Comic Books

> > 1
BATMAN #1
Batman #1

Be here for the start of a new era for The Dark Knight from writer Scott Snyder (AMERICAN VAMPIRE, BATMAN: GATES OF GOTHAM) and artist Greg Capullo (Spawn)!

A series of brutal killings hints at an ancient conspiracy, and Batman learns that Gotham City is deadlier than he knew.

Written by SCOTT SNYDER
Art by GREG CAPULLO and JONATHAN GLAPION
Cover by GREG CAPULLO
Variant cover by ETHAN VAN SCIVER

Price: $2.99
iFanboy Community Pick of the Week Percentage: 82.6%
1924
Pulls
Avg Rating: 4.7
 
Users who pulled this comic:
 

Comments

  1. martinNL martinNL says:
    September 19, 2011 at 2:29 pm

    Only two more days and then the wait is finally over! This to me is the most anticipated book of the relaunch. Snyder rules!

  2. KenOchalek KenOchalek says:
    September 19, 2011 at 2:30 pm

    I’m trying not to inflate my expectations too high, but every tweet and bit of preview art makes me more excited for this book! I love crime fiction with a strong sense of setting, so the fact that Snyder’s going to continue developing Gotham City has me pumped.

    I still hope Scott gets to do a Gordon-fronted Gotham Central relaunch (with Francavilla) sometime in the near future (I gotta keep throwing that out there…who knows who’s reading?).

  3. TheNextChampion TheNextChampion says:
    September 19, 2011 at 2:34 pm

    Here we go! A “new” era in Batman with Scott Snyder in control. Those ramblings on twitter better work in the end Scott!

    Also, Capullo has totally won me over with the advanced previews for this and future issues. I think this is going to be a great creative team in the end.

  4. Firemass13 Firemass13 says:
    September 19, 2011 at 2:39 pm

    This is definately one of my top 3 most anticipated books in the reboot. Syder has yet to write something I dislike, so I’m sure this will be another hit…and probably better than Daniel’s Detective Comics.

  5. JimBilly4 JimBilly4 says:
    September 19, 2011 at 2:45 pm

    Bruce Wayne and a clean slate. Ok Snyder. Detective was really great. Just make it totally different but exactly the same and even more awesome. No pressure.

  6. Neeks Neeks says:
    September 19, 2011 at 3:03 pm

    So excited for this

  7. ghostmann ghostmann says:
    September 19, 2011 at 3:14 pm

    I hope Snyder can continue the awesomeness of his Detective Comics run in this new series.

    Wednesday cannot get here fast enough!

  8. FishyBoy FishyBoy says:
    September 19, 2011 at 3:19 pm

    I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep Tuesday night. I’m so excited for this!

  9. Selfstyler Selfstyler says:
    September 19, 2011 at 3:28 pm

    Not to add a largely pointless comment or anything, but…

    “YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSS!”

    That is all.

  10. KillTheG1mp KillTheG1mp says:
    September 19, 2011 at 3:33 pm

    I don’t normally do this, as usually I read my stack in the random order that my LCS owner puts them in the bag for me, but this, is going to be on the top of the stack this Wednesday!

  11. Kamilo Kamilo says:
    September 19, 2011 at 3:49 pm

    This is one of those situations where the book has been so heavily fawned over pre-release, it will have to be masterpiece level work to live up to the praise. Snyder has not-often let me down though, so Wednesday will be interesting indeed.

  12. Benjerimiah Benjerimiah says:
    September 19, 2011 at 4:08 pm

    I know Snyder is going to knock it out of the park, I’m just excited to see HOW FAR he does! SO PUMPED!

  13. AmirCat AmirCat says:
    September 19, 2011 at 4:27 pm

    I am not familiar with CAPULLO, but he has a lot of respects from some artists I know.

  14. oopsxlandmine says:
    September 19, 2011 at 4:44 pm

    its either this or detective for me. WHO WILL WIN!?

  15. RolandofGilead RolandofGilead says:
    September 19, 2011 at 4:49 pm

    I love it when Scott takes over my twitter page. I imagine him all jacked up on coffee with his ideas about to explode.

  16. Kmanifesto Kmanifesto says:
    September 19, 2011 at 5:49 pm

    My ‘Pick of the Week’!
    Can’t wait to check out Capullo’s art on this…oh, and that other guy who is writing it sounds good too :)

  17. bcoop704 bcoop704 says:
    September 19, 2011 at 5:51 pm

    This is easily my most anticipated book of the relaunch. I haven’t even read it yet, and I know that this one is going to be my pick of the week.

  18. j206 j206 says:
    September 19, 2011 at 6:55 pm

    I’ll give Capullo a shot. But I’m pretty bummed to lose the Snyder/Jock/Francavilla team. They were DC’s equivalent of Waid/Rivera/Martin, IMO.

