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Batman (2011) (Single Issues)
Batman (2011-2016) Annual #1
MR. FREEZE is introduced to The New 52!
What is Mr. Freeze's relationship to the COURT OF OWLS? Is he an ally – or do they want him dead?
"NIGHT OF THE OWLS" continues here!
What is Mr. Freeze's relationship to the COURT OF OWLS? Is he an ally – or do they want him dead?
"NIGHT OF THE OWLS" continues here!
40 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 30, 2012
10 people are currently reading
72 people want to read
About the author
Scott Snyder
1,782 books5,142 followersScott Snyder is the Eisner and Harvey Award winning writer on DC Comics Batman, Swamp Thing, and his original series for Vertigo, American Vampire. He is also the author of the short story collection, Voodoo Heart, published by the Dial Press in 2006. The paperback version was published in the summer of 2007.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
October 28, 2016
The best plot of Mr freeze's past I've ever read...At least a lot more better than whatever Mr freeze in the "Batman & Robin" movie was about :)
April 27, 2021
Loved this annual, doctor freeze is one of my favorite villains and he is introduced here with a twist.
Nora his wife is not his wife, he is just obsessed with her he is obsessed with the cold.
i love that idea and i was surprised when batman told him that she is not his wife, and freeze felt like he was in an illusion and he wakes up from it and says but i love her, batman responds to that i don't think you know the meaning of love.
also where doctor freeze fits into the story line is that his formulae is the one the court of owls are using to resurrect their talons, they stole it from him.
enough said the story is brilliant and i loved it <3
Nora his wife is not his wife, he is just obsessed with her he is obsessed with the cold.
i love that idea and i was surprised when batman told him that she is not his wife, and freeze felt like he was in an illusion and he wakes up from it and says but i love her, batman responds to that i don't think you know the meaning of love.
also where doctor freeze fits into the story line is that his formulae is the one the court of owls are using to resurrect their talons, they stole it from him.
enough said the story is brilliant and i loved it <3
January 10, 2020
Turning a romantic tragedy into a creepy obsession
While I did admiringly enjoy this comic, I am a little disappointed in the portrayal of Mr. Freeze.
I was on board until I got to the part where it is revealed that he was obsessively stalking a girl with a heart condition, instead of being his actual wife. It turns a romantic tragedy into a creepy guy's obsession. And I no he's a villain, but the best versions of Mr. Freeze are the ones that make me root for him regardless of the evil he does. I hope this gets retconned if not already. 3 stars
While I did admiringly enjoy this comic, I am a little disappointed in the portrayal of Mr. Freeze.
I was on board until I got to the part where it is revealed that he was obsessively stalking a girl with a heart condition, instead of being his actual wife. It turns a romantic tragedy into a creepy guy's obsession. And I no he's a villain, but the best versions of Mr. Freeze are the ones that make me root for him regardless of the evil he does. I hope this gets retconned if not already. 3 stars
March 11, 2024
2024 - Year of The Bat (366 Days of Batman)
Day 71
Day 71
October 6, 2015
Awesome!
Dr. Victor Fries aka Mr. Freeze is obssessed with his project, bringing his wife to life now that healing her is possible, but batman will reveal a totally different story.. Highly recommended!
Dr. Victor Fries aka Mr. Freeze is obssessed with his project, bringing his wife to life now that healing her is possible, but batman will reveal a totally different story.. Highly recommended!
October 6, 2016
Awesome tie in to the Night of the Owls. Mr. Freeze was great and I love the spin on Nora.
November 20, 2020
You build lore, develop consistency of the good elements, and then kick it over. Not a Court of Owls story in the very least - just an excuse to tamper in God's domain.
April 10, 2022
Quizás la primera señal de que a Scott Snyder le iba a ser difícil igualar la calidad de sus dos primeras historias a la cabeza de Batman ("La corte de los búhos" / "La noche de los búhos"), fue lo decepcionante de su primer anual (2012), coescrito junto a su amigo y discípulo James Tyion IV.
