Batman #1 Review

 

Writer: Matt Fraction

Artist: Jorge Jiménez

Colorist: Tomeu Morey

Letterer: Clayton Cowles

Cover Artists: Jorge Jiménez, Jim Lee, Mark Silvestri, J Scott Campbell, Frank Quietly, Gabrielle Dell’Otto, Julian Totino Tedesco, Andy Kubert & David Aja

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99; $5.99 (card stock)

Foil Variant by Jorge Jiménez: $7.99

Blind Bag Cover: $9.99

Showcase Variant Cover by Stanley “Artgerm” Lau: $24.99

Release Date: September 3, 2025

 

Jim Gordon is no longer the police commissioner. He's just a uniform officer like his new partner. Officer Espinoza feels daunted to serve alongside her more experienced colleague. But Jim just feels old. The world goes through cycles, and his has turned upside down. Can Officer Gordon and Batman continue to protect the citizens of Gotham? Or should they bow to the winds of change sweeping through their beloved city? Let’s grab a cup of joe, leap into Batman #1, and see!

 

Story

Like Jim Gordon, Batman contemplates these questions as he surveys Gotham from high above. Dr Zeller tells him that Waylon Jones checked himself into Arkham Towers. She believes that Waylon Jones did so because he wants to embrace a better future. But as Batman looks around the room, he sees only Killer Croc’s destructive nature. Perhaps, as Dr Zeller believes, “Waylon Jones” can change. But his nature makes Killer Croc a monster.

 

When the world climbs on top of you, you reach for whatever will help you keep going. In Matt Fraction’s story, Batman keeps Alfred Pennyworth close by. He cannot touch the hologram. But hearing his voice and seeing Alfred beside him gives Batman comfort and support. The algorithm that mimics Alfred reminds Batman why he fights to protect everyone in Gotham. Rich, poor, important, or just another person on the streets, Batman safeguards them all.

 

Sadly, the new commissioner disagrees. Like Batman, Commissioner Savage sees things in black and white. Everyone must obey the law. And when situations get out of hand, it’s time to employ the nuclear option. But for Batman, protecting people also means thinking outside the box. Perhaps humanity is doomed to repeat cycles that simulate progress but are just more of the same. But that doesn't mean that he can't try to become a better version of Gotham's guardian in Batman #1.

 

Art

Birds peck at crumbs littering the pavement or flutter among the pedestrians in aging Coventry. The birds soar below Batman's feet as he gazes across the water to the towers climbing into the sky. At Gotham City Police Headquarters, uniform officers assemble before their new ruler. The people behind Commissioner Savage wear battle armor, carry automatic rifles, and hide their features behind mirrored visors. The trees and foliage in Robinson Park soften the surrounding concrete and steel with a hint of nature. Like the people who live, work, and play in Gotham, Jorge Jiménez invests each district with uniqueness. But they all belong to the city Batman strives to protect in Batman #1.

 

Yellow, orange, and mauve fill the cloudy skies as night approaches. Batman confronts this new era in blue and gray. The blue in his costume links him with officers like Jim Gordon, while the gray points to Gotham's troubled future. The streetlights and signs fill Gotham with glowing pastels when darkness falls. But as Tomeu Morey lavishes a loaded palette of colors on Batman #1, Dr Zeller meets the future adorned in white, and Commissioner Savage’s elite troops wear black.

 

Clayton Cowles fills dialogue balloons and narrative boxes with black and colored uppercase letters. The letters grow bold for intonation and shrink for lowered voices. Shouts enlarge letters and deform balloons, while white letters in black boxes locate us in time and space. Large and small white letters fill gray fields, identifying aspects of Batman’s technologically enhanced suit. Sound effects help us hear Killer Croc’s transformation and Batman racing through the streets of Gotham in his stylish Batmobile.Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this bold, new beginning with us.

 

Final Thoughts

Batman becomes both hunter and hunted in a city that no longer wants him. He may not be the flavor of the month, but that won’t stop him from protecting Gotham. Matt Fraction, Jorge Jiménez, Tomeu Morey, and Clayton Cowles force Batman to draw on his past to embrace a difficult future in Batman #1.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

Batman #1 Preview

 

 

Batman #1 kicks off a new era for Gotham's guardian. Whether you've read Batman before, or this is your first issue, Matt Fraction makes his new story easy to leap into. Matt steeps the series in history yet opens it up to new beginnings. Perhaps most exciting, Matt seems less interested in deconstructing Bruce Wayne and more interested in making him a hero. 

I grew up watching Batman on TV. He, and his friends and enemies, were there for me every day. Adam West's Batman never took himself too seriously. But neither was he ever a joke. I don't expect Matt and Jorge's Batman to rope-climb walls beside Robin and stop to chat with people gazing out their windows. But despite the first issue's serious tone, I can tell I'm going to have fun. In this complicated world, we all need a rollicking good tale now and then. 