  19. Maty. Maty. says:
    September 19, 2011 at 7:10 pm

    Man, living in Gotham must be the exciting kind of pits.

  20. aetony aetony says:
    September 19, 2011 at 10:39 pm

    http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/2011/09/19/teasing-dc-comics-the-new-52-we-look-to-the-future/

    Snyder is writing the shit out of this one!

  21. tomistommy tomistommy says:
    September 20, 2011 at 1:21 am

    Alright, Snyder. Dazzle me!

  22. oosuna oosuna says:
    September 20, 2011 at 1:32 am

    Capullo’s art looks great. I can’t wait to get my hands on this book. I’m returning to comics after being away for a while so I’m not that familiar with Snyder’s work, but with all the great things I’ve read about him I’m sure that stories will be solid.

  23. GunnerAsh GunnerAsh says:
    September 20, 2011 at 4:18 am

    Probably my most anticipated book of the new 52. Looking forward to this.

  24. sitara119 sitara119 says:
    September 20, 2011 at 5:02 am

    ohmygod.ohmygod.ohmygod.ohmygod.ohmygod.ohmygod.ohmygod.

  25. SunnyvaleTrash SunnyvaleTrash says:
    September 20, 2011 at 9:20 am

    A friend of mine lent me The Snyder/Jock/Francavilla Detective run and it is fantastic. I wasn’t planning to pick this up, but after reading about half of the Detective issues, I knew I’d be a fool to let this slip by. Haven’t seen anything of Capullo’s since Spawn, but I loved his stuff back then. This ought to be great.

  26. yyzKyle yyzKyle says:
    September 20, 2011 at 10:51 am

    This is going to be good. I don’t doubt that. I do however feel frustrated by the fact that this is exactly what Snyder was going to do prior to the relaunch. Nothing has changed at all except Batman’s confusing age and history. But as Connor always says you make your own continuity. So I will keep this in mind when I sit, read, and enjoy this book.

  27. JesTr JesTr says:
    September 20, 2011 at 10:54 am

    Can’t wait for this title! I loved Snyder on Tec and Spawn artist Capullo. I have a filling that this is going to be one sick, twisted Bat book. I’m only sticking with Batman and Nightwing.

  28. MathewParriThomas (@parricdx) says:
    September 20, 2011 at 1:20 pm

    New to comic books and using DC 52 as my launch pad. After Snyder’s Swamp Thing — and already knowing Batman for obvious non-comic book reasons — I’m stoked about this one.

  29. Wrkn4life Wrkn4life says:
    September 20, 2011 at 1:57 pm

    I hope this will be as good as DETECTIVE

  30. ghostmann ghostmann says:
    September 20, 2011 at 2:16 pm

    Last week I broke out my crystal ball and tried to predict my ratings for DC’s Week 2 number 1′s. For the most part I pretty damn close. Let’s take a look at the results shall we?

    WEEK 2
    Green Lantern
    Predicted: Story 3 – Art 5
    Gave it: Story 4 – Art 5
    so close

    Batwoman
    Predicted: Story 4 – Art 5 (POW)
    Gave it: Story 4 – Art 5 (POW)
    nailed it!

    Frankenstein
    Predicted: Story 4 – Art ?
    Gave it: Story 3 – Art 1
    totally wrong on this one. bummer

    Batman & Robin
    Predicted: Story 4 – Art 4
    Gave it: Story 3 – Art 3
    i was rooting for this one, but just didnt make it to a 4

    Demon Knights
    Predicted: Story 3 – Art 3
    Gave it: Story 4 – Art 3
    another close prediction. glad I was wrong about the story

    Grifter
    Predicted: Story 2 – Art 3
    Gave it: Story 2 – Art 2
    called it

    Resurrection Man
    Predicted: Story 3 – Art 3
    Gave it: Story 3 – Art 3
    called it again

    Red Lanterns
    Predicted: Story 3 – Art 3
    Gave it: Story 2 – Art 4
    not even close to being a 3 in the story dept

    Suicide Squad
    Predicted: Story 2 – Art 2
    Gave it: Story 2 – Art 2
    suck squad

    Superboy
    Predicted: Story 3 – Art 3
    Gave it: Story 5 – Art 3 1/2
    holy shit!

