Review: Batwing Vol. 1- The Lost Kingdom

Quick Summary

Pros: The main conflict gets better as the book progresses. Batwing is a unique character with a compelling backstory. Some mystery keeps the story interesting and leaves the reader wanting more. Most of the artwork suits the book well.

Cons: The first two chapters are a little generic. There are a few places where the book’s visual quality drops.

Overall: This is a positive start to a series with some decent potential. Though the book starts out a little rough, it quickly recovers and begins making a serious case for itself. At this point, the main storyline gets more enjoyable, some mystery drives forward interest, and Batwing becomes a better character all around. As long as the next volume continues to deliver on these positive qualities, this series may be worth following.

Story

The initial volume in the first-ever Batwing comic book is not perfect but makes a compelling argument for the series and the characters within it. At first, Batwing Vol. 1: The Lost Kingdom, by Judd Winick, is a bit generic and doesn’t feel any different from the plethora of other comics out there with “bat” in the title. However, as it progresses, it begins to dig into the backgrounds and motivations behind the characters. While this is happening, new mysteries are introduced and the main conflict gets more enjoyable. By the end of the book, I found myself genuinely invested and was ready to read more about this new hero and the land he protects. If the series continues this upward trend of quality, it could very well be a comic book to watch out for.

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The Lost Kingdom starts out a bit generic. It has Batwing fighting villains, working as his secret identity, and getting some advice from Batman. There are a few interesting moments here and there but the first two chapters don’t define themselves as anything noteworthy.

Luckily, things start to pick up around the third chapter, when the book’s central conflict kicks up a few notches. Batwing’s fight with Massacre becomes more direct as the villain’s mission becomes more clear. Massacre is trying to kill every member of The Kingdom, a group of African superheroes who saved the country at some point in the past. This means that the battles here are often high-stakes encounters that, occasionally, throw some genuine superpowers into the mix as well.

This third chapter is also when Batwing’s past becomes a major plot point, which ends up being one of the volume’s most interesting features. Readers learn about his time as a child soldier, the death of his brother, and his attempt at dealing with the warlord who abused them both. Then, readers learn about how all of this inspired his mission to right his wrongs by becoming a police officer and, later, a vigilante.

All of this history is interesting and makes David a deeper character. His past as a child soldier is highly unique for a mainstream comic book hero and directly addresses real-world issues. His traumatic past easily justifies his modern-day mission and lets readers know all they need to know about why he is doing what he is doing. And, his potential connection to the book’s main villain gives additional meaning to all of their encounters. In general, this backstory is compelling on its own and makes the main narrative more compelling as well.

David’s history isn’t the only mystery driving forward interest in this comic. A large portion of the main volume focuses on the strange history behind The Kingdom. Though readers are told that they saved the country somehow, what exactly they did is never fully explained. Plus, there are hints that indicate the group may have done something terrible while saving the country. This mystery kept me deeply interested in what was happening throughout this comic and is one of the main reasons I am looking forward to reading the next volume.

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Art

The majority of the artwork in The Lost Kingdom looks good and suits the book well. Ben Oliver’s moody character depictions and minimal backgrounds place nearly all of the focus on the characters themselves. In a book about intense emotions, this focus is well received. Plus, gritty pencils make sure the serious nature of everything taking place is captured more accurately. The only problem is that there are a few places where the art dips into the uncanny valley and one chapter where an artist changeup creates some jarring visual style shifts. However, overall, the visuals here trend positive and assist the comic in telling its story.

Continuity

Batwing Vol. 1: The Lost Kingdom starts the Batwing New 52 series. This means that this is the first volume in a brand new continuity, so there are not many references to previous books or specific character histories.

The story started here is continued in Batwing Vol. 2: In the Shadow of the Ancients.

This volume also references another comic book, detailed below:

• Batman’s interest in David could, possibly, be explained by his involvement in the Batman Incorporated project, a major plot point from the Batman Incorporated Vol. 1: Demon Star. 
• This version of Batwing is clearly very different from the pre-New 52 version of Batwing seen in Batman Incorporated.