BATMAN #5 (DC COMICS)
Dr. Annika Zeller has been drawing unwanted attention.
Her work on the Crown of Storms is extraordinary. With great success comes greater problems. Certain people don’t want to see her progress further with her work. Even on a night out, Zeller is a walking target.
Lucky for her that an apparent date might be able to step in to intervene. That person’s name is Bruce Wayne.
BATMAN #5 by Matt Fraction, Jorge Jiménez, Tomeu Morey, & Clayton Cowles (DC COMICS) shows the struggles of “Date Night” for a Dark Knight.
Let’s take a deeper dive into the latest chapter.
BATMAN #5 by Matt Fraction, Jorge Jiménez, Tomeu Morey, & Clayton Cowles (DC COMICS)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
Fraction opens the issue up with a calm moment between Zeller and Wayne. The back and forth about “date” status is an ongoing theme in this issue. It doesn’t take long for the humor to step back and allow the drama to step in. Zeller’s attackers come with a furious pace. It puts Wayne into a natural spot being one comfortable being attacked. Even in his “normal” persona, the writing never shows him rattled. It paint him as someone used to this kind of chaos. The result moves events into an even quicker speed.
Readers watch as the true threat here makes a big splash. The Ōjō swoops in shrouded in mystery. Zeller’s dialogue leans back into the “Date” theme surprisingly heavy in this moment. Even as Ōjō’s attack moves locations. This winds up being Zeller’s calling card for the chapter. Readers get this injection of humor while Batman tries keeping calm during the mounting chaos. Once the final pages start, Fraction enters in another surprise factor into play. The fallout may seem simple enough but one line closes events down with many questions behind it. It will be very interesting how this messy finish is spun out of for Mr. Wayne. Wait and see.
Jiménez & Morey begin with the awkwardness of “date night”. Both Zeller and Wayne’s body languages clash to the words spoken. A two-page splash ushers readers into the story. From this point, it full speed ahead with a fantastic car chase sequence. The lettering here amplifies the high speeds to huge thrills. This builds into a gorgeous two-page splash stopping the chase. Zeller’s reactions are priceless as the night gets progressively worse.
The Ōjō’s entrance is met with a full page image. The art team doesn’t wait long to throw the action into play. Wayne’s skills are matched blow for blow. Once a distraction is made, the “couple” goes back on the run. There are many familiar looks as they make their way up a fire escape. It feels almost as a throwback to previous nights out with Bruce and a date. This gives way to a few near full images to move towards the ending. A guest crashes the party with some flare but it is overtaken by his words. The final page leaves quite the problem that prep time might not have been able to save. It’s a solid way to wrap up a non-stop rush of a Gotham City night.
FINAL GRADE: 8.8
With a target on her back, Dr. Zeller’s night goes from bad to worse with The Ōjō’ crossing paths. Fraction dabbles into more lighter moments while evading the danger. Jiménez & Morey construct a never-ending chase with stellar artwork. Brace for the last page cliffhanger.
Let me know your thoughts on Batman #5 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