    Mister Terrific
    Predicted: Story 2 – Art 2
    Gave it: Story 2 – Art 2
    feels good to be right

    Deathstroke
    Predicted: Story 2 – Art 2
    Gave it: Story 2 – Art 3
    another near perfect prediction

    Legion Lost
    Predicted: Story 3 – Art 3
    Gave it: Story 2 – Art 3
    no surprises here

    So for here we go, time for my WEEK 3 NEW 52 PREDICTIONS! (I know you’ve been waiting with bated breath)

    Batman: Story 5 – Art 5 (POW)
    Snyder and Capullo, nuff said

    Wonder Woman: Story 4 – Art 4
    Azzarello and Chang will at last bring the cool to WW

    Nightwing: Story 3 – Art 3
    the word circus in the solicitation for this one scares me

    Catwoman: Story 3 – Art 3
    Winick brought it with Batwing, hoping we can do the same for Catwoman

    Green Lantern Corps: Story 2 – Art 3
    Saw the preview for this and I don’t have my hopes up

    DCU Presents: Story 3 – Art 3
    Deadman is starting to get on my nerves. Hoping for something new here

    Supergirl: Story 2 – Art 3
    hope I’m as wrong about supergirl as I was about Superboy

    Red Hood and the Outlaws: Story 4 – Art 5
    Ok Scott Lobdell you impressed me on Superboy, so I’m looking forward to this one. And Rocafort is the shit

    Blue Beetle: Story 2 – Art 2
    hated Tony Bernard on GLC

    Birds of Prey: Story 3 – Art 3
    I’m going middle of the road on this one. I am unfamiliar with the creative team here.

    Captain Atom: Story 2 – Art 2
    Not a fan of Krul or Williams the 3rd (and not a fan of Captain Atoms flaming hairdo)

    Legion of Superheroes: Story 3 – Art 3
    going out on a limb here

    whew

    • martinNL martinNL says:
      September 20, 2011 at 3:53 pm

      You predict the art on Captain Atom will get a two from you, saying that you don’t like JHW3′s art, but gave Batwoman’s art a 5? Huh?

    • SunnyvaleTrash SunnyvaleTrash says:
      September 20, 2011 at 4:09 pm

      Not that I’m gonna buy it, but I am happy to see Kenneth Rocafort’s name show up in the new 52. His art is great!

    • KenOchalek KenOchalek says:
      September 20, 2011 at 4:25 pm

      @ghostmann I don’t mean to be a dick….but a post that long and (mostly) off-topic probably belongs in a different thread.

    • Conor Kilpatrick Conor Kilpatrick (@cskilpatrick) says:
      September 20, 2011 at 4:28 pm

      Yeah, normally I would delete this comment for being completely off-topic. Next time post it in Paul’s DCU review article comments.

    • ghostmann ghostmann says:
      September 20, 2011 at 5:43 pm

      @martinNL – Freddie Williams III and J.H Williams III are two different guys

      @SunnyvaleTrash – yeah, I would have liked to see Rochafort on a bigger book.

      @KenOchalek – what a dick! (just kidding) that was a rather long and off topic post wasn’t it? =)

      @ConnerK – dually noted. sorry.

    • sitara119 sitara119 says:
      September 20, 2011 at 5:50 pm

      the crystal ball again?

    • ghostmann ghostmann says:
      September 20, 2011 at 8:21 pm

      @sitara – yeah, but this time I got in trouble. guess I better the ol’ crystal ball back in the box.

    • sitara119 sitara119 says:
      September 21, 2011 at 12:38 pm

      no worries, you can always break it out at paul’s dcu review. besides, getting in trouble makes you the cool kid in school. you can start wearing leather jackets and riding motorcycles and saying things like “i dont follow anybodies rules but my own, and not even those.” lol;)

  31. JudgeJoyce JudgeJoyce says:
    September 20, 2011 at 4:52 pm

    Roll on tomorrow. After the Detective run, I’m expecting a lot from this.

  32. Web420 says:
    September 20, 2011 at 7:03 pm

    cool

  33. Nightwing97 Nightwing97 says:
    September 20, 2011 at 9:04 pm

    This is the ONE book Ive been looking forward to for the relaunch! After the Black Mirror, Im expecting nothing but GOLD from Snyder!

  34. TheNextChampion TheNextChampion says:
    September 20, 2011 at 10:25 pm

    Sweet Juicy Jesus!

    This book already has 1300+ pulls and we haven’t hit Wednesday yet!

    • TomO TomO says:
      September 21, 2011 at 10:41 am

      As it stands right now (Wed morning), it looks like Snyder is in a race with himself for 3rd and 4th highest pulled book (after Justice League and Action Comics).

      DC’s gotta be thanking their lucky stars they managed to hold on to him before the Marvel juggernaut swallowed him up.

  35. SteenAR SteenAR says:
    September 21, 2011 at 3:41 am

    Anyone know when Snyder’s Detective Comics run will be traded?

  36. Gerry Lopez nudebuddha says:
    September 21, 2011 at 8:08 am

    Are people actually making the POTW’s before the book is out or are there this many people who read the book early? Am I missing something?

