Rating: 4.5/5 – DC’s Best Batman Book.
by ComicSpectrum reviewer Shawn Hoklas.
It’s tough not to give the nod to this being the best Batman book to come out each and every month. It has the advantage of getting some of the best writers and artists in the industry to showcase their work on one of the most recognizable characters in comics. Outside of the work that Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo put into the main Batman title, the creators involved in Batman Black and White also make this DC’s most talented book.
Paolo Rivera, Chris Weston, Len Wein and Jimmy Palmiotti are just some of the names that contribute their work to the fifth issue of this Batman Anthology. The best story of the bunch…well, that would be “I Killed the Bat” by Blair Butler and Chris Weston. It’s Batman in an EC Comics inspired story about a woman who wants to be a cartoonist, and she’ll do anything to not let her husband or Batman get in her way. The art is amazing and uses heavy shadows and an old school font to give you a Golden Age feel. And just like the EC Comics from the day, it’s heavy on the violence! Not only was it my favorite story of this particular issue, but one of my favorites of the entire series.
In a close second in terms of enjoyment, is the opening story by Ivan Brandon and Paolo Rivera. It’s such a clever tale that has you guessing up to the very end. Rivera’s Batman is the best looking Batman of the bunch. The way Rivera portrays Batman is realistic not only in his stature, but in the way he wears a belt and harness underneath the cape. It makes sense and when you see it, you wonder why it hasn’t been done before. It’s a simple touch that shows why each interpretation of the Bat can be just as good as the last.
I can’t recommend this book enough if you’re a Batman fan. In each issue of this monthly series, you can always find at least one story that makes the whole issue worth it.
Reviewed by: Shawn Hoklas
(shawn@comicspectrum.com)
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