BATMAN #33
Writer- Scott Snyder
Pencils- Greg Capullo
Inker- Danny Miki
Colorist- FCO Plascencia
Review by Justin Townson
Wow. Just wow.
There aren’t enough good things for me to say about this run on Batman by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo. I wasn’t originally taken with the idea of yet another origin story of Batman, but the execution of the first few issues of Zero Year pulled me in and I haven’t looked back. After almost a year of storytelling we’ve come to the finale of this tale and I found the ending to be nothing short of magnificent.
In my opinion what’s made Zero Year so good was the portrayal of not only Batman, but Bruce as well. This isn’t the same Batman we’ve read earlier in the series, the Batman we all know. This is an inexperienced Batman who doesn’t always have all the answers; he doesn’t always win his battles. He has to rely on the allies he’s reluctantly made along the way. Here, in this issue we see Batman finally confront The Riddler face to face and has to match wits with him as the very real fate of Gotham is on the line. It’s a tense standoff that is written and plays out extremely well. Greg Capullo had tweeted out yesterday that the ending of this issue made him and Snyder tear up. I wondered what could they do that elicit such emotion? Well, when I got there I found out what it was. An incredibly moving page that could be framed on my wall any day. While the story of Zero Year was incredible and the conclusion of The Riddler’s reign was very satisfying, the very end of the issue that makes the whole thing stand out. The last few pages make you wonder, what would you actually sacrifice for the greater good?
Before we talk about the interior artwork, can we just take a minute and have a look at that cover? Batman flanked by two lions?How awesome is that?
Over the course of this entire run we’ve been treated to some amazing artwork by Greg Capullo. His take on Batman is unique enough that it stands out on its own and is instantly recognizable. While so much has been said about the amazing designs and pencils, the part of Zero Year that has stood out to me has been the color work. FCO Plascencia’s color work added with Danny Miki’s inks have given us a Gotham unlike any other. Bright, vibrant and full of warmth the entire run of Zero Year has been so beautifully colored and illustrated I don’t know if I can ever go back to the dark dreary Gotham of old.
VERDICT
BUY BUY BUY. If you aren’t reading Batman, I would ask that you reevaluate your life and the choices you’ve made that have brought you to a place where you are not reading this excellent book. While many including myself wanted nothing to do with another origin story, Zero Year showed us there is still excitement in origins.