    • TomO TomO says:
      September 21, 2011 at 10:32 am

      You know those Brits, always looking to flaunt their 5 hour advantage.

    • sitara119 sitara119 says:
      September 21, 2011 at 11:51 am

      comic book shop owners get books on tues, thus they get a head start(not to mention the hand full of their friends that they let get their books a little early) im on the west coast and still have 2 hours b4 my shop opens. sucks

  37. koryrosh koryrosh says:
    September 21, 2011 at 2:05 pm

    Don’t get me wrong. I *LOVED* this book. Awesome. Great writing, great art. But didn’t we already do this reveal?

  38. KenOchalek KenOchalek says:
    September 21, 2011 at 3:28 pm

    Killer. The only thing that tripped me up — and it’s SUPER minor — was the relative heights of Bruce, Dick, Tim and Damian. The boys were alright, but Bruce seemed a bit on the tall side in comparison to his sons. Also loved the Batman/Gordon and Batman/Bullock scenes. I wonder why they’re cool with Batman when the rest of the GCPD (in Detective, and Batman and Robin to a lesser extent) are not?

    5/5 on all fronts.

    • ResurrectionFlan ResurrectionFlan says:
      September 21, 2011 at 4:07 pm

      Haha yeah Dick is like 5’3 ft tall and the mayoral candidate much be 7’2??? Wonky heights alright.

    • KenOchalek KenOchalek says:
      September 21, 2011 at 4:22 pm

      Yeah, it’s only a couple panels, and I know Capullo’s art is a bit more cartoony/expressive than Batman’s had lately, so it was an easy thing to look past. Dick seemed a bit younger in Nightwing as well.

      If it was at all important to nail down ages (it’s not), my preference would be to have Bruce at 35 or so, Dick at 23, Tim about 17, and Damian at 11. I haven’t read much featuring Jason Todd, so I’m not sure how he’d fit in there.

    • twopossums says:
      September 21, 2011 at 10:53 pm

      I thought the same thing in that scene. Tim and Damien were ok but I would think Dick would be almost as tall as Bruce or at least closer in height. Then take that scene and think about how tall Lincolm March must be. He towered over Bruce.

  39. jasonhart jasonhart says:
    September 21, 2011 at 3:37 pm

    This could not have been more perfect. 5/5 all around. Great job, guys!

  40. stuclach stuclach says:
    September 21, 2011 at 3:58 pm

    WOW. This issue alone makes the entire reboot worthwhile.

  41. petrorabbit petrorabbit says:
    September 21, 2011 at 4:17 pm

    The art was beyond incredible, great job.

  42. spawn spawn says:
    September 21, 2011 at 4:49 pm

    thiiiissss was good :) not quite as good as I was hoping, but this was a really strong base for what promises to be an thrillingly epic tale :) this issue got vechile moving, I cant wait till it kicks into high gear.

  43. boomergirl boomergirl says:
    September 21, 2011 at 5:00 pm

    There where so many “oh shit” moments in this first issue. It was amazing.

  44. Firemass13 Firemass13 says:
    September 21, 2011 at 6:31 pm

    Snyder did it again…that guy is like the Comic World’s Antichrist…and we’re his loyal followers. Almost makes me want for him to put out ONE bad book, just so we know he’s human. 5/5…

  45. sweetesttoaster sweetesttoaster says:
    September 21, 2011 at 6:35 pm

    God this book was amazing! Definitely my pick of the week.

  46. 400yrs 400yrs says:
    September 21, 2011 at 8:15 pm

    This is the kind of issue that makes me wish there was a rating above a 5 for the really special books.

  47. jbraun jbraun says:
    September 21, 2011 at 8:16 pm

    Came close to tears reading this, kept thinking to myself.. This couldn’t have been any better. Thank you Scott Snyder!

  48. CronyC CronyC says:
    September 21, 2011 at 9:00 pm

    Everyone seems to have enjoyed this more than I did. I love everything I’ve read from Snyder though so I trust this will come together for me by the end of this arc.

  49. twopossums says:
    September 21, 2011 at 11:06 pm

    This is the first book I’ve read this week and it’s the one to beat for my pick of the week. Wow. What a great issue. I loved the art and the writing. I just smiled throughout this entire issue.

    One thing I think is interesting to note. I’ve heard a lot on this site and around the net about how the Batman corner of the universe was untouched by the reboot. After reading this issue and Batman and Robin I don’t believe that to be true. This is a very different Batman. A Batman that is looking to the future, a Batman that smiles once in awhile. A Batman that won’t let the ghosts of the past haunt him any longer. A Batman that understands the importance of family.

    And I’m loving every minute of it.