Here's all the info on Batman #1 from DC Connect:

 

Batman #1 Preview
Writer: Matt Fraction
Artist: Jorge Jiménez
Colorist: Tomeu Morey
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Cover Artists: Jorge Jiménez, Jim Lee, Mark Silvestri, J Scott Campbell, Frank Quietly, Gabrielle Dell'Otto, Julian Totino Tedesco, Andy Kubert & David Aja
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $4.99; $5.99 (card stock)
Foil Variant by Jorge Jiménez: $7.99
Blind Bag Cover: $9.99
Showcase Variant Cover by Stanley "Artgerm" Lau: $24.99
Release Date: September 3, 2025 

 

A new day dawns for the Dark Knight Detective as Eisner Award-winning writer Matt Fraction (Hawkeye, Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen) joins forces with superstar artist Jorge Jiménez (Batman, Summer of Superman Special) for an unforgettable new era of Batman!

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

Batman #2 Advance Review

 

Writer: Matt Fraction

Artist: Jorge Jiménez

Colorist: Tomeu Morey

Letterer: Clayton Cowles

Cover Artists: Jorge Jiménez, Jim Lee, Totino Tedesco, Michael Allred & David Aja

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99/ $5.99 (Card Stock) / $7.99 (Foil)

Foil Variant by Jorge Jiménez:

Release Date: October 1, 2025

 

We all have a history, and the past informs our present. Now, Tim Drake is the competent crime fighter known as Robin. But once, he was a teenager who needed help passing his driving test. How did Tim learn to drive? And how will that experience help him survive in the dangerous streets of Gotham City? Let’s grab our DMV handbooks, leap into Batman #2, and see!

 

Story

Officer Eddie Vargas is angry that Commissioner Savage is bringing in an elite tactical squad. Eddie doesn’t just want to observe and report. He wants to play a vital role in his department. In Matt Fraction’s story, Eddie is anxious to demonstrate that Savage doesn’t need to bring in outsiders. He and his brothers in blue can handle the crime in Gotham. But as Eddie strives to assert his abilities, he goes too far. When Eddie uses his power to make a statement, he forgets the intention of the law by enforcing its letter. 

 

Robin is wounded. But in Batman #2, Officer Eddie Vargas sees an armed vigilante in need of a lesson. Batman’s loyalty to Robin puts him in harm’s way when he rushes to Robin’s aid. But while Batman risks his life for his friend, Robin’s confidence in the police takes a hit. Tim Drake realizes that more than master criminals break the law. Some just need a helping hand. Officer Eddie Vargas's callousness shocks him.

 

Matt Fraction weaves Tim’s memories of learning how to drive into the fast-paced action taking place in Gotham City. Bruce Wayne wants to help his apprentice. While Bruce understands how his son may feel displaced, Bruce disdains how Damian succumbs to envy. Matt Fraction draws an intriguing parallel between Damian Wayne's anger and Officer Eddie Vargas' desire to seize what he feels he deserves. And while he needs to protect others, Tim Drake confronts his childhood fears about measuring up in Batman #2.

 

Art

Damian scowls while washing an iconic version of the Batmobile. His hair flies up like Tim’s cape as he suds the hood. Smoke rises before a Bezna Transpo truck as two men motion for it to halt in the graffiti-adorned streets. Robin's bo staff arcs in a time lapse before shattering a villain's mask. Tim's high-flying antics evoke a former Robin's youth with the Flying Graysons. Jorge Jiménez brings style and flair to Robin’s fight for his life. Yet Tim loses his cool when Batman presents him with a challenge.

 

Sunlight streaks the blue sky and reflects off gold canopies amid the verdant garden surrounding Wayne Manor. A graffiti artist wears a red jacket that seems a match for Robin’s suit. Harsh lighting reduces two men to blue-streaked reverse silhouettes. Yet as Tomeu Morey lavishes a loaded palette on Batman #2, red speckles drift away from a red figure like bubbles on a gentle breeze.

 

Clayton Cowles fills dialogue balloons and narrative boxes with black uppercase letters. The letters grow bold for intonation and shrink for lowered voices. Shouts enlarge letters and deform balloons. Large and small white letters fill gray fields, identifying aspects of Robin’s technologically enhanced suit. Sound effects help us hear combat, gunfire, engines roaring, a vehicle racing through the night, and Damian’s shocking attack on his usurper. Thanks to DC Comics for this look ahead at their upcoming series.

 

Final Thoughts

Commission Savage rules his department with an iron fist. So, Savage levies draconian decrees when vandals fill The Slabs with Anarchy in the GC. As police officers take notes from Sandmen like Logan 5 and Francis 7, Robin battles long-held fears to protect his mentor in Batman #2.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To look inside, download your free copy of DC Connect #63 at www.lunardistribution.com.

