Batman Universe #5 Review

Writer – Brian Michael Bendis
Art – Nick Derington
Colorist – Dave Stewart
Release Date – 11/6/19
Cover Price – $4.99


When DC first announced Batman Universe, I was left scratching my head. I thought maybe this was just a kind of fun read to coincide with the current Tom King run or just kind of a filler and didn’t think much of it. Being a Batman fan though, I had to check it out and see what kind of story they were going to go with and honestly, it’s been one of the most fun and entertaining runs that they are publishing right now. As of late, we’ve been getting a lot of dark and gritty Batman and this one really reminds me of a Silver age Batman story but still has all the feelings of a modern Batman story. If you haven’t gotten into this series yet, do yourself a favor and pick it up! It is well worth the read and you will find yourself having fun reading this one.

Batman Universe #5 opens up with Bruce laying in the exact spot where his parents were murdered, trying to communicate with Alfred after having been transported back to his Earth after a wild time travel experience with Green Lantern in the Wild West. Bruce’s narration as he lies there really shows us how deep his thoughts are and is a great job by the writer to help us connect to him. Batman of course recovers and then tries to track down the mysterious alien egg that has been stolen from him by Vandal Savage and we see the events that take place after Nightwing comes to help Batman recover it. During the recovery, Batman takes a gamble at what he thinks the egg is and he gets it right, but the events that follow really put him in a whole new mess of trouble that requires the Green Lantern Corp’s immediate attention.

This whole issue was just so fun to read and I was upset by how short it felt. The whole story just kept me on the hook and wanting to find out more and more about the mystery of the egg and the events that are happening around it. When I finished reading it. it just left me with that “oh man what’s gonna happen next” expression. Bendis has done an amazing job with this series with keeping the reader interested and keeping it fun at the same time.

The artwork in this one also reminds me of a more silver age Batman but drawn in a modern time. You can tell it’s a current age Batman, but the stylings and pencils feel like an older time in comics and this method was a great choice to help bring this story to life. Especially with the essence of space and time travel and alien technology. The style stays true to that type of story and is exactly what you want to see in a story like this. There is also an amazing piece of Batman and Nightwing entering a Submarine and subduing thugs and it’s a one shot meant to look like shot by shot of the action. It’s something I have never seen before and just is amazing. Panel by panel, this one is just amazing.

So, to wrap it up, the story is great and a lot of fun that carries throughout the entire series and really makes you want to continue on into the upcoming issues. The art is wonderful and really helps bring the story to life with its tones and simple but brilliant styles. This issue is a great addition to the series and a must read if you have enjoyed this series so far. If you haven’t picked this series up, you are truly missing out. Batman Universe #5 is available today so make sure to run out to your local comic shop or order it from your favorite online retailer. Be sure to let me know what you guys think of it in the comments section below!

-Wes Greer