  50. neilbeforezod neilbeforezod says:
    September 21, 2011 at 11:14 pm

    Scott Snyder laid down a fantastic script, as usual, and found a pretty clever device to bring new readers up to speed with the various Robins. I like Capullo’s pencils a lot. Hated everything I saw in previews, but he really won me over. POTW for me, and against strong competition to boot with Schism and Daredevil both being phenomenal.

    • neilbeforezod neilbeforezod says:
      September 21, 2011 at 11:21 pm

      Best book of the relaunch yet. It’s great to see the DC having both Bats and Supes being in such capable hands at the same time (doesn’t seem to happen often) with Snyder/Capullo and Morrison/Morales respectively.

  51. oopsxlandmine says:
    September 21, 2011 at 11:45 pm

    This was good. Not POTW good but I’m definitely intrigued enough to make this addition to my pull list.

  52. Zombie Jay says:
    September 21, 2011 at 11:51 pm

    friggin loved this book, great action, great story, and good characterzation. but judging by gordon’s hair and stash being brown does this book take place in the past too??? or was he de-aged as well??? very interested to see where this book goes. this and batman and robin will be my go to batman books.

    • Conor Kilpatrick Conor Kilpatrick (@cskilpatrick) says:
      September 22, 2011 at 12:01 am

      Gordon has been de-aged too. (Everyone has.) He’s had brown/red hair in all of his appearances in the New DCU.

    • KenOchalek KenOchalek says:
      September 22, 2011 at 8:05 am

      I’ve always enjoyed Jim Gordon as a character…but de-aged Ginger Jim Gordon is quickly becoming my favorite aspect of the relaunch. So many more possibilities now that he doesn’t look like a senior citizen.

  53. Limitless Limitless says:
    September 22, 2011 at 12:35 am

    Wow

  54. drdeeeznutz drdeeeznutz says:
    September 22, 2011 at 1:13 am

    Loved Riddler’s hair and it’s good to see the Pyg again. This was a very strong book but it’s gonna take me a little while getting used to CAPULLO over Jock. 4/5 preferred WW more

  55. kennyg kennyg says:
    September 22, 2011 at 1:53 am

    Man, this was fantastic. There are good writers and there are great writers, and Snyder pulled out all the stops. His experience in prose serves so well on his comic work, it’s far above what you normally get in comics.

    And the art was great too. I had some concerns, even though I was a big Spawn reader back in the day, but Capullo toned it down enough that it wasn’t too cartoony but still enough of his signature style shines through. Some of it reminded me a LOT of Frank Miller’s art in Dark Knight Returns – it was subtle, but that influence was there in some panels. A great looking book. 5/5, don’t miss it!

  56. Poopmonster Poopmonster says:
    September 22, 2011 at 4:23 am

    Good Batman story, but Capullo’s art is on point. I remember why I read Spawn now.

  57. SteenAR SteenAR says:
    September 22, 2011 at 5:12 am

    I know it’s been said about a million times on this thread already. But WOW this book was unbelievable. I’ve never been a huge fan of Batman and only read the books when Dick was Batman. This blew me away though. As much as I loved quite a few of the other books that came out this week, this book was leaps and bounds above the rest. This may even be my favorite book of the whole relaunch.

    Snyder brought it. Capullo brought it. This is a definite 5/5.

  58. Limitless Limitless says:
    September 22, 2011 at 5:22 am

    My experience with Scott Snyder consists of a few borrowed issues of American Vampire and the last few installments of Snyder’s modern masterpiece on Detective, both of which I enjoyed thoroughly. However, I couldn’t help but acknowledge the gnawing trepidation I felt that I was falling victim to other people’s lofty opinions of the work. As in the case of Jason Aaron, I was concerned I was letting hype and various other judgments color my view of Snyder’s books, fooling myself into thinking I enjoy them more than I actually do.

    After the first issues of Swamp Thing (Which I wasn’t even going to pick up but did on a whim) and Batman, I can say with 100% certainty, that my feelings towards Snyder’s writing are not only my own, but have only intensified. I have enjoyed no books from the relaunch more than Swamp Thing and Batman. For my 2.99 (or 3.99 if need be), there is no better writer working from DC, and perhaps not anywhere else.

  59. Smitty2013 Smitty2013 says:
    September 22, 2011 at 5:58 am

    I liked this comic, but didn’t care as much for the art (just my opinion). I liked the art in Detective and Batman & Robin much better, then again the story seems really good on Batman. I guess I’m just a little picky on my Batman art.
    I will continue to get this book, though.

  60. FishyBoy FishyBoy says:
    September 22, 2011 at 8:14 am

    This is the book to beat in the new 52. Capullo’s art rocked, and Snyder, as always, told a great story. It was great to see the detective doing actual DETECTIVE-EY stuff, and the introduction of all the villains in the beginning did a nice job of showing us that not too much has changed in the Bat-world (James Gordon Jr is sitting in Arkham, so THAT still happened).