Batman #1 Advance Review

 

Writer: Matt Fraction

Artist: Jorge Jiménez

Colorist: Tomeu Morey

Letterer: Clayton Cowles

Cover Artists: Jorge Jiménez, Jim Lee, Mark Silvestri, J Scott Campbell, Frank Quietly, Gabrielle Dell’Otto, Julian Totino Tedesco, Andy Kubert & David Aja

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99; $5.99 (card stock)

Foil Variant by Jorge Jiménez: $7.99

Blind Bag Cover: $9.99

Showcase Variant Cover by Stanley “Artgerm” Lau: $24.99

Release Date: September 3, 2025

 

Jim Gordon is no longer the police commissioner. He's just a uniform officer like his new partner. Officer Espinoza feels daunted to serve alongside her more experienced colleague. But Jim just feels old. The world goes through cycles, and his has turned upside down. Can Officer Gordon and Batman continue to protect the citizens of Gotham? Or should they bow to the winds of change sweeping through their beloved city? Let’s grab a cup of joe, leap into Batman #1, and see!

 

Story

Like Jim Gordon, Batman contemplates these questions as he surveys Gotham from high above. Dr Zeller tells him that Waylon Jones checked himself into Arkham Towers. She believes that Waylon Jones did so because he wants to embrace a better future. But as Batman looks around the room, he sees only Killer Croc’s destructive nature. Perhaps, as Dr Zeller believes, “Waylon Jones” can change. But his nature makes Killer Croc a monster.

 

When the world climbs on top of you, you reach for whatever will help you keep going. In Matt Fraction’s story, Batman keeps Alfred Pennyworth close by. He cannot touch the hologram. But hearing his voice and seeing Alfred beside him gives Batman comfort and support. The algorithm that mimics Alfred reminds Batman why he fights to protect everyone in Gotham. Rich, poor, important, or just another person on the streets, Batman safeguards them all.

 

Sadly, the new commissioner disagrees. Like Batman, Commissioner Savage sees things in black and white. Everyone must obey the law. And when situations get out of hand, it’s time to employ the nuclear option. But for Batman, protecting people also means thinking outside the box. Perhaps humanity is doomed to repeat cycles that simulate progress but are just more of the same. But that doesn't mean that he can't try to become a better version of Gotham's guardian in Batman #1.

 

Art

Birds peck at crumbs littering the pavement or flutter among the pedestrians in aging Coventry. The birds soar below Batman's feet as he gazes across the water to the towers climbing into the sky. At Gotham City Police Headquarters, uniform officers assemble before their new ruler. The people behind Commissioner Savage wear battle armor, carry automatic rifles, and hide their features behind mirrored visors. The trees and foliage in Robinson Park soften the surrounding concrete and steel with a hint of nature. Like the people who live, work, and play in Gotham, Jorge Jiménez invests each district with uniqueness. But they all belong to the city Batman strives to protect in Batman #1.

 

Yellow, orange, and mauve fill the cloudy skies as night approaches. Batman confronts this new era in blue and gray. The blue in his costume links him with officers like Jim Gordon, while the gray points to Gotham's troubled future. The streetlights and signs fill Gotham with glowing pastels when darkness falls. But as Tomeu Morey lavishes a loaded palette of colors on Batman #1, Dr Zeller meets the future adorned in white, and Commissioner Savage’s elite troops wear black.

 

Clayton Cowles fills dialogue balloons and narrative boxes with black and colored uppercase letters. The letters grow bold for intonation and shrink for lowered voices. Shouts enlarge letters and deform balloons, while white letters in black boxes locate us in time and space. Large and small white letters fill gray fields, identifying aspects of Batman’s technologically enhanced suit. Sound effects help us hear Killer Croc’s transformation and Batman racing through the streets of Gotham in his stylish Batmobile.

 

Final Thoughts

Batman becomes both hunter and hunted in a city that no longer wants him. He may not be the flavor of the month, but that won’t stop him from protecting Gotham. Matt Fraction, Jorge Jiménez, Tomeu Morey, and Clayton Cowles force Batman to draw on his past to embrace a difficult future in Batman #1.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Batman #1. 

 

Batman #1 Preview

 

Batman #1 kicks off a new era for Gotham's guardian. Whether you've read Batman before, or this is your first issue, Matt Fraction makes his new story easy to leap into. Matt steeps the series in history, yet opens it up to new beginnings. Perhaps most exciting, Matt seems less interested in deconstructing Bruce Wayne and more interested in making him a hero. 

I grew up watching Batman on TV. He, and his friends and enemies, were there for me everyday. Adam West's Batman never took himself too seriously. But neither was he ever a joke. I don't expect Matt and Jorge's Batman to rope-climb walls beside Robin, and stop to chat with people gazing out their windows. But despite the first issue's serious tone, I can tell I'm going to have fun. In this complicated world, we all need a rollicking good tale now and then. 

Here's all the info on DC Comics' new Batman #1: 

 

Batman #1 Preview
Writer: Matt Fraction
Artist: Jorge Jiménez
Colorist: Tomeu Morey
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Cover Artists: Jorge Jiménez, Jim Lee, Mark Silvestri, J Scott Campbell, Frank Quietly, Gabrielle Dell'Otto, Julian Totino Tedesco, Andy Kubert & David Aja
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $4.99; $5.99 (card stock)
Foil Variant by Jorge Jiménez: $7.99
Blind Bag Cover: $9.99
Showcase Variant Cover by Stanley "Artgerm" Lau: $24.99
Release Date: September 3, 2025 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.