BATMAN ETERNAL #1 (REVIEW)

Batman Eternal #1

Writer: Scott Snyder
           James Tynion IV
           Ray Fawkes
           John Layman
           Tim Seeley

Artist: Jason Fabok

Cover: Jason Fabok
          Tomeu Morey



The Rundown:
The story begins where it is set to end. Batman beaten and battered, tied to a broken Bat-signal, as the city burns around him. Flash forward to the present where Harvey Bullock is picking up a new recruit who was heavily sought after by Jim Gordon himself, Jason Bard, from the train station. Elsewhere, Gordon is in the middle of a gun fight with Pyg and his henchmen, protecting some children while waiting for Batman to make his entrance. Which he does just in time to save Jim and the kids from Pyg's gun totting airplane. Batman and Gordon pursue Pyg and his men, with Gordon taking the stray and Batman focuses on apprehending Pyg. Jim Gordon follows the man onto the subway tracks and has him cornered while ordering the perp to drop his weapon. After a count of three, Gordon fires a shot, but it passes through the man, hitting an electrical box behind him. This causes an explosion and a fire to start on the tracks, quickly followed by the derailment of the approaching subway train. Batman is able to save Jim Gordon, and warn Bullock and other officers who arrived at the scene.
The damage is massive, and the death toll will be enormous. Acting quickly, Hady calls for the arrest of Commissioner James Gordon. An act that is carried out by a hesitant Jason Bard who's on his first night on the job. But, is put at ease after Jim gives him his blessing to place him under arrest. Flashback to the "end" of the story, where we once again see a bound, broken Batman with a voice asking him if he can see the grand design in it all.

The Review:
An extremely well done initial issue for the new weekly Batman series. The story felt like it was the beginning of something huge and eventful. It left us with tons of questions and of course anticipating the next issue and how all of this plays out. From page one we are left wondering who was able to get the drop on Batman and engulf Gotham City in flames. Is it a new villain? A returning villain coming back in a huge way? Even the events involving Commissioner James Gordon left us with quite a few questions. Is Jim losing his mind? If not, then who is working him this way? And even with Jason Bard, are we about to watch Jim Gordon groom his future replacement? Or is he a part of what is happening? The appearance is given, but even Bard's backstory is very similar to that of Gordon.
The art work was top notch from start to finish. With almost every single panel telling the story nicely and being visually appealing. With it being a weekly title there runs the risk of having to speed through the work, here is hoping that upcoming weeks are just as good as this one was.
Overall, it was an amazing issue, with a team of writers (although three of them are consultants) that big it is expected that the story would be up to par, and in this case went above and beyond that. As did the art, and they complimented each other nicely. What is even better, is that we won't have to wait a month to see what happens next!

For other Reviews, News and more on Comic Books, Movies, TV Shows, Video Games and even Wrestling! Head on over to The Non-Geeky Nerd and check things out!

BATMAN #29 (REVIEW)

Batman #29

Writer: Scott Snyder

Artist: Greg Capullo
          Danny Miki

Cover: Greg Capullo





The Rundown:
The story returns back to the Zero Year story arc, after a single issue preview of Batman: Eternal. Things begin with a flashback sequence, with Thomas and Martha Wayne picking up a young Bruce from the GCPD headquarters, after being picked up after sneaking off to see the Zorro film. Thomas teases his son a little bit after Bruce was asked his thoughts on the movie (a favorite of Thomas') and said that is was "dumb". Thomas says that they must see the movie again, and it must be now, ditching the fundraiser they were pulled away from.
Back to the "present", where we see Batman breaking free of his burial beneath a ton of human skeletons. He immediately contacts Jim Gordon, who is currently assisting in evacuating the city because of the Super storm that has hit. Batman tells Jim of Nygma's plans and that Jim needs to take Nygma down at Wayne Tower where he is located, but to also stop the city from turning the power back on as it will give Nygma what he needs to control Gotham. Commissioner Loeb and others are above the city in a blimp looking to take down Nygma and Batman, who he still believes are working together, when something catches the attention of everyone outside. We see a variety of panel showing people looking up in the sky as the Bat Blimp emerges from the clouds. Batman is searching for Nygma's weather balloon where there is a way to shut down his plans. Jim tries to convince Officer Corrigan to not turn the power to the city back on, but despite Gordon's pleas, Corrigan informs him that not only is the power going to be turned back on, Loeb is transferring him back to Chicago. Back on the Bat Blimp, Batman is trying to push the blimp higher and higher into the storm despite things malfunctioning and exploding. He sees the weather balloon, and is forced to make a suicidal leap and barely grapple onto the balloon. Upon his arrival he is greeted by Scar, who plans to show him how unwelcome Batman is.

At Wayne Tower, Jim confronts Nygma, who is sitting at a desk and a string wrapped around his finger. It is quickly revealed the string is attached to a bunch of pulleys all of which are holding a five ton boulder above Jim's head. The trap is unleashed, although narrowly misses Gordon, it crashes through the floor causing Jim to fall behind it. On the weather balloon, Batman and Scar are battling it out as Batman attempts to convince Scar to let him stop Nygma and his plans to kill thousands of people. It goes unwarranted as it was Nygma who helped Scar after he was fired from Wayne Enterprises, both financially and convincing him he was doing things for the greater good. Scar knocks the jammer Batman was going to use from his hands, and stops him from recovering it as it plummets off the edge. Batman kicks into gear and proceeds to break Scars bones in a variety of places, leaving him a mangled heap on the floor. Scar proclaims is change in theories after his sons life was taken so easily during a routine mission in the military, as Batman attempts a new method in shutting down Nygma's device. Scar is also snapping his bones back into place as he is talking and is able to sneak up on Batman who is focused on the device. Scar gets a few shots in before what Batman was doing explodes, engulfing Scars body with shrapnel. Batman pleads for him to remove them before his bone healing ability works against him and kills him with the shrapnel still lodged in his body. Scar refuses, asking only that Batman carry on his story, before perishing in the manner Batman said he would.

Back in the city, Corrigan and others attempt to turn the power to the city back on, but the only thing to light up was a question mark on the grid map before them. Out on the streets, Nygma is standing amongst the people leaving the city, holding the device/briefcase. He then pushes a button on his briefcase initiating and achieving control of Gotham as well as his others plans. Which at the moment consist of blowing up the retaining walls, beginning to flood the city, as well as taking control of the blimp Loeb is in, causing it to and other blimps to crash and explode. Enraged, Batman begins to pummel the device before him as we get a mix of this, the chaos amongst the city including the weather balloon beginning to fall from the sky. As well as, some flash backs to the Wayne family exiting the movie that they had set off to see earlier, including the moments when Thomas and Martha's lives were taken in front of Bruce, leaving him helpless screaming out for help.


The Review:
Another amazing issue by all talent involved in this one, as well as the Zero Year story arc which has delivered with every issue so far. Scott Snyder once again show why he was chosen to take on the writing for Batman for the relaunch and going forward. He was able to take a much over played event in Batman's history and made it feel fresh and unique, yet staying true to form with events surrounding Thomas & Martha Wayne's death. It has me intrigued as to how he has chosen to write out the rest of Bruce's traumatic moment, which was also slightly intrigued by a panel that just reminded me of The Joker. I had to go check my stash to see how long "Zero Year" has been taking place. and that is is about the same length as "Forever Evil". The difference between the two, is "Zero Year" hasn't felt that long, and leaves us wanting more of Snyder's vision of a modern aged Batman. Although there is another chapter of "Zero Year" to come, I couldn't think of what this is all building up to. Then I remembered it wasn't long ago a certain someone took a plunge in a specific vat at a known location. Just what I think, but then again I have a preference for the clowns in comics. Also, with the upcoming "Batman: Eternal" being a weekly title and dealing with the "now", it is possible "Zero Year" could be a very long ways from being done. And as long as Snyder can keep this up and have itching for the next issue, we're okay with that.
Capullo along with Miki, delivered again on the art side of things. Almost every panel was top notch, with the detail being good, even down to the water bouncing off the streets. Keeping in line with Snyder, they took a slightly overused panel, a Batman silhouette in front of a bolt of lightning, and gave it a fresh interesting look. The flashback panels were nicely done having a soft tone to them, however the panels involving Thomas and Martha's death, were intense yet subtle. Again giving it an original feel to them. Of course Capullo and Miki delivered in translating Snyder's words, telling us this great installment on the visual end of things.
Overall? Quite obvious. Great story that is a part of a great story arc, that again is just as long as "Forever Evil" yet hasn't felt that it needs to finally end. Other than the villain I mentioned above, curious to see if any other members of Batman's rogues gallery will appear within this origin based arc. That includes both new and old characters. Feel free to weigh-in with your opinions in the box below, either here or the posting that you found this. Until then...

Stay Nerdy!