A comiXologist recommends…
BATMAN #21 by Tom King, Jason Fabok, & Brad Anderson
Holy crap, what an amazing issue! After the unbelievable bombshells that dropped in DCU Rebirth, the new DC Universe stayed in a holding pattern for a bit while the characters settled into their new status quo. Batman #21 brings us back to those electrifying and world-changing storylines. The book starts with an ominous prophecy from a fan favorite legacy character and then leads into the dark mystery surrounding the bloody Watchmen button found at the end of Rebirth. This issue does not fail to deliver on the promises set up in Rebirth. The weight of the revelations are profound and are sure to lay the base for all the upcoming heavy-hitting arcs that spread throughout the DCU.
Not into crossovers? Totally fine. This issue definitely stands up on its own as well. In fact, it’s impressive how far the storytelling pushes the limits of what comics can do. Without giving anything away, Batman has a pretty crazy fight scene in this book. It is, with no exaggeration, one the most impressive comic book fight scenes that I’ve ever seen. The way the artist and writer play with the progression of time and set up driving elements is stellar. I found myself on the edge of my seat with this book, more eager than I’ve ever been to turn the page and see what happens next.
I can’t fully articulate what a pleasure this book was to read, and how excited I am for the next issue. From the deep mystery surrounding the Comedian’s button buried in the Batcave wall, to the return of some really important characters long thought gone or erased, to the way the storytelling was done in this issue, Batman #21 is worth every bit of the marketing campaign that DC has thrown behind it.
Jonah Chuang is a Technical Account Manager at comiXology. He’s a bigger Superman fan than a Batman fan, but this book might change that.