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Batman Universe #1 — Brian Michael Bendis, Writer; Nick Derington, Artist; Dave Stewart, Colorist
Ratings:
Ray — 9/10
Corrina: Think I’m in a Batman Slump
Ray: Last week brought us the first of the Walmart comics, a Superman tale by Tom King and Andy Kubert. Batman Universe #1 continues the switcheroo, as regular Superman writer Brian Michael Bendis takes on a new Batman epic with former Doom Patrol artist Nick Derington. The result here is a much smoother transition and one that makes me think Bendis might be a great choice to take over the Batman line as heavily rumored. Bendis’ Batman is a lot more chatty and snarky than you’d expect from the Caped Crusader, yes, but his vision of Gotham has a fascinating electric vibe that puts it somewhere between the Golden age and the Tim Burton version, with a touch of an edgier Batman ’66 mixed in. From the opening pages, as Batman argues with Alfred from inside the Batmobile as we see the city as Batman does, it delivers on a visual level like few Batman comics do.
Corrina: I think Derington and Stewart also have a great deal to do with how this Gotham looks and feels. 🙂 I enjoyed the artwork in this issue far more than the dialogue and could have…
