Batman Weekly or Weakly?
Written by: Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Ray Fawkes, John Layman and Tim Seeley
Art by: Jason Fabok, Brad Anderson and Nick J. Napolitano
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: April 9, 2014
Since we got Dark Days: The Forge this week, I thought I'd travel back to what was a year long Batman event...Batman Eternal. This first issue got us up and running and as you'll read, I was pretty pumped. It may not have turned into the GCPD book I was hoping we'd get, but at least I started out excited.
I know, We need another Batman book like we need...an awesome weekly book featuring the Gotham Police Department as much as the Dark Knight. That's right, I've been pretty stoked (is that a word anymore?) for Batman Eternal and now that it's here I can tell you, it's worth the wait even if it has a few flaws.
A new Lieutenant, Jason Bard, has arrived in Gotham and he's looking to meet Jim Gordon. However, Gordon is a little busy fighting Professor Pyg with Batman. The story cuts back-and-forth between Bard meeting the GCPD and Batman and Gordon taking care of Pyg. Bard quickly finds out that Gotham may look shiny, but it has a dark side. Gordon finds out that everything isn't really what you see with deadly results. At the end, the two cops finally meet, but it's not what either would have guessed even if it is exactly what the reader would.
Scott Snyder, James Tynion and crew do a really good job with this issue. I love that it's not just "another" Batman book. If this first issue is any indication (and I think it is), this book will be just as much about the inner workings of the GCPD as it is about Batman. Awesome.
What I don't like about this issue has nothing to do with the actual issue. It has to do with the constant spoiling of this series and this issue in particular. We've seen Gordon in cuffs since Thanksgiving and last weeks New 52 News completely spoiled the ending. By that I mean it had the actual ending in last week's books. Seriously, most readers knew exactly what would happen before opening this issue. Great job DC.
Even though it was spoiled, the ending is still great and I can't wait to see how it plays out. Is Jason Bard going to be Gordon's (and Gotham's) savior or will he succumb to dark temptation? The way the book begins and ends, I'm not so sure yet. Snyder and Company are setting this book up to be more than just a weekly cash grab, it is already changing the Bat Universe.
Jason Fabok's art is so good. I hope he can keep it up weekly because everything looks great, from Batman to Gotham itself.
Bits and Pieces:
Scott Snyder and Company gives us a weekly book that's as much GCPD as it is Batman. Count me in. I just wish DC didn't completely spoil this issue's awesome ending, but it's still great and will have me grabbing next weeks issue to see what happens.
8.0/10
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