Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Batman Eternal #1
DC Comics
Snyder, Tynion, Fawkes, Layman, Seeley & Fabok
The opening issue of the weekly Batman series, "Batman Eternal" opens with a very average effort. The book gives off a block-bluster look and seems to promise an extremely important story but the execution leaves little more than a taste of something different and promising. The book is one to check out but it doesn't seem to be much different from your average Batman comic in a property that produces an overabundance of books on a monthly basis. Give it a try.
The book begins with a bang as an unmasked Batman is tied to the bat-light, beaten as Gotham burns around him. The image is a great way to start of the book as it lets reader know there is something big in this book even though the caption states, "The End." The book then launches into an intriguing storyline.
The book introduces a new recruit to the police department, a transfer from another city. Jason Bard who was brought in by Gordon and it's clear that Gordon sold himself to Bard, much like a college football coach might sell himself to a high school star. Bard is anxious to work with the man.
The book then takes a sharp direction shift as it joins Gordon in action against some thugs. Batman eventually enters the scene and the comic becomes a race that ends with a dramatic, but harsh decision by Gordon that causes a lot of destruction and presumably some death.
The parts the weigh down the book are the decisions and characterizations on the part of Gordon. It's not that much of a stretch to find Gordon getting his hands dirty in a gun fight, even if his title is well above this level of criminal apprehension. However, his decisions on when to use his fire arm and the utter regret he shows after his decision is completely out of character. Gordon is the kind of character that makes the tough decisions and stands by them. He's not the kind that makes hasty ones and then collapses in a pile of self-doubt.
The artwork helps the book along nicely. The story within does have a nice build-up and the artwork makes sure the pace is consistent and equal to the task. The book has a great color array that really helps set a compelling tone for the comic. The artwork definitely helps pull this effort together.
Batman Eternal seems to be a comic that is catering to the broadest of fan bases. This is the comic to sample if you are curious about Batman but don't have a lot of strong ideas about what the characters stand for and are about. The Batman fan that knows these characters inside and out are going to struggle with a lot of small things, like Batman's very un-Batman-like dialogue. This is a series to watch and an issue to try but it's nothing special yet.
3 out of 5 Geek Goggles