La historia es una reescritura del origen de Mr Freeze. El motivo no es tan arbitrario porque, según se narra, Mr. Freeze ayudó con sus conocimientos sobre criogenia a que la Corte de los Buhos pudiera despertar (o dormir, no queda claro), a los numerosos Talons que lanzaron sobre Gotham. El problema es que Snyder/Tynion IV usan eso como excusa para rehacer el origen de uno de los villanos más trágicos, atractivos y ambivalentes de Batman, y lo conviertenen en un psicópata traumado durante su infancia, el cliché de los villanos de superhéroes. Todos conocemos (o conocíamos) el origen de la tragedia de Mr. Freeze: su esposa, Nora, enferma de gravedad y él, en un acto desesperado de amor, la congela con la esperanza de una futura cura. Es un origen genial: un tipo a quen el amor lo lleva al límite y posteriormente a la locura y las felonías. Pero acá (spoilers), Freeze básicamente es un tipo que quedó traumado porque su madre se cayó al hielo cuando paseaban juntos (al poco tiempo él, aún un niño, de hecho, la mata), y la Nora congelada en realidad es el cadaver de una mujer a quien Freeze ni siquiera conoció. Nora es sólo un invento suyo. ¿Pero un invento para qué? Toda la tragedia amor-locura de Freeze se desvanece en este extraño origen, que lo pinta como un psicópata casi desde que nació. Para peor, ni siquiera el dibujo de Jason Fabok está a la altura de su típica calidad. El resto de la historia (que Freeze escapa de la cárcel porque quiere matar -obvio- a B. Wayne, y que no lo logra porque -obvio- Batman le da una paliza) es totalmente prescindible.
La historia es una reescritura del origen de Mr Freeze. El motivo no es tan arbitrario porque, según se narra, Mr. Freeze ayudó con sus conocimientos sobre criogenia a que la Corte de los Buhos pudiera despertar (o dormir, no queda claro), a los numerosos Talons que lanzaron sobre Gotham. El problema es que Snyder/Tynion IV usan eso como excusa para rehacer el origen de uno de los villanos más trágicos, atractivos y ambivalentes de Batman, y lo conviertenen en un psicópata traumado durante su infancia, el cliché de los villanos de superhéroes. Todos conocemos (o conocíamos) el origen de la tragedia de Mr. Freeze: su esposa, Nora, enferma de gravedad y él, en un acto desesperado de amor, la congela con la esperanza de una futura cura. Es un origen genial: un tipo a quen el amor lo lleva al límite y posteriormente a la locura y las felonías. Pero acá (spoilers), Freeze básicamente es un tipo que quedó traumado porque su madre se cayó al hielo cuando paseaban juntos (al poco tiempo él, aún un niño, de hecho, la mata), y la Nora congelada en realidad es el cadaver de una mujer a quien Freeze ni siquiera conoció. Nora es sólo un invento suyo. ¿Pero un invento para qué? Toda la tragedia amor-locura de Freeze se desvanece en este extraño origen, que lo pinta como un psicópata casi desde que nació. Para peor, ni siquiera el dibujo de Jason Fabok está a la altura de su típica calidad. El resto de la historia (que Freeze escapa de la cárcel porque quiere matar -obvio- a B. Wayne, y que no lo logra porque -obvio- Batman le da una paliza) es totalmente prescindible.
October 12, 2025
Batman Annual #1 – The Cold Man’s Tragedy (Mr. Freeze)
Rating: ★★★☆☆ (Good)
This annual reintroduces Mr. Freeze into the New 52 with a disturbing reimagining of his origin — one that strips away the tragic romance and replaces it with obsession and delusion. Snyder and co-writer James Tynion IV craft a psychological horror story rather than a sympathy tale, and it mostly works, though not without controversy.
Freeze’s connection to the Court of Owls feels slightly forced, and the emotional coldness of the story leaves little room for nuance. However, the art is chilling, and the final confrontation between Freeze and Batman adds a layer of tension that fits the series’ darker tone.
Verdict: A good but divisive reinvention — bold in concept, but it loses some of the character’s heart.
Rating: ★★★☆☆ (Good)
This annual reintroduces Mr. Freeze into the New 52 with a disturbing reimagining of his origin — one that strips away the tragic romance and replaces it with obsession and delusion. Snyder and co-writer James Tynion IV craft a psychological horror story rather than a sympathy tale, and it mostly works, though not without controversy.
Freeze’s connection to the Court of Owls feels slightly forced, and the emotional coldness of the story leaves little room for nuance. However, the art is chilling, and the final confrontation between Freeze and Batman adds a layer of tension that fits the series’ darker tone.
Verdict: A good but divisive reinvention — bold in concept, but it loses some of the character’s heart.
August 9, 2019
A new spin of Mr. Freeze's origin story... I have mixed feelings bout the change, but aside from that one thing they changed about his motivation I'd say this is a great read. I especially liked the revelation about his mother and the ending they've chosen for this issue... They definitely ended this with a shock to say the least.
