Comics / Comic Reviews / DC Comics

Batman #708

By Dan Horn
March 22, 2011 - 12:28

The first in a three-part crossover between Batman, Red Robin (which always brings hamburgers to mind), and Gotham City Sirens isn't a home run, but it's a great bridging point between one of DC's flagship titles and some other great, and relatively new, books. I've said it once, and I don't hesitate in reiterating that DC has got itself a fantastic stable of young titles, and it's good to see them basking a bit in the lime light of the Batsignal.

The story kicks off with Dick Grayson, the recently appointed Batman of Gotham City, reeling from a previous encounter with Azrael within the pages of the latter's eponymous series. The question that writer David Hine presents is effective enough. Is Dick Grayson really a good man? And with the coming of Azrael's former enemy, but now accomplice, Crusader, can Batman, Red Robin, and Catwoman defeat these super-powered religious extremists?

There are a lot of clues hinting at something big lurking in the background, like Dick's memories of another "boy wonder" figure who wasn't so lucky as the original Robin was, and Ra's Al Ghul's involvement with the disillusioned meta-human refugee known as Fireball. With all of this going on, I feel like Hine has really painted himself into a corner, and it already seems like it's going to turn into a mess as he tries to wrap things up in only two more issues. The story is interesting so far, but doesn't seem like much more than a Bat-book travelogue at the moment. The only thing we're missing is Batgirl. It's refreshing to have a new writer on the title, nonetheless, to say nothing of Tony Daniel's run.

Guillem March's Neil-Adams-meets-Paul-Pope-meets-Goseki-Kojima art, on the other hand, is absolutely brilliant. I've been enthralled by his work since first seeing it on the covers of Gotham City Sirens, and as his work has bled into other titles, I've grown even more enthusiastic about his incredible character designs, psychedelic palette, and East meets West sensibilities. Guillem March is an artistic dynamo whose work is well worth the cover price.

Rating: 6.5 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12