All-Star Batman #11 Review

Sub-stitute Teacher

Written by: Scott Snyder
Art by: Rafael Albuquerque, Jordie Bellaire and Steve Wands
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: June 21, 2017

I really liked the start of the First Ally arc last issue and while I am sad to hear this will be the last story that Scott Snyder tells here, I am pretty sure it will go out with a bang.  We have a couple more issues left and since I am a huge Alfred fan, I am planning on soaking these up and can't wait to see what Snyder has up his sleeve.  We already have seen that Alfred has a darker past than imagined and I want more, more, more!  So, do we get just that or do I have to be content with playing my Andrea True records to get what I want?  Let's find out...



The issue opens with a very cool Alfred narration that sets the scene, but also is a cool shoutout to Batman (and even Batman Beyond) fans.  We then see that Bruce is in the same trouble we left him in last month...he is trapped inside Thatch's room (with a very dead Thatch) with no way out.  Of course, this is Batman and there is always a way out and after finding it, it's one of those out of the frying pan moments and it's pretty damn exciting!

We then head back in time to see the angry young Alfred and Scott Snyder does a great job here showing us a young man who needs his father...and never getting him.  Instead, Jarvis is "winding clocks" for the Wayne Family and seeing how angry Alfred was at that just makes me love Alfred more for what he ends up doing for Bruce.  However, not everything was milk and honey for Alfred and he ended up going down some dark paths and we see the start of the one which ties into this story.

Back to Bruce, he is saved by three very unlikely allies...Penguin, Black Mask and Great White Shark. It ties right in with Snyder's earlier stories in this book and is pretty hilarious.  They think they saved Batman who is pretending to be Hush who was pretending to be Bruce Wayne.  It's like the famous story of Charlie Chaplin losing the Charlie Chaplin lookalike contest when they tell Batman he does a poor Bruce Wayne.  It's all in the jawline, you know!  It all leads to Batman getting a lead on the Genesis Machine and the reader finding out what it is capable of.  The best part...the Black and White Gang want Batman to destroy it!

Snyder then throws a cool set piece at us as Batman infiltrates a submarine casino run by Tiger Shark.  He's too late though as the guy who killed Thatch is already taking care of business and leaves with a bang.  We are left with a huge cliffhanger that is intriguing in the present and the past and has me pumped for next issue.

I really enjoyed this story and am already enjoying it more than anything in this series up to now. Maybe its the fact that it's also a Alfred story, but I like this Batman as well.  No moping here...just a kick ass Batman who believes there is always a way out.

Rafael Albuquerque's art is also top notch.  It fits the story well and we even get the bonus of a backup story by him that may not be as interesting as the main narrative, but is worth a look.

Bits and Pieces:

I'm really having a lot of fun with this story.  Its a mystery with a ton under the surface and I can't wait for Snyder to peel the layers back some more.  I am a Rafael Albuquerque fan so this book may just have it all!  Highly recommended!

9.0/10