by Alexander Storm
New writer, new artist, new look, and a brand-new Issue One. But the true question about Batman Issue One, Volume Four: did we really need another reboot?
Matt Fraction returns to comics, and he’s brought along artist supreme Jorge Jimenez. Batman has gone through many changes over his 85 years in comics, but this reboot doesn’t feel as intrusive as some of the others. Batman gets a throwback to his colors of yesteryear—more grey and blue, more Neil Adams than Jim Lee—and I like it.
Let’s get to the good and the bad.
Good
This is all Jorge Jimenez. His art is clean, with the flair of classic artists, yet still distinctly his own. Jorge knows Batman. Batman is big, imposing. Gotham City feels more like a metropolis than an urban crime hellhole. This issue also introduces a brand-new Batmobile design (too bad McFarlane Toys won’t be able to bring this one to life).
We also get more redesigns for classic Batman villain Killer Croc, breathing new life into the character. I could go on and on, but you get the point.
Bad
Unfortunately, this issue is lacking in the writing. It never really felt like a relaunch or a new Issue One—it felt more like a standard entry in any other Batman run. Matt Fraction is an excellent writer, and I was excited to see his take, but like a Netflix streaming series, this issue started slow.
Now, call me a purist, but Issue One needs to draw the reader in, and this issue falls flat. It feels more like long-game setup than a reason to buy Issue Two.
To be fair, though, Matt added some great touches—like spotlighting Batman’s tech and introducing A.I. Alfred (yes, you heard me). He also brought a more human quality by showing Batman de-escalate Killer Croc without force. See? Batman can grow.
So, let’s rate this issue:
