Batman: Rebirth #1

Comic Cartel Review

Lucky you: the folks at DC Comics are re-launching every title in their lineup this summer. And Batman starts today.

EVIL 365: Gotham City faces the threat of the Calendar Man! — @dccomicsnews official word

It was just a week ago today that DC Universe Rebirth #1 hit the stands, promising to tidy-up extraneous continuity, and chart new courses for some of DC’s most prominent characters. Lookup “prominent” in any geek’s dictionary, of course, and you’ll find a steely-eyed picture of the Batman (maybe not too much unlike the sleek cover of Batman: Rebirth #1 that hit the stands today). So yes, use any adjective you like — the Batman is adored, beloved, and, hell, maybe even worshiped by countless geeks out there, which means the masses will be paying special attention to how writers Scott Snyder and Tom King tinker with Dark Knight in this latest re-launch.

Maybe cognizant of all the eyes and expectations on them, Snyder and King have played their initial foray into this new universe a little cooler than I expected. After all, like most readers out there, I clutched the pages of Rebirth last Wednesday with a mixture of delight and trepidation as (spoiler alert) Johns established Batman as one of the central figures who might detect the shadow of Dr. Manhattan lurking just behind the curtain. But Batman: Rebirth #1 does not pick up this quest immediately, and in fact Snyder and King offer what feels like a fairly conventional Batman story here, complete with a villain, some gentle wrap-up from previous storylines, and the continued development of Duke Thomas as he continues to find his way into the Bat-Family (hint: he won’t be “just another” Robin).

Now, to be fair, “conventional” has changed for Batman — Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s run was remarkable in its ability to update villains and humanize Bruce Wayne. So although Batman: Rebirth #1 feels standard, it still feels thoroughly satisfying and Calendar Man is at the core of this accomplishment. While Calendar Man has a shtick that could easily turn goofy (for Christ’s sake, he commits crimes that correspond with Holidays), Snyder and King have made him positively spooky here and set him as a formidable villain that will test the new relationship and Batman and Duke are trying to forge.

As far as what this new relationship is, and how Batman and Duke will work together, yes, that gets alluded to, and no, it does not feel familiar. This is not Dick Grayson crying at the feet of his dead parents, or Jason Todd pulling tires off the Batmobile, or even Tim Drake out-sleuthing Batman in the Batcave. This is, as Batman puts it “something new.”

While Batman: Rebirth #1 is mostly set-up for this new arc, there is one moment speaks directly to the how Batman and Duke might work together in the future, and it happens in the last pages of the issue. I won’t ruin it for you, but I will say this: flip back through the pages of Year One and you’ll see a metaphor that Snyder and King are playing out again, and to great effect. While perennially dark, Batman is transforming, even it’s more subtle than some of the other titles out there. And we’ll have to wait and see just how.

The art, by Mikel Janin, is expressive, detailed, and rich. His work on the Calendar Man is especially wonderful; he adds weight and dread to a figure that could easily lack both. Best of all, he spends oodles of time in the Batcave, giving special attention to gritty details (and critters) that would clutter such a space. His art is a perfect fit for this script.

Batman: Rebirth #1 probably offers the least jarring transition into the post-New-52 world; Snyder and King spend more time developing Batman than they do the new universe he will ultimately fit into. And so far, it works.

Review by Max Delgado max@comiccartel.io ; Twitter: @LongBoxProject

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