Script: Scott Snyder
Pencils: John Romita Jr.
Inks:Danny Miki
Colors: Dean White
Letters: Steve Wands
All-Star Batman continues with the stories that Scott Snyder has to tell. His run with Greg Capullo is wonderful and now, we are at part four of the new chapter. In this issue, Batman needs Duke to help him out and rescue him. He’s temporarily blind, but still pushes through, which is no surprise when it comes to Batman. There are even some touching moments between Duke and Batman. Not to mention, the little stories that focus on Duke at the end have been nice. This run might not be as great as his New 52 run, but it’s still worth giving a shot.
Scott Snyder has made a name for himself, especially when it comes to Batman. There’s no denying that the guy can write a story. All-Star Batman is one of many in the Bat-family titles and so far doesn’t immediately tie in. With this, Batman, and Detective Comics, it’s hard to choose which to follow if you aren’t into the idea of following all of them. The team of Snyder and Romita Jr. always deserves a chance, though. Both are excellent at their craft. While Romita Jr. is likely more well-known for Marvel comics, he does a fine job here.
Let’s focus on the characters for a bit. Batman and Duke are on one side (along with Alfred, as usual) and there are countless bad guys on the other. We see some of Batman’s biggest enemies and there seems to be no need for Joker. A lot of the greatest Batman stories involve Joker somehow, but it’s nice to get a break from seeing him directly in these new issues. Yes, there’s a mention of him, but it remains just that.
As someone who hasn’t been into comics very long, Batman quickly became a main focus and a favorite character. My plan is to see this series all the way through whether it’s issue to issue or in trades down the road. It’s a little rough to start, but with this fourth issue, it appears to be improving.
Verdict: Check it out. I think this comic is worth a little bit of your time. If you haven’t read all of the issues yet, I suggest reading up through this one at least. It may pull you in or it may not, but Snyder has proven himself to be a great Batman writer and he deserves a chance to wow us with even more stories.
