Batman #15

Writer: Scott Snyder

Artist: Greg Capullo

It's here! It's here! After a grueling month long wait Batman is finally back for more Death of the Family. Before I dive into the review, I just want to commend DC on their monthly shipping schedule. The consistency of when to expect a title and the fact that there hasn't been a delay on a AAA title since early Justice League shows how dedicated they are to keeping with deadlines. The first week of the month is Rotworld week and then second week is Batman week and knowing its 99.9% going to come out when it says really helps in ramping up the hype machine inside of me. 

But back to Batman, and as you can guess I loved it.  Everything about this book is top notch. The cover, the art, the writing, and even the backup story are some of the best you'll find this month.  Without even being close to ending, this arc is one of the best storylines of the year.  I have read alot of Batman v Joker stories but Death of the Family still feels fresh.

Snyder is naturally at the top of his game.  The first page sets the tone for the whole issue. One of the strongest parts of the book, and his overall run with new 52 Batman, has been the way he has handled Batman's inner dialogue. Batmans hyper-analyzation of almost every action a person makes or recreating a scene from the past is exhilarating to read. My personal favorite had to be the comparison of Joker's eyes to 'normal' eyes. Combining the dialogue with the art of Capullo truely made it haunting.  I'm surprised at how original the story feels to me. Batman's trust is being tested by the Joker. Batman in himself and also his most trusted Bat-family are now doubting who he is a decision maker and his psyche. There are always subplots with squabbles with Batman and one of his many sidekicks, but this feels so much different. 

Not to say it's perfect though, even Batman had some shortcomings. As a part of a larger story, this was an extremely solid chapter that really built towards the grandiose ending. But as a 20 page story, it doesnt quite hold up. It starts off right at the end of an action scene and the other plots, while very entertaining, are there for the purpose of continuing the main larger story. If I was reviewing the whole death of the the family arc, I wouldnt have this problem. But since I am tasked of reviewing just these 20 odd pages, I should bring it up. Snyder's previous Court of the Owls arc had the same problem and I know some people prefer more one and done or shorter arcs, but these longer drawn out arcs are right up my alley.  The flashback scene also didn't quite work for me. The story and dialogue completely did but with it being a nod to a previous old storyline they decided to keep the 'campy' feel of the original story. With a story so grim and gritty, and combined with Capullo's art style, those few pages of the flashback really stuck out. 

For the art, people will talk about the art of Greg Capullo for years to come. He is perfect for Batman. Each panel is the best panel of the comic, until you look at the next panel. His Joker could be my favorite Joker ever. The little details are everywhere to be appreciated. Joker's face 'handling' Batman's punches to the face is one of the many reasons to love the art on this book. I'll stop here and keep it short and sweet because I go on for days about his art.

The ending! That ending! While it didn't have the shock value reveal or insane splash page, it set up so much more. I literally have no idea what could be waiting for Batman in issue 16. One thing is for sure though, it's going to be a LONG month waiting til the 2nd week of January to find out.

Related Reviews:

Batman #14

Batman #13