    Also I liked seeing Ventriloquist and a makeshift Scarface on the cover – so hey, he’s alive and well and hopefully will be in the limelight again soon (I think Francavilla would kill it on a run with Ventriloquist and Scarface.)

    A+ : Even if I could afford only one comic a month, I would make it this one and keep reading.

  61. wallythegreenmonster wallythegreenmonster says:
    September 22, 2011 at 9:16 am

    This was a really nice 1st issue. Snyder seems to be setting up a really cool story here and i’m interested in reading more. I just loved Capulllo’s art. Its a great tone for this book….i just love the style and it has the right balance of cartoony and stylized to work for this.

    Can we redesign that death metal/video game logo please? please?……please!

    I loved the sequence in the art studio. Kinda creepy. I have one fact checker nitpick. Linseed oil is NOT a paint thinner like Turpentine. Its the polar opposite…its an extender and binding medium. The basis of the Fat over Lean oil painting principle. Not trying to be a jerk, but those sorts of factual inaccuracies take me out of a story very fast. I liked the how you used it as a plot device though.

    • TurdSandwich TurdSandwich says:
      September 22, 2011 at 12:35 pm

      I second the logo change, It just looks out of place.

    • FishyBoy FishyBoy says:
      September 22, 2011 at 1:11 pm

      I agree with the logo change. Some of the new logos, like Batgirl’s, have that computer-generated look, which looks out of place like TurdSandwich says.

    • wallythegreenmonster wallythegreenmonster says:
      September 22, 2011 at 1:30 pm

      The thing that i hate the most about it…besides the aesthetic qualities, is that the really nice Batman/Detective logos over the years have been very simple and retained some Pulp sensibilities. They visually acknowledged this history of the character and had a timeless feel to them. They kept the effects to a minimum, they didn’t try to upstage the art. They were strong and forceful, but refined. In many ways they echoed who the character is…strong but hiding in the shadows.

      This one already looks dated and unsophisticated. It really sums up the clear Berlin Wall like divide between “Lettering” and “Design” and “Typography” that exists today in comics.

    • ResurrectionFlan ResurrectionFlan says:
      September 22, 2011 at 5:04 pm

      It is strange that such a visual medium has such consistently horrible graphic design.

  62. Jason Wood Wood says:
    September 22, 2011 at 10:24 am

    An absolutely stunning, perfectly executed first issue. This was everything a 1st issue should be. We’re introduced to all the major characters, we’re given as sense of how they fit into Bruce’s life, we meet the rogue, it’s not heavy handed, and it’s wonderfully paced. Capullo has always been a STELLAR cartoonist, but I fear far too few people realize that because of so much of his career being outside the Big 2. People will now see the difference between drawing pictures in a panel grid and being a CARTOONIST. Exceptionally well done on all levels.

  63. Flash923 Flash923 says:
    September 22, 2011 at 10:56 am

    3 out of 5 for me and I will see what happens next month, I thought it was a little boring. Sorry!

    Just sayin’,

    K

  64. genelaw9 genelaw9 says:
    September 22, 2011 at 1:17 pm

    Gotham is…”Scott Snyder.”

  65. pyynk pyynk says:
    September 22, 2011 at 2:08 pm

    I’ll be the first to admit that I was really hesitant with Capullo on art. After Snyder’s run on Detective, though, I was willing to give it a shot. I’m glad I did. So many little fun tidbits, both art and writing wise on top of an intriguing, fun detective story.

  66. Funcrusher Funcrusher says:
    September 22, 2011 at 3:13 pm

    Basically, Snyder and Capullo just threw down the gauntlet here. The industry should be on notice. This was a perfect #1 issue.

  67. SuperLuigi says:
    September 22, 2011 at 5:26 pm

    AMAZING

  68. Abejarano12 Abejarano12 says:
    September 22, 2011 at 5:41 pm

    Snyder wrote an amazing book and the art was perfect. Batman is the book the everyone will sticking with.

  69. edward edward says:
    September 22, 2011 at 8:04 pm

    you know what’s tragic? Just yesterday, i had a moment where this guy a University came up and randomly asked me about the New DC comics thing.

    He said he was really interested in starting to read batman again, he dropped off because he didn’t like the convoluted stories and continuity.

    I said yeah, you should totally start again, all the time thinking about how the “soft reboot” is going to drive that dude away

    • ResurrectionFlan ResurrectionFlan says:
      September 22, 2011 at 8:07 pm

      You give humanity zero credit. If people can watch 24 and American Idol in the middle of a season they can read fucking Batman #1.

    • edward edward says:
      September 22, 2011 at 8:14 pm

      outdated tv references aside, the guy explicitly said he stop reading comics because of the shitty back stories and that he was excited for a fresh start.

      I thought if that dude picked up last week’s Batman & Robin he would said ‘what the fuck is this’ and walk away

    • ResurrectionFlan ResurrectionFlan says:
      September 22, 2011 at 10:13 pm

      I just don’t understand what is confusing about this.

      Everything is explained perfectly clearly. Snyder even uses a sort of hokey batcomputer device to spoonfeed the reader e-x-a-c-t-l-y who everyone is and what their deal is.

      The human brain is great and putting together pieces of information and drawing conclusions. If someone is hopelessly lost, which seems pretty impossible frankly, there is always Wikipedia. Which people use everyday for everything. Do you know who the mayoral candidate character is? No, because he’s a new character. Does this cause you to throw the book away in a hopeless fit of ignorance? No, because you figure he is someone that will be explored more later, as in every other linear mainstream storytelling form in society.

      Comic readers aren’t geniuses, random people are not complete morons.

      Bruce Wayne is Batman, he has to solve a murder mystery.

      The outdated tv references are useful to illustrate extremely popular shows that had multiple characters and storylines running week to week that were nevertheless gigantic hits.

    • edward edward says:
      September 22, 2011 at 11:54 pm

      jesus chirst, this shit sucks. You’re bringing your our issues to the table. i never implied anything remotely like this regular people are morons or the lack of faith in humanity tangent you going off on.

      chill the fuck out

  70. sitara119 sitara119 says:
    September 22, 2011 at 8:40 pm

    its like frank miller’s art and todd mcfarlane’s art got together, had sex, produced this love child of amazing art and yet it is uniquely capullo in everyway. sounds strange when you break it down and say it out loud, but it is true( from my perspective at least) i personally dont understand any of the negative criticisms on his style(cartoony) what does that mean? i dont get the feeling that bugs bunny is going to pop out of the next panel with elmer fudd with ridiculous yet hilarious shenanigans.

    • kennyg kennyg says:
      September 22, 2011 at 10:54 pm

      Wow, I’m glad someone else saw the Miller influence in this. Really, the whole segment of the riot in Arkham really reminded me of some of the mutant fights in TDKR. Not in an imitative way, because it was different. His work has evolved into something more than it was in Spawn. Glad he toned down the extremely cartoony aspects, this is a great mix of styles.

    • JSAkid JSAkid says:
      September 23, 2011 at 12:14 am

      lol! exactly….they’re comix, its all cartoony if this Capullo Batman is.

  71. Nightwing97 Nightwing97 says:
    September 22, 2011 at 11:28 pm

    This was an AMAZING first issue! My favorite part was the James Jr. reference! Its menial but cool!

    p.s. Batman hints to him being a new villain while he’s reading in his cell

  72. ButchCassidy ButchCassidy says:
    September 23, 2011 at 12:34 am

    Lots of fun, but I have to give it a 4 because of the art. Not very good, in my opinion. Bruce, Dick, Tim and that Lincoln guy all look pretty much the same. With a different artist this would be a 5 star book.

  73. KeMo KeMo says:
    September 23, 2011 at 5:16 am

    It wasn’t bad. I think Tony Daniel’s story in Detective was a little better, and Synder’s Swamp Thing was a bit better too. But I didn’t dislike it. I’m very interested in the story arc. I didn’t care for the art. I agree with the poster above me. All the characters looked the same, and when the whole Wayne Family was in the same frame, it’s hard to believe that Dick and Tim are so small. The art looked more like it was a mix of Batman: TAS and The Batman cartoons. I also gave it 4 stars because of the art.

  74. RickyStardust RickyStardust says:
    September 23, 2011 at 11:27 am

    I’ve given this a 4 because it was slightly let down by the art. I think Capullo is a great choice but it might take a while for him to kick in. Other than that my only gripes were that Bruce’s vision of a future of Gotham appeared to be a few massive skyscrapers…which isn’t really that architecturally interesting or socially a good idea…and also, the Wayne family…reminded me a bit of Michael Jackson and his boys…

  75. skydog skydog says:
    September 23, 2011 at 1:57 pm

    Everyone’s a critic. You can bet your ass and half a tit that all you art critics will be back for #2 though, huh? The last Batman I read before this was Miller’s Dark Knight Returns. Miller’s art was cartoony and yet the book was lauded as one of the top 10 masterpieces of all time. I looked at some of the detail in Capullo’s art with awe. Some of the angles from which the panels were drawn had a level of difficulty and competence that i found extra ordinary. The detail on anatomy, esp teeth and stuff blew me away. I remember thinking Snyder sure picked right. Wish I could say the same about my ex wife- lest I digress. I became lost in the panels of my new favorite new pancilsmith, Capullo.
    The acting equivalent of Capullo’s art would be Marlin Brando. A standard above what most will even attempt to aspire to, and fewer still will ever acheive. Take that all you insufferably arrogant critics. You poltroons need to read Scott McCloud’s, Understanding Comics.

