All Star Batman #1
Quick Summary
Pros: This story manages to tell a compelling tale about one big villain while also incorporating many of Batman’s C and D-list villains who we never get to see.
Cons: Some may not like the story’s enigmatic portions and may leave the reading experience wondering where the rest of the Bat-family is in all of this.
Overall: Although confusion and questions abound, this story will pull you in and leaving you waiting on the edge of your seat for the craziness in the next issue. With all of the mystery introduced here, I honestly cannot wait for the next issue.
Story
Batman has left the building and is ready for something new. This story tosses you into an intense mental struggle between two old friends on an epic and deadly road trip. I was really looking forward to this story, since it was announced and am happy to say that it absolutely lived up to expectation. The story provides wonderful story outside of Gotham that manages to focus on a main villain but also include smaller villains who are mostly absent from modern Batman stories.
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I really like the main story provided in this issue. It feels as if you are reading a summer action movie but in comic book form. It is action packed and pulse pounding as Batman tackles enemy after enemy yet also has time to develop an interesting backstory, which is where this story really succeeds. The main plot had enough substantial moments to make up an action packed issue by itself, such as when Batman tears apart Black Spider with a chainsaw. However it also it sowing the seeds to a larger scheme and giving the reader enough mystery to keep coming back for more, like the question of why Alfred is crying.
In addition, the backup story seems pretty interesting as well. Although Duke is not my favorite character, I do find him interesting and would like to see some additional character development for him, especially by the man who created him. I especially find the concept of the “Cursed Wheel”, the enhanced training process that Batman puts all of his acolytes through, to be extremely interesting and it something I am really looking forward to seeing more about.
One of this book’s biggest criticisms is how the story is somewhat confusing and starts with very little context or explanation. Some may not like this because it makes for a more troubling initial reading experience, however I ended up appreciating it instead. It reminded me of Grant Morrison’s Batman series, where things would start confusing but by the end of the story would be clear and actually make for a more rewarding re-reading experience, something I am hoping for from this.
Another criticism which may or may not be deserved comes from the fact that the entire Bat-family is mostly discarded in exchange for some more Duke character development. Maybe its because I am just used to Snyder doing this or maybe it just works better in this story but I was not as bother by this as I usually am. I find it more fitting for this book to do this, since it is divorced from the main Batman title and is more of a side story than anything else.
Overall I am looking to see more from this series and plan on continuing to pick it up. I would recommend this first issue to anyone to try out, however if you were not a fan of Scott Snyder’s previous Batman works then you might not like this either. So go check this one out, even if it’s just to see a chainsaw-wielding Batman jumping out of a wheat field at an enemy.
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Art
If the story did not convince you that we have left Gotham then the art surly will. The art trades the typical grey and black tones of Gotham for some blues and yellows in the countryside. This allows for some really stunning imagery, specifically panels where we get to see landscapes. Romita Jr. does really well in this issue, in particular views of the farmland and outside look really stellar.
The art is not without its problems though as faces, especially those of minor characters, end up looking weird. In contrast to the scenery, individual people end up not looking as nice or polished. However since masks hide most faces, this is really only a noticeable problem in minor characters and does not really effect the reading experience.
Continuity
Since this is a new series meant to be cut off from the rest of the Batman Universe in Rebirth, there are not many connections to be made here. However, parts of this do involve Snyder going back to some characters and unfinished stories from his work on Batman. This means you may be a tiny bit confused if you have not read any of Scott Snyder’s Batman.
- Duke Thomas is a character first appearing in Scott Snyder’s run on Batman. However the only thing about his character that directly relates to this work happens in Batman: Rebirth #1, which is collected in either Batman Vol. 10: Epilogue or Batman Vol. 1: I am Gotham.
- If you really want to know about Duke’s journey so far, he makes some scattered appearances through Scott Snyder’s Batman.
- The smaller ones can be found in:
- The larger ones can be found in: