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.