Batman #34
Written by: Scott Snyder & Gerry Duggan
Art by: Matteo Scalera & Lee Loughridge
It's been awhile since we've had a one-off Batman story on the flagship Batman title. Not since issue #18 (I'm not including obligatory Villains Month issues, or the Batman Eternal tease). That's a really long time, over a year! Anyways, I'm glad to have it! Issue #34 was a quiet and disturbing detective story that grabs you from the beginning and doesn't let go. This is thanks to the enticing story by Scott Snyder and Gerry Duggan. We get to see a Batman who is wrapped up in everything: the Joker is still missing, Batman Eternal is in full swing. Still, he finds time to help the unseen and the meek from a vicious killer. That's why this issue is so special, it's too remind us that Batman isn't always involved in catastophic events. As he says in the story, "I can't fix this city in one night...but I can find one killer."
Also of note, Matteo Scalera just absolutely rocks it on this issue. He has been on a hot streak with Black Science over at Image, but he seems like he was born to draw the gritty streets of Gotham. Together with Lee Loughridge's colors, we're treated to a cinematic view of Gotham along the lines of Se7en. It's horrifying and real, but something you feel drawn to, as if we citizens of Gotham ourselves.
With Endgame being the next big arc for Snyder, it sounds like it's going to be a game-changer. Hopefully, it will set up a possiblity for more one-off stories from the team just like this one. It showcases why Batman is who he is. Even during massive events, Batman can never forget to help the invisible, the meek.
F.D. White is a comics writer currently working on several shorts: "Gone Fishing", "War Games", and "Bodies". You can follow him on Twitter @fdwhite19
Art by: Matteo Scalera & Lee Loughridge
It's been awhile since we've had a one-off Batman story on the flagship Batman title. Not since issue #18 (I'm not including obligatory Villains Month issues, or the Batman Eternal tease). That's a really long time, over a year! Anyways, I'm glad to have it! Issue #34 was a quiet and disturbing detective story that grabs you from the beginning and doesn't let go. This is thanks to the enticing story by Scott Snyder and Gerry Duggan. We get to see a Batman who is wrapped up in everything: the Joker is still missing, Batman Eternal is in full swing. Still, he finds time to help the unseen and the meek from a vicious killer. That's why this issue is so special, it's too remind us that Batman isn't always involved in catastophic events. As he says in the story, "I can't fix this city in one night...but I can find one killer."
Also of note, Matteo Scalera just absolutely rocks it on this issue. He has been on a hot streak with Black Science over at Image, but he seems like he was born to draw the gritty streets of Gotham. Together with Lee Loughridge's colors, we're treated to a cinematic view of Gotham along the lines of Se7en. It's horrifying and real, but something you feel drawn to, as if we citizens of Gotham ourselves.
With Endgame being the next big arc for Snyder, it sounds like it's going to be a game-changer. Hopefully, it will set up a possiblity for more one-off stories from the team just like this one. It showcases why Batman is who he is. Even during massive events, Batman can never forget to help the invisible, the meek.
F.D. White is a comics writer currently working on several shorts: "Gone Fishing", "War Games", and "Bodies". You can follow him on Twitter @fdwhite19
A Look Inside
