Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Batman #21
DC Comics
Snyder, Capullo & Miki
The big Zero Year storyline kicks off in Batman #21. This is a small step in what appears to be a year long epic storyline that Snyder is cooking up. The issue is difficult to follow if you try to reconcile the timelines with any previous Batman story. The continuity simply must be ignored. However, as always, the book is well written and is fabulously drawn, which helps make for a good read. And honestly, that's really all that matters. I recommend checking it out.
Basically, this story outlines Bruce Wayne returning to Gotham from his self-imposed exile. This is prior to him becoming Batman. The chief villain appears to be the Red Hood, but there is also a creepy Uncle that seems to be bent on ruling the Wayne Empire by any means necessary.
The book is really difficult to follow timeline-wise. Young Bruce Wayne looks and speaks too much like the grown up Bruce Wayne. It's very difficult to see any character progression when the visuals and the dialogue don't reflect much change.
The part of the book that I like is how Snyder constructs his story. He has some great story elements and he fires them in a way that generates some suspense and thrills. Couple that with how well he has the characters interact and you have a solid and entertaining read.
The book contains a backup that seems to be fairly random. Usually the backups tie into the main story in some way. Usually the backup feature tells the moments leading up to the lead in story, but as seen through the eyes of the villain or another supporting character. This backup seems to just take a story from the teenage years of Bruce Wayne traveling the globe and doing some Batman-like work along the way. I rather like when the backup stories directly in to the main story so this was a disappointment.
Capullo does his usual superb job on pencils. He brings a high amount of energy to the pages but the style seems so simple that it gives a timeless look to the book. Capullo does a particularly stellar job when it comes to laying out the opening sequence where Bruce squares off against Red Hood. I never tire of Capullo's style and presentation.
Snyder launches a very ambitious arc with this issue. It's a long story and it really seems to trample a lot of continuity in the process. If you can look past that and just sit back and relax you will probably end up with a really entertaining storyline. This is a good opening issue.
3 out of 5 Geek Goggles