February 12, 2019
I'm so used to the Mr. Freeze origin told by Batman: The Animated Series that I'm not sure how I feel about New 52's version. It's interesting psychologically, but I'm still not sure if Mr. Freeze should've been redefined this way. Great artwork all around though.
March 28, 2020
First Snow
March 6, 2022
Chillingly powerful
March 19, 2022
I liked the twist on Nora in this rendition of Mr. Freeze
June 2, 2025
Not bad. It’s a bit of fun, but it didn’t do much for me on a “greater” level.
Very separate to the owls story as well.
Very separate to the owls story as well.
December 25, 2012
http://sonsofcorax.wordpress.com/2012...
As I mentioned in latest update from 29th November, I’m doing a review a day for December, as part of an Advent Reviews Calendar for the month to get into the festivities. I’m kicking off the series with this review of Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV’s excellent 2012 Annual for their New 52: Batman run, which is ongoing.
Batman_Annual_Vol_2_1Scott Snyder’s run on Batman for DC’s New 52 line-wide relaunch is the best thing happening right now in comics. Along with artist Greg Capullo who has provided the lion’s share of artwork, internal and cover, for the series, Snyder has delivered on a Batman that is just as iconic as Kevin Conroy’s on Batman: The Animated Series and drawn by the god-amazing Bruce Timm. Snyder has embraced the inherent darkness of the character, paired it up with some truly iconic villains in the form of the Court of Owls, and brought out a character who lives and breathes and is definitely Batman to the core. There’s no two ways about it. When I started reading the series, I was blown away. When I read the 12th issue, I began to consider Snyder as one of the best comics writers out there. I’ve just read issues #13 and #14, and I think Snyder is pure awesomeness, unparalleled. I don’t give out such praise lightly. Fact of the matter is that he does amazing work, and his work bears that out. He’s taken Batman and put his spin on him, something I hope will become a legacy down the years.
The #1 Annual is a departure from the rest of the first year of the series, for the antagonist here isn’t a Talon of the Court of Owls, but one of the most iconic (there’s that word again!) of Batman super-villains from his long history: Mr. Freeze. I’ve seen Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Freeze, and I’ve seen how Bruce Timm’s animated series portrayed him. I have to say that I really like the character. There are always hints of how he is more than just a man pining for a lost love. There are depths to him that are just waiting to be explored fully.
And that’s what Snyder and Tynion IV do here with this book. They show his depths. They make him compelling in the way that they’ve made Batman and Calvin Rose (a former Talon who has recently gotten his own series) compelling. Victor Fries is now actually more than just someone who wants to bring his cryo-frozen wife back to life. He has a vendetta against Bruce Wayne because it was he who denied Victor that one chance when he could have made everything right again. That’s where this annual issue comes in, because Victor has decided to act on his desires for vengeance, having already sold the secrets of his formulas to the Court of Owls to reanimate their dead Talons.
The two writers use this issue to give Mr. Freeze a truly good outing and make him into a true Batman super-villain, and not one who is comical or boring. We already saw a guest appearance from him in the main-title series and I’m hoping that we see more of him once the crossover event featuring Joker, “Death of the Family”, concludes next year.
The art for this book has been provided by Jason Fabok (pencils and cover), Peter Stiegerwald (colours) and Sal Cipriano (letters). These guys have done a great job. Jason’s Batman is recgonisably Capullo’s Batman, but with slight shifts here and there. He draws all his characters with sharp, clear lines, expressive faces, and strong, confident poses, not to mention detail you can just stare at all day. Stiegerwald’s primary palette for the issue consists of blues and whites, in keeping with Mr. Freeze’s character design and the whole atmosphere that is created is really compelling, a complete experience with the script. These guys have made this issue definitely a Mr. Freeze issue, and I’d like them to guest on the main-title series as well.
If you’ve loved the main-title series, whether you are a long-term fan or not, or whatever else your motivation, you definitely should give this a chance. As a one-shot style annual, this is an amazing book.
Rating: 10/10
As I mentioned in latest update from 29th November, I’m doing a review a day for December, as part of an Advent Reviews Calendar for the month to get into the festivities. I’m kicking off the series with this review of Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV’s excellent 2012 Annual for their New 52: Batman run, which is ongoing.
