CREDIT: DC Comics
Rating: 4/5 – Batman Eternal is Hitting its Stride.
by ComicSpectrum senior reviewer Shawn Hoklas.
This thirty sixth issue of Batman Eternal wraps up a lot of what’s been going on over the past few months, while at the same time giving readers a cliffhanger that looks to move us into the next and possibly final arc by revealing the big villain behind everything that’s happened up till now. In addition, this issue finally gives us the motivations and origin behind Jason Bard’s intense hatred of, and desire for taking down, the Batman.
Batman Eternal has had it ups and downs, but over the course of the last ten issues or so has really found a nice rhythm to the pacing and balance. There are a lot of plots and subplots going on in this series and at times the balancing of them can tip in one direction or another, sometimes on a plot point that may not be as compelling as the other. In this issue just a couple plot points are explored and the amount of time spent on Bard and the Batman family gives it a complete and satisfying feel and seeing all of the Batman family together, even if for a limited time, shows how powerful they can be.
After an opening scene with Harper and her sick brother, we move right into the action and ultimately into Bard’s story. Penciller Fernando Blanco does a great job with pencils and layouts, especially with all the characters involved. Writers Scott Snyder, James Tynion and more’s script includes over a dozen speaking characters and Blanco gives each of them their unique look. His portrayal of Harper, although short, stands out amongst the rest and makes you wish he’d get another chance to leave his mark on the character.
This was an exciting finish to one of the larger parts of the Batman Eternal story, and with just a little more over a quarter of the way to go, it feels as though we’re heading into the final part. Batman Eternal has built up quite a bit of momentum heading into this issue, and although it concludes quite a bit, there is still a way to go to the end. There’s plenty of Batman and Batman related books on the stands right now and Batman Eternal is one of the books a Batman fan should be reading.
Reviewed by: Shawn Hoklas
(shawn@comicspectrum.com)
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