Review: Infinite Crisis Fight for the Multiverse #1

Infinite Crisis is a multi-universe war, where failure results in the end of all the universes from Gaslight to Rad-Zones and Scraper-Tops to Death Pits. The book contains not one but two stories both by writer Dan Abnett. The first titled Prelude and the second aptly named Infinite Crisis. Prelude gives the history of the Infinite Crisis and how it has come before in the name of the Anti-Monitor, who destroyed universe after universe until he was stopped by the sacrifice of the Monitors of Nil.

Now, there are only 52 universes held in perfect balance in the Bleed. Only one Monitor of Nil survived, Nix Uotan, and he must recruit heroes and villains from the remaining universes to combat the new threat to the harmony of the multiverse.

His first recruit is Harbinger of the Forerunners a survivor from Earth-48, the first universe to be attacked by the new enemy. Harbinger is able to travel through the Bleed with a Monitor orb, which is an all too simple plot device used to introduce the reader to a number of the 52 universes.

The artwork by Larry Stroman and Trevor Scott in Prelude is bright and colorful from the orange blood-like Bleed portal to the sharp blue of the underwater Death Pits. The action is intriguing from blasts of energy firing out of Harbinger’s hand to the use of the Monitor orb to travel to a different universe.

Not only does writer Dan Abnett use a cliché plot device, but he bludgeons the reader over the head no less than three times letting us know the multiverse is made up of 52 universes and an unknown threat is gathering forces to destroy them. In the second story, it would have been better if the reader had not even read Prelude. Prelude takes away from Infinite Crisis.

In Infinite Crisis, the second story, Batman is on the hunt for a cat-burglar and puts his detective skills to the test in order to find out just who it is. The discovery of the burglar leads to an interesting fight sequence, where artist Szymon Kudranski showcases a unique style. A punch or kick is not shown actually making contact, but rather in the follow through after the contact has already been made. The artwork does not really do the fight as much justice as it deserves and at one point the burglar threatens to “extinguish” Batman even though Batman has roughed her up.

This threat is made even more ludicrous in a much tougher fight against Atomic Two-Face, a henchman of the unknown enemy who has been hunting down the burglar in their race to acquire powerful artifacts with the capability to be used as weapons. Atomic Two Face easily dispatches both Batman and the burglar despite the burglar’s use of the weapon against Atomic Two Face. Apparently, the artifacts are not really that powerful after all.

The ending reveals the clichéd plot device used earlier as another heroine takes up the mantle of the burglar and performs a summoning of allies. Why didn't the burglar do this in the first place? The dark atmosphere of Gotham or Gaslight Gotham created by Kudranski really attempts to save the book and constructs an air of desperation and hopelessness, however the plot holes and uninspiring action sequences are too large to ignore.

5.1	An interesting idea that falls flat with a story full of holes, and artwork, though dark, is uninspiring and unconvincing.

Review: Batman Eternal #2

Scott Snyder turns up the suspense in his second outing in Batman Eternal. The reader wants to know who this villain is. He definitely is not an outsider, but a man with deep connections to the political power circles that lead all the way to Mayor Cady’s desk. The need to find out who this man is keeps the reader’s attention while Snyder and Tynion IV continue to bring Gotham to life.

A host of characters are introduced from Vicki Vale breaking the news of Jim Gordon’s arrest in Batman Eternal #1, to Batgirl, Batwoman, Red Robin, and Lucius Fox among others finding out about the horrific train incident. Meanwhile, Batman is on detective duty interrogating Jim Gordon, who is still shaken and perplexed. Jason Fabok puts Gordon’s emotions to ink, showing him beaten down by the number of dead victims dead, but at the same time struggling to comprehend what he saw and what the recording displayed. Gordon looks into his hand visualizing and knowing the gun was in the henchman’s hand.

Snyder and Tynion IV keep the suspense flowing with a heinous monologue by our mysterious villain, who compares Gotham to the Garden of Eden where fruit is ripe for the picking, and a power structure that would test Adam himself let alone the Mayor.

The theme of introducing the cast continues, but instead of the heroes it appears the reader gets a glimpse into the villains. This reviewer was not familiar with either of the two villains introduced, one with a green suit and eyes with skulls for pupils and the other a ghastly being whose name is revealed as he sears the flesh off an inmate in Arkham.

In a novel-like transition, the story returns to Batman and he continues to investigate the subway incident. However, he has company, none other than Catwoman. The sequence calls the book for what it has been so far, tense. Catwoman is able to break the tension in an entertaining scene where she flirts with Batman, who is not having anything to do with her advances!

An interesting note, Fabok seems to have toned down Batman from the previous issue where he was raging on steroids. He is intimidating and solid, but not Hulkish in his features. Catwoman is done to a tee, from the whip around her waist to the goggles on her head; she is both lithe and muscular, what a reader expects out of Catwoman.

Finally, Snyder and Tynion IV reveal the villain they have been building the reader up for the entire time, and it does not disappoint. The war for the soul of Gotham has just begun.

7.8	The cast of characters is revealed, as Batman hunts down the new villain, who is preparing to wage a war for the soul of Gotham.

Review: Batman Eternal #1

Writers Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV start off with giving us the ending! An ending with no context triggers readers’ imaginations, wondering exactly how billionaire playboy, Bruce Wayne, has found himself in this situation. The crowning achievement of the opening page is Jason Fabok’s use of an iconic depiction that brilliantly captures the gravity of the situation. Bruce Wayne is in dire straits.

Switching gears, Snyder and Tynion IV, introduce us to Gotham and how lively it is especially at night where “there’s some shade of light coming at you.” Fabok does a great job of contrasting the Gotham, the reader sees at the end to what it is now in the present. If the magnitude of the story wasn't already setup on the first page, Fabok cements it on the second.

Following a brief introduction of one Jason Bard, Snyder and Tynion IV kick the book into high gear, with an intriguing action sequence involving a villain named Pyg, one whom this reviewer has never heard of. He seems to use some type of serum, although it is rather unclear what exactly it does. One point of contention in the sequence, is the super suit Batman seems to be occupying resembles something Ironman would use, not Batman. Not only does Batman have an Ironman suit but he seems altogether massive, there is one panel where he is running side by side with Jim Gordon and his biceps are the size of Gordon’s head!

Snyder and Tynion IV take a short break from the action, to paint a bleak picture of the GCPD in the form of Major Forbes. They quickly return to Jim Gordon, where Snyder and Tynion IV use Fabok’s art to toy with the reader a little bit, having the reader see in the art contradict the words they see on the page. Not only is the reader duped, but so is Batman.

The result leads to a great show of emotion by Jim Gordon, he is shocked, in disbelief, and emotionally distraught. The bizarreness of the sequence let Snyder and Tynion IV use Gordon as an audience surrogate, or let him address exactly what the reader is thinking. He says exactly what the reader is thinking and questions the validity of the sequence. Unfortunately, he is the only one. This sets up an ominous ending, demanding the reader to discover the Grand Design!

8.7	An exciting and action-packed story that sets up the stage for a grand tale, where Batman and will be pushed to his limits. Only held back by some artistic style choices including the largess of Batman.

Detective Comics #32 Review

Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato keep the story moving in Detective Comics #32: Icarus Part Three. Batman is in detective mode after his lengthy fight with Sumo. He even helps out our friendly or not so friendly Detective Bullock with an anonymous tip. As expected Bullock isn’t thankful at all; he is rather upset and decides to take it out on the rest of his investigative team.

The contrasting nature between Bullock and Batman is definitely a theme Manapul and Buccellato are pushing. Batman, uses his detective skills and finds leads, while Bullock bullies and orders his fellow police officers around to do the job, he should be doing!

The book shifts drastically into an emotional scene with Annette and oddly enough Batman attempting to console her on a pier. The scene is very strange, although it definitely creates a bond between the two and hints at where Manapul and Buccelatto are going to take her in the future. The scene doesn’t really engage the reader in the emotions it is attempting to harness; mainly it seems too contrived.

Following the rather lackluster sequence with Annette, Manapul and Buccelatto get back to pushing the story along and giving the reader a taste of mystery with the introduction of Wayne Enterprises employee Jeb Lester and his mysterious friend. Unlucky for Mr. Lester, Bullock actually appears to be doing his job. The mystery or Mr. Lester and his friend will have to be solved another day, since Batman is on the trail of “The Squid”.

Unfortunately, Buccellato and Manapul forego direct interaction with Alfred and instead use him as plot device to triangulate “The Squid’s” location. They do make up for it, with some comedic relief from screw-up Johnny and his antics. The comedic relief sits beside a wonderfully drawn action sequence, where the World’s Greatest Detective has to deploy all the tricks in his utility belt, and even suffer a not so subtle entrance from our favorite Kings! The dialogue through this entire sequence is absolutely wonderful and does a great job of foreshadowing the cliffhanger ending.

8.1	Detective Comics #32 has beautiful art on every page but lacks in the mystery and detective department compared to the previous issue.

Detective Comics #31 Review

Manapul and Buccellato begin Icarus Part Two smack dab in the middle of a crime scene at Wayne Manor. The reader is finally introduced to the title story line “Icarus” an addictive drug that cost the life of the investigating detective’s (a familiar face) partner six years ago.

Batman, now has a mystery on his hands, and creates an excellent opening for Manapul and Buccellato to embrace the detective in Detective Comics, which they do fabulously. The two do a remarkable job of displaying Batman’s ability to recreate the crime scene and visualize the crime as it happened. The use of panels within panels and the placement of Batman’s face above the panels really hit home his ability to visualize the crime.

The story progresses with an interesting compare and contrast between our police detective and a drug dealer, named Ash. Both are attempting to pursue the source of the Icarus narcotic, but both take different paths. Our detective attempts to interrogate a few of our street thugs from last episode, while Ash is working the streets looking for a supplier. Both paths lead to completely different results, with one being a complete shock, but a very pleasant surprise that really reinforces the Detective aspect Manapul and Buccellato are aiming at.

Detective work often leads to venturing into the dark and dirty areas of Gotham, where action is bound to occur. The creative team doesn’t disappoint when Batman follows a lead taking him to the inside of a loading container. This is no ordinary loading container but is filled with peril. The ensuing fight is a warm welcome and excellent climax to the buildup. The combination of the reds and blacks do a great job of portraying not only the violence in the scene, but also the intensity and willpower inherent in the Dark Knight. The intensity is also enhanced with the sheer number of panels with a total of 14 on one page really giving readers a blow by blow of fists smashing into heads and knees crunching into stomachs.

Manapul and Buccellato fleshed out the intriguing story line, but still kept many secrets close to the chest. They did an excellent job using the frictional relationship between Bruce Wayne and our ‘friendly’ detective to drive the story with Bruce giving some sound advice “Follow the Evidence”. Advice our hero does an excellent job of following.

8.9	Batman’s detective abilities are truly embraced, whether it is the visualization of a crime scene or just good street work. The World’s Greatest Detective is living up to his title.

Detective Comics #30 Review

Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato begin their journey into the world of Gotham with Detective Comics #30 letting the readers know flat out “It’s a new start.” And what a start it is. Manapul and Buccellato take us from a hostage rescue to the streets of Gotham for a non-stop hold your breath chase scene.

The co-artists/co-writers do an excellent job of conveying the emotions and attitudes of the characters, not only through their facial expressions, but also in the characters’ body language. The reader is easily able to recognize a range of emotions from fear to smugness. The author-artist combo do a superb job with the lighting of each panel that helps enhance the emotions the characters are feeling as well as the mood of the panels.

However, the detail in the characters wasn't the most impressionable part of the artwork. Gotham hovering in the background of every page is vibrant. People are milling around, moving from shop to shop. Gotham is very much alive.

Readers are introduced to Elena and Annie “The Eagle” Aguila. A tried and true Batman theme unfolds as Bruce Wayne negotiates a deal to improve a destitute and downtrodden area of Gotham with his vast wealth, but if only negotiating such a deal were so easy in Gotham.

Manapul and Buccellato only give three pages to introduce the villains, which raises many questions and answers little to none. Mr. Squid, in particular is ruthless and his name appears well deserved, but there is little back story fleshing his character out.

The book has very hard transitions jumping straight from one scene right into another, leaving it up to the reader’s imagination to fill in the gaps.

It takes almost the entire book but Alfred finally makes an appearance, but it is well worth the wait. Alfred is able to connect on such a deep emotional level with Bruce both through dialogue and the artwork it weighs down this reviewer’s heart.

The end of the book leaves the reader questioning what exactly happened. One might think this would be a negative, but it is Detective Comics and sets the stage wonderfully for the world’s greatest detective to prove he can live up to the title.

Detective Comics #30 is a good start for Manapul and Buccellato. They introduce a number of new characters begging to be fleshed out at the same time leaving readers with a sinister plot only the world’s greatest detective could solve.

8.6	Excellent artwork combined with great dialogue really convey the emotions of the characters, however the hard transitions and lack of character development especially of villains weakens an otherwise great book.