Title: Blackest Night Batman (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Pete Tomasi (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Dan Phillips (Don't click it, read the review here... )
Review: Blackest Night: Batman #1
- The first of Blackest Night's main tie-in series debuts.
Is there a more divisive and complicated topic in all of mainstream superhero comics than the question of event tie-ins?
Fans want an event's supplementary books to be worthwhile and important to the main story, but feel slighted when they're forced to buy too many books in order to follow along. They want an event to feel massive and epic, yet they balk whenever it consumes too much of their favorite fictional universe. To date, neither Marvel nor DC has been able to arrive at the perfect middle ground, and for that reason, the subject of tie-ins is one of the first things fans bring up whenever the latest crossover/event is announced. Blackest Night has been no exception.
On the heels of Blackest Night's first tie-in miniseries, the disappointing Tales of the Corps, comes Blackest Night: Batman, the first of a line of three-part miniseries designed to flesh out DC's latest event in a way that Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps won't. Upon the announcement of these projects, fans had little idea how these tie-ins would work alongside Geoff Johns' main story other than that they'd feature certain main characters like Batman, Superman and the Titans. The most logical comparison to draw right off the bat was with Secret Invasion's similarly titled supplementary books such as Secret Invasion: Amazing Spider-Man and Secret Invasion: Fantastic Four, which accomplished virtually nothing other than to remind readers that these characters were at least up to something during the Skrull's invasion of Earth.
From the looks of Blackest Night: Batman #1, DC has a lot more in mind for these tie-ins. In other words: so far, so good.
Blackest Night: Batman has one very important thing going for it: its main character has yet to appear in Blackest Night proper. This means the book doesn't feel the least bit derivative, and it allows Peter Tomasi to add something new to the greater picture of Blackest Night – namely Dick Grayson and Damien Wayne's emotional response to the burgeoning crisis. The issue proves that, at the very least, these tie-in miniseries have been well thought out, leaving talented writers like Tomasi the room to add some emotional and dramatic weight to this story.
More importantly, the issue also manages to reveal a little about Blackest Night's central mystery through the use of Deadman, meaning it's a tad more than just emotional padding. As many have already realized, Boston Brand's involvement in Blackest Night immediately calls to question the exact nature of the Black Lanterns, and the way his spirit struggles with his possessed and resurrected body in this issue does a wonderful job of heightening the intrigue of this question without answering it outright.
But above all else, Blackest Night: Batman is a fantastic exploration of the new Batman and Robin. By focusing on Dick and Damien's unique emotional responses to the sight Bruce Wayne's dug-up corpse and the possible resurrection of their loved ones, Tomasi is able to say a lot about the characters. Damien in particular really shines as a complex character in this issue, the highlight of the book coming when Boston Brand makes some pointed observations about the troubled kid after possessing his body.
The art, by Ardian Saef, is traditional superhero stuff, but his steady and capable visuals are definitely nothing to frown upon. With the help of inkers John Dell and Vicente Cifuentes and colorist Nei Ruffino, Saef brings a suitably dark, horrific look to the book, making the story feel very much like a terrifying nightmare.
For fans worried about how Blackest Night tie-ins will work moving forward, Blackest Night: Batman should go along way towards easing many concerns. If the rest of the event's tie-ins turn out to be this strong and worthwhile, fans are in for a hell of a ride.
More info:
- Art by Ardian Saef
Inkers: John Dell and Vicente Cifuentes
Colorist: Nei Ruffino
Publisher: