By Luke Abbott
As much as I like the multiple narratives of Batman Eternal, I like how this issue doesn’t jump as much around as we are used to. We start with a brief catch-up with Forbes and Falcone, their partnership not as steady as Forbes wants us to believe. However, then we are thrust to Hong Kong, where Batman is trying to figure out why Falcone abandoned a successful criminal empire in Japan. Shen Fang has taken over where Falcone has left off and Batman needs to team up with his man in the Orient, Jiro, the Japanese Batman.
I quite enjoyed the change in scenery. While these comics are played at breakneck speed, we never really get a sense of Jiro’s gang wars with the Ghost Dragons, we see just enough to pique our curiosity. The writers also play with the idea of having a villain no one has heard of before, Shen Fang. We have no idea what this guy is like and it gives the writers a lot of breathing space with what to do with this new bad guy. He looks impressive too, literally bursting onto the page in a gut-wrenching fashion (you’ll understand what I mean once you’ve read it). There’s a neat little mystery, which is nothing more than a distraction from the overall Eternal story arc, but it is enough to make for an enjoyable side issue. Eternal throws so much conspiracy at you that there is something very pleasant about breaking from the story to beat up some masked thugs in Hong Kong.
The dialogue here is marvelous. For the first time in my Inter-Comics run, I have been stuck at what the Quote of the issue should be. Falcone is given some great lines, earning him a bit more respect in my eyes. Batman goes full-on Batman, with some scenes that remind people why he is the most famous of the DC superheroes. Even Catwoman pops up briefly for some meaty dialogue, although we expect nothing less for her character. Seeing as only a little happens this issue, lines like these make this issue so much more worthwhile.
And a new character enters the fray. I didn’t see that twist coming and for the first time, a week’s wait feels like torture.
Quote of the Issue:
Batman: You shouldn’t have done that. I just wanted to ask you some questions. (…) But now? Now I am going to hurt you!
For more comic views and reviews follow Luke on Twitter at @LukeBbtt and check out his website at www.oracleoffilm.com
Posted on June 7th, 2014
Category: ORACLE OF COMICS, REVIEWS
Tags: Batman Eternal #9 Review, Bruce Wayne, Catwoman, Comic Reviews, DC Comics, James Tynion IV, Luke Abbott, Scott Snyder, Shen Fang
Reviewed by Chris Fenn
I have enjoyed Snyder’s writing in the New 52, but I do have some slight hang ups over his plots. Now I know you may think that this has nothing to do with Batman #28, but bear with me; I’ll get there eventually!
I’ve recently been buying and sorting out Grant Morrison books; I have his complete Batman run, in trade paperbacks, from Batman and Son to the end of the first Batman Incorporated, and I have all of his New 52 Batman Incorporated books in comics. One of Morrison’s best arcs, in my opinion, spans the length of his Batman run and revolves around the Black Glove. Now this predates Snyder’s Court of Owls and I have to say, I feel The Black Glove is more complete, detailed and the identity of the main villain is more ambiguous which helps the story more. This isn’t to say that Snyder’s Owls arc is bad, it’s just Morrison’s is better.
So once Snyder was finished with Court of Owls he did his Death of the Family arc. I have to say that I haven’t read anything like it before and I think it’s on the whole very original and I enjoyed it. My hang up with this arc is that we seemed to be promised more than was delivered, and I’m sure this is due to the powers that be and not Snyder, but it turned what could have been a nuclear bomb into a sparkler. So, again, it’s not that I didn’t enjoy this story arc, but it did leave me with a slightly bitter taste in my mouth.
Now we have Snyder’s take on Year One. Clearly this is a tall order to deliver something that seems to be revered as a Holy book by the general Batman community, but I like that Snyder is going in his own direction and focusing less on the mafia angle and more on the super-villain ‘prototypes’. I’ve been liking this story a lot, and I love how he has incorporated the Red Hood, Riddler and Dr. Death without making the whole thing feel like a schizophrenic mess.
Then there’s Batman #28.
Advertised on the front cover it does say that this is a “Secret Glimpse into Batman Eternal”, but I expected something along the lines of what Detective Comics #27 gave us for Gothtopia. Instead it gave us the bulk of the issue as a context-less sample of Eternal and then a ‘trailer’ for American Vampire.
Now I liked what I read with Batman Eternal; I like the fact that it’s set in a totalitarian or dystopian near future and thus far we have no idea why. I like that Harper Row is being made useful instead of being an annoying character with no significance other than the fact it’s obvious she will assume the role of a side-kick or spin off character. I like that Stephanie Brown makes an appearance and is being made out to be a very significant character towards Eternal’s plot. I like this nastier, unforgiving Catwoman and am looking forward to seeing where her hatred for Batman has come from.
What I don’t like is when I pay for a Batman comic and get a Batman Eternal comic. I wanted to read about Batman facing the Riddler and I wanted to see how his first adventure ends, or at least see the story progress towards an end. I was probably going to buy Batman Eternal anyway; because it’s another Batman book written by Snyder, I don’t need to pay for an advert when I’m confident that I’ll be seeing a lot of adverts for it in my other DC comics.
I’m also really bitter towards the plugging of Snyder’s American Vampire. It’s not even because that title doesn’t interest me, it just seems like a cheap way of using up space and lining Snyder’s pockets. The Batman Eternal inclusion is irritating, but makes sense; advertise more Batman comics in, what is possibly the most popular and best-selling Batman title.
I know this isn’t much of a review of content, but it just really bugged me. Sorry for the rant readers, but if anybody who read Batman #28 felt the same way as I did then it’s perfectly justified.
For more comic views and reviews follow Chris on Twitter at @fenneth1989
Posted on February 16th, 2014
Category: OUT OF THE LONG BOX, REVIEWS
Tags: American Vampire, Batman #28 Review, Catwoman, Chris Fenn, Comic Blog, Comic Reviews, DC Comics, Harper Row, Scott Snyder, Spoiler
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