Batman #41
Publisher: DC
Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Greg Capullo & FCO Plascencia
Cover: Greg Capullo & FCO Plascencia
**Minor Spoilers**
After having left the Batman titles several months ago, finding out there would be a new character in the suit that wasn’t a Bat family member made me curious and slightly skeptical. The reason for leaving had nothing to do with the quality of the title since Greg Capullo has been a favorite of mine for years and I think Snyder is pretty talented. The two have crafted some very good stories together but there are only so many hours in the day and my choice was to read more indie titles. With that said, it’s nice to see that these two haven’t lost a step and make this issue an accessible entry into the new direction of the title.
We see the new Batman on his first mission and while trying to save lives, Snyder takes us on the ride that put Jim Gordon into this new role as the Dark Knight. There was plenty of snark and doubt when the identity of the new Batman was revealed and much of that is addressed here. So considering this issue was probably completed by then just goes to show that Snyder is already ahead of the game. Gordon can barely believe it himself and his conversation with Ms. Powers begins to explain in part why he’s the man for the job. Snyder also delivers a great moment between Bullok and Gordon that is both humorous and touching when part of the conversation comes back later in the book. Snyder also introduces the new team that will be working with Jim. These two characters are his tech crew and to be honest it was nice seeing people of color in a Batman title that weren’t just background dressing or had the last name, “Fox“.
If you were wondering how the new Batsuit would look while in action then just know that Capullo just kills it! Most of the issue is Gordon in action so it was nice to see a little of what the suit can do. Now, the new design did bring about it’s fair share of jokes but Jim’s OTHER suit is very cool and should satisfy some of you Batman purists. Nothing else here is short of Capullo’s fine work that he’s been delivering in this title along with Miki and Plascencia who complete the visual package here.
Snyder and Capullo have been doing some pretty exciting things with the Batman mythos since their run began and what they’ve done here is no different. It’s something new and unexpected and brings with it doubt and some questions. A Batman that is working within the police? No Robin? NO MUSTACHE? Even with these changes this still feels very much like a Batman story and at it’s core that’s what counts. No, this may not be “your” Batman but that’s part of the fun here isn’t it? It’s expected that Bruce will return at some point but for now, Gotham and Batman seem to be in good hands with Snyder and Capullo.
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