The thing I was worried about the most for this mini was not the next reveal for Batman and Robin but.....Can Tony Daniel actually write a story? There was no indication that he could and this is his first attempt. It also doesnt help his first attempt is a Batman mini where it will change the status quo for the entire Bat Universe.

After reading this issue however, not only do I think Daniel accomplished in writing a good mini, but he actually made me have fun with this as well. Right from the start we can tell that Daniel is influenced a little by Morrison; by using the Knight and Squire (two characters I loved in general during Morrison's run). Here this issue is basically setting us up for the next as we're introduced to the stakes involved. Someone is pretending to be Batman while also cleaning up the city with the other members of the Bat family. The city of Gotham is going to hell (even more so) since the death of Batman. Plus we get one shocking reveal in this issue: The villains get freed from their captures and are force to join up with: Black Mask!? What the hell!? He's suppose to be dead! Obviously there's more to this 'revival' to Black Mask then it meets the eye. But as much as it annoyed me they brought a character who clearly died by being shot point blank in the head....it's still fun to see a great character come back from the grave.

Fun pretty much describes this issue for me. Daniel knows how to script fight scenes and we get a bunch of them in this issue. He has a great voice for the villains like Black Mask or Killer Croc. Plus so far he's doing a much better job at giving a voice for Nightwing then anyone else who has taken over the Bat titles since Morrison left. So far there is no indication on who the next Batman is going to be and that's all for the better. It gives a more sense of mystery on what is going to ultimately happen. Two things that did bug me about this issue: 1) Who is that Batman we see in the middle of this? It must be the armor Batman at the end of this issue but that is never really addressed. 2) Damien for some reason has turned into a different character. He's not a whiny or bratty child anymore but a bumbling and cartoony sidekick. I dont know what Daniel though for Damien but the different in that kid bugged me to no end.

The art is pretty much what we expect from Daniel: Beautiful to look at and has some great detail. From the start we get great panel layouts and other then the Batman sequence I mentioned above, nothing is really confusing to look at. The characters are beautiful to look at, even if the women in here are a bit too cheesecake for me. The colors are bright and it fits of the overall action of the book. This issue never lets up on the first page and it definitely feels like your watching a big action film.

So for the first big step in the big status quo change it's thumbs up for me. The overlining plot point of 'Who is the next Batman?' is shaping up to be a real mystery. Nothing is overly hinted at and no one seems to be willing to want to put on the cape and cowl. One thing is for certain though, Tony Daniel definitely knows how to write a comic book. It was a daring first try for him and he definitely gave it is all to make this worth the while for all Batman fans. Who knows where this mini will take us and what will happen in the long run. As it is for now, this is definitely a great start for hopefully a great new run for Batman.