Batman_Annual_Vol_2_1Scott Snyder’s run on Batman for DC’s New 52 line-wide relaunch is the best thing happening right now in comics. Along with artist Greg Capullo who has provided the lion’s share of artwork, internal and cover, for the series, Snyder has delivered on a Batman that is just as iconic as Kevin Conroy’s on Batman: The Animated Series and drawn by the god-amazing Bruce Timm. Snyder has embraced the inherent darkness of the character, paired it up with some truly iconic villains in the form of the Court of Owls, and brought out a character who lives and breathes and is definitely Batman to the core. There’s no two ways about it. When I started reading the series, I was blown away. When I read the 12th issue, I began to consider Snyder as one of the best comics writers out there. I’ve just read issues #13 and #14, and I think Snyder is pure awesomeness, unparalleled. I don’t give out such praise lightly. Fact of the matter is that he does amazing work, and his work bears that out. He’s taken Batman and put his spin on him, something I hope will become a legacy down the years.
The #1 Annual is a departure from the rest of the first year of the series, for the antagonist here isn’t a Talon of the Court of Owls, but one of the most iconic (there’s that word again!) of Batman super-villains from his long history: Mr. Freeze. I’ve seen Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Freeze, and I’ve seen how Bruce Timm’s animated series portrayed him. I have to say that I really like the character. There are always hints of how he is more than just a man pining for a lost love. There are depths to him that are just waiting to be explored fully.
And that’s what Snyder and Tynion IV do here with this book. They show his depths. They make him compelling in the way that they’ve made Batman and Calvin Rose (a former Talon who has recently gotten his own series) compelling. Victor Fries is now actually more than just someone who wants to bring his cryo-frozen wife back to life. He has a vendetta against Bruce Wayne because it was he who denied Victor that one chance when he could have made everything right again. That’s where this annual issue comes in, because Victor has decided to act on his desires for vengeance, having already sold the secrets of his formulas to the Court of Owls to reanimate their dead Talons.
The two writers use this issue to give Mr. Freeze a truly good outing and make him into a true Batman super-villain, and not one who is comical or boring. We already saw a guest appearance from him in the main-title series and I’m hoping that we see more of him once the crossover event featuring Joker, “Death of the Family”, concludes next year.
The art for this book has been provided by Jason Fabok (pencils and cover), Peter Stiegerwald (colours) and Sal Cipriano (letters). These guys have done a great job. Jason’s Batman is recgonisably Capullo’s Batman, but with slight shifts here and there. He draws all his characters with sharp, clear lines, expressive faces, and strong, confident poses, not to mention detail you can just stare at all day. Stiegerwald’s primary palette for the issue consists of blues and whites, in keeping with Mr. Freeze’s character design and the whole atmosphere that is created is really compelling, a complete experience with the script. These guys have made this issue definitely a Mr. Freeze issue, and I’d like them to guest on the main-title series as well.
If you’ve loved the main-title series, whether you are a long-term fan or not, or whatever else your motivation, you definitely should give this a chance. As a one-shot style annual, this is an amazing book.
Rating: 10/10
March 13, 2018
Eh. This was okay. First of all, the art in this book is frickin fantastic. I wish most DC comics had beautiful art like this. That being said, this was a fun read but nothing great. I do however love how violent and bad-ass Mr. Freeze is in this comic. Holy God. I do also like how Batman touches on how many lives Mr. Freeze took in this book and how the victim's families will never be the same without them. The fight between Batman and Freeze is, as I said great looking. But I do dislike the reveal on who Nora really is. It just came off as lazy. Letter Grade: (C+)
February 24, 2013
Wow, they did it. They made Mr. Freeze cool. And puns are fun.
Somehow in this annual, Snyder and Tynion managed to take the somewhat-hacky character of Victor Fries, who will always be tainted by Arnold Schwarzenegger's God-awful portrayal in Batman and Robin, into a fascinating and very tragic character. Color me impressed. Fabok's art is something to behold, and his Batman has instantly become one of my favorites. It's a fantastic book from top to bottom. Highly recommended.
Somehow in this annual, Snyder and Tynion managed to take the somewhat-hacky character of Victor Fries, who will always be tainted by Arnold Schwarzenegger's God-awful portrayal in Batman and Robin, into a fascinating and very tragic character. Color me impressed. Fabok's art is something to behold, and his Batman has instantly become one of my favorites. It's a fantastic book from top to bottom. Highly recommended.
March 10, 2016
the first introduction of Mr.Freeze at The New 52
The artwork was very good not as good as the "Batman" title.
Spoilers and Review
The artwork was very good not as good as the "Batman" title.
Spoilers and Review
April 23, 2013
The sad and crazy world of Mr Freeze.
August 8, 2014
holy shit mr. freeze
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews