Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Batman #43
DC Comics
Snyder, Capullo, Miki & Plascencia
"Batman" takes the opportunity to provide some background on Bruce Wayne in this issue. The comic has two very interesting sets of conversations as Bruce speaks with Jim Gordon and then Alfred gives Clark Kent his perspective on what made Bruce give up the Batman job. The comic book has good story elements in it but is constructed poorly as the distinct scenes jar the reader instead of telling a smooth, single-issue story. The artwork is excellent as you would expect. This is a fairly decent issue of "Batman" but doesn't stand out from the pack.
Gordon and Bruce have words. Gordon asks for help from Bruce. It seems clear that Gordon drops major hints to Bruce that he knows Bruce used to be Batman but Bruce doesn't take the bait. This scene only lasts a couple of pages and doesn't really go much deeper than putting an end to the possibility that Bruce would even assist a new Batman. Bruce has clearly dropped Batman from his life.
Clark and Alfred are then seen spying on Bruce. Alfred fills in Clark as to how Bruce survived the deadly encounter with the Joker, but came back healed. Not just his physical injuries but the emotional ones as well. By lifting the burden that Bruce has carried since his parent's death, Bruce no longer is driven to be something close to Batman. Also, his memories appear to have been erased. This includes the memory of being Batman, as well as all of the training and experience. The comic book ends with Gordon on the case of the next villain and includes a villain on villain scene at the very end.
The information in the comic book is very good. The way Snyder has developed the character by removing his drive is a very good idea that has a freshness to it. Exploring the relationships of those that are Batman's peers is a great idea for digging into the mindset of Bruce.
The comic book is constructed so poorly though. We have four different scenes that feel so out of place in the same comic book with each other. To read only this issue you would struggle to find anything close to a complete read. While other comic books will spin three or four plates in a single issue, this comic seems to give four loosely related scenes and pass them off as a single story. The comic could have had similar content, but provided in a different order and it may have read better. Perhaps because Snyder is trying to provide so much information to the reader in the first half of the book that the back half of the book feels out of place because it is seemingly unrelated. I found the read to be disjointed.
Capullo on art is fantastic. He excels at capturing the drama in the faces of the characters. Gordon, Bruce, Clark and Alfred all have tension built up on their faces in various panels and their expressions line up well with the dialogue. The action scene in the back of the book is a true highlight right down to the unique panel layout. The comic book tells a great visual story.
"Batman" provides a lot of information about what happened to Bruce Wayne. Using Jim Gordon, Clark Kent and Alfred makes this issue strong because some of the more important relationships in Bruce's life are looked at. The comic book struggles with transitions and jolts the reader in the back half of the book as it switches over to the latest villain and the brewing plot. Perhaps this issue would have been better served staying more closely focused on Bruce for more pages. The artwork is stellar as always. This is a decent read as Snyder and Capullo never fail to entertain.
3.5 out of 5 Geek Goggles