    • wallythegreenmonster wallythegreenmonster says:
      September 23, 2011 at 2:08 pm

      i’m actually reading McCloud’s book right now. I can’t believe i waited this long. Actually i know why…the guy who originally told me to read it, was a complete DipSh#t that i hated with all my being, so i resisted! haha Learning so much from it though.

      Agree with you on Capullo’s art. I thought it was just stellar. That one that made it to panels of the week…amazing design there.

      bonus points for using “poltroons”

    • skydog skydog says:
      September 23, 2011 at 2:21 pm

      Cheers!

    • RickyStardust RickyStardust says:
      September 23, 2011 at 6:03 pm

      Yes you’re right, all of us who don’t think this is the best art ever don’t understand anything about comics and need to read Scott McCloud. Even if we’ve already read Scott McCloud. And in fact, even if we’ve seen Greg Capullo (best artist ever) do better.

    • ButchCassidy ButchCassidy says:
      September 25, 2011 at 6:15 pm

      Will reading Scott McCloud’s book help me understand why he drew 4 characters who look virtually identical, except for slightly different heights? You’re right though, I will be back next month, but trust me… It isn’t for the art.

    • sitara119 sitara119 says:
      September 25, 2011 at 7:10 pm

      i think capullo would be james dean and todd mcfarlane would be brando. but an awesome analogy all the same! the paltroons can sulk some more next issue while they’re pre-ordering issue 3! lol. liten up fellas! its just a GREAT COMIC!

  76. Arrrggghhh Arrrggghhh says:
    September 23, 2011 at 3:04 pm

    I thought this was a very good issue, but nothing really wow’d me.
    I think the artwork at times looked great — especially the action scenes; But the body size/proportions, the “Clark” looking Lincoln March and feminine eyes/lips on male characters took me out of the story a bit.
    I will definitely stay with this title (always have) – but I’m just not as excited as the majority here seems to be.

  77. Baldrick says:
    September 23, 2011 at 3:06 pm

    Simply Brilliant.

  78. JNewcomb JNewcomb says:
    September 23, 2011 at 4:18 pm

    Very well done, but I’ll be watching how the supporting cast is handled in subsequent issues. That will be the deciding factor. If the robins and ilk are front and center, it may not be for me.

  79. martinNL martinNL says:
    September 23, 2011 at 5:17 pm

    Totally loved this!! Best book so far that I’ve read of the new 52.

  80. mithrandir mithrandir says:
    September 23, 2011 at 8:24 pm

    This had a very different feel than Synder’s run on Detective. It seems like its being done on a larger more epic scale and the difference between Capullo’s art and the art of Jock/Francesco gives the book a very different feel. I loved the Detective run and think this is gonna be awesome but in a very different sort of way. Can’t wait for next month!

  81. sitara119 sitara119 says:
    September 23, 2011 at 8:41 pm

    when i saw the human dart board, so to speak, i was reminded of the movie seven. anyone else get that feel or was it just me?

  82. CaseyJustice CaseyJustice says:
    September 23, 2011 at 10:10 pm

    Man, this was just a perfect Batman issue. And not sad, brooding 90′s Batman. I’m talkin’ about pimptastic Batman Inc. Batman!

  83. ComicGeek1975 ComicGeek1975 says:
    September 24, 2011 at 9:55 am

    What an excellent start! Sweet!

  84. browardcounty says:
    September 25, 2011 at 12:26 pm

    This book was everything I expected from Snyder from start to finish. Filled with mystery, top notch dialogue, and a shocking cliff hanger. Making me eagerly await next month!

  85. zattaric zattaric says:
    September 25, 2011 at 4:03 pm

    This book just proves that I am not a Batman fan. You all loved it. I put it down in the middle of reading to move onto another book and then forgot I didn’t finish it. I wanted to love it, but iwas bored. I’ll leave this book to the rest of you. I’m done.

  86. LENNYSERNA LENNYSERNA says:
    September 25, 2011 at 10:27 pm

    The book wasn’t the best of Batman; for a number 1 issue reboot……it was a bit slow. The beginning was interesting but from the middle to the end…….I almost fell asleep. Not too happy with this reboot D.C.

  87. ssnyder1835 ssnyder1835 says:
    September 25, 2011 at 10:57 pm

    Just want to say thanks to everyone for the kind words on BATMAN 1. Means a lot to all of us. S

  88. TomO TomO says:
    September 26, 2011 at 2:59 pm

    Wow, the highest pulled (so far) of the New 52 so far!

    Congrats Snyder and Capullo!

Leave a Comment