Review: "Batman: Annual #1"

What better way to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year than with a Batman Annual? And 2016's entry, written and pencilled by some of the finest Batman heads of recent years (King, Snyder, Dini, Finch, Adams) certainly looks like it could give us some of that renowned Gotham Christmas spirit.

By both delivering on the Annual's quintessential promise of telling another story (both narratively and visually) and effectively capturing the uniting, disarming spirit of Christmas, Batman Annual #1 ends up being cheerful and insightful, private and public, grand and intimate, all at the same time. Whether it's the emotional tale of a rescue dog, a road trip with an unlikely companion, the introduction of an altogether new villain or a virtuoso treatment of the unexplored niches and moods of the Batman universe by Scott Snyder, it's an instant Batman Christmas classic. Just like "Merry Christmas From The Joker", this will be another must see/read for many Christmases to come.

10/10

Quickfire Combo-Reviews: "The Fix" #5 / "Cyborg" #1 / "Batman" #7

"The Fix" #5: Aside from having two lead protagonists that are among the best in comics in 2016, the true strength of The Fix is writer Nick Spencer's ability to create supporting characters (the mayor of LA it is here) that are so wonderfully unique and over-the-top, you just can't stop laughing. 

9/10

"Cyborg" #1: A rather surprising issue that predominantly deals with Victor's "soul search" and the emotions it entails. Writer John Semper jr. proves here that he can well handle that emotional side of Cyborg, without ever being in danger of making it kitsch.

8/10

"Batman" #7: Coming from the heights of the "Gotham and Gotham Girl" story arc, this Halloween crossover looks like the first major bump in Batman's "Rebirth" run. It all seems half-baked, with a story that is neither very scary nor thrilling nor even entertaining. And who needs a ripped Hugo Strange?

5/10

Review: "Batman" #52

Who would have thought that seeing Bruce Wayne as Batman chasing an eccentric criminal through Gotham could be so refreshing? But after a year of Commissioner Gordon as the Caped Crusader and Scott Snyder's final issue last month, which was more of a love letter to Batman and his fans than a classic Batman story, this just feels so good. Writer James Tynion IV has already proven that he can pen some excellent Batman stories in the past, and this one is no exception.

Initially, the frequent flashbacks to the time right after the murder of Bruce's parents up until his return to Gotham seem like the same old story told all over again, but Tynion focuses on the parts of the story that are less well documented, offering an intriguing (even though sometimes a bit too sentimental) take on Bruce's trauma. He also takes the opportunity to introduce Crypsis, a brand-new Batman villain. What stands out most about this small-time thief with the ability of short-range teleportation is the surrealism and eeriness artist Riley Rossmo composes him with.

In general, Rossmo manages to bestow everything in Gotham, from Batman himself to its architecture, with an aura of unrest and uneasiness. The new Batsuit and the comeback of the Batmobile continue to impress, while Rossmo adds some additional grit and drama to their presentation. Hopefully Tynion will continue his great take on the Dark Knight with his run at the "Detective Comics" series after the DC rebirth.


9/10

Further links:

DKIII: The Master Race #4

Batman #51