was hoping Snyder wouldn't resist the temptation to give Dick a meaty role in the book!) and a lovely splash page of the Batcave in all its glory. And it's that final point which takes me on to my next one. The art by Greg Capullo is good, not great, although I liked it for the most part. In places, it borders on being a bit too cartoony and sketchy for my tastes, but it's a nice looking book overall and I appreciated the detail that the artist put into the backgrounds especially. Both his Batman and the many villains who feature also look very good, and the gripes I have come more from personal taste as I've mentioned above more than anything else.
Overall, this was a great way to kick off the relaunched series. It didn't blow me away, but I'm very excited to see where things go from here...as Batman himself says, "There's no place like home" and I for one am glad to see Bruce back as the Caped Crusader and in the hands of Scott Snyder.