BATMAN #11 (DC COMICS)
The Dark Knight looks to reclaim his city. That is easier said than done.
With Vandal Savage as police commissioner and The Minotaur running the underworld, Batman has the odds stacked against him. Making matters worse is a bounty is put on Bruce Wayne’s head with the Ōjō looking to collect.
BATMAN #11 by Matt Fraction, Jorge Jiménez, Tomeu Morey & Clayton Cowles (DC COMICS) continues the fight for Gotham’s soul!
Let’s take a deeper dive into the latest.
BATMAN #11 by Matt Fraction, Jorge Jiménez, Tomeu Morey & Clayton Cowles (DC COMICS)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
Fraction plays it safer than usual for this new chapter. Seeing the Shadow Board call for the head of Bruce Wayne ignites the intrigue early. Readers watch as the Ōjō is contrcated again for the assignment. The dialogue is sharp as she doesn’t tip too much of her hand. It leads into a deadly finish before moving the story into another character’s side plot. Penguin’s thirst for control looks to cause an error in judgment. His words carry a possible solution to problems but not without a heavy price.
The story pivots back to Bruce Wayne’s world with Dr. Zeller. His breakdown of his relationship with Talia shows a different side to the Dark Knight. It is unclear of where Zeller’s long game is heading from here. As for the rest of the chapter, it is straight forward combat with the Ōjō. That’s not a bad thing by any means. This lets Jiménez spread his wings with the art which we’ll discuss in a bit. The closing pages is what fans will be talking about. A new player enters the game and this one is sure to raise some eyebrows. Their debut elevates the very standard tale to a new plateau without going for shock value alone.
READ LAST ISSUE’S REVIEW!
Jiménez gets to flex a great deal of action panels with this issue. Blake’s time with the Ōjō teases more mystery as she listens to the arrangement placed before her. The violent finish to their encounter is deceptive in nature. Batman observance of the body is presented in a great perspective. It doesn’t have much time to set in as the Penguin’s full page takes hold. Watching him work the room leads to more substance with his building plot.
Readers get to see Batman take a different approach with Dr. Zeller via a fantastic two page spread. The images lock in on the ever complicated life with Talia. It leads into a sound landing before heading to the main event. The fight with the Ōjō is nothing but high-octane thrills. It begins with an incredible full page shot. From here, panels come at readers furiously. The art never slows down till the skirmish’s conclusion. This allows the closing page to ease into the final page’s huge moment. A full image welcomes in a new character with many questions surround the move. Excellent work per usual here.
FINAL GRADE: 8.8
Another round with the Ōjō leads to a spectacular fight in the streets of Gotham. Fraction lets the action steer the ship for this latest round. Jiménez and Morey unload on the frantic conflict with stunning art. A different look for this series which just doesn’t miss.
Let me know your thoughts on Batman #11 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
