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All-Star Batman (2016)
All-Star Batman, Vol. 1: My Own Worst Enemy
A part of DC Universe: Rebirth!
The #1 New York Times best-selling author of BATMAN returns to the Dark Knight in ALL-STAR BATMAN VOL. 1! But he's not alone. Critically acclaimed, legendary illustrator John Romita Jr. joins him on this epic new series!
In this new graphic novel, Batman finds himself trying to help old friend Harvey Dent...now known as the villainous Two-Face! The Dark Knight accompanies his foe on a cross-country trip to fix his scarred face and hopefully end the Two-Face identity forever. But when the former Gotham City D.A. sets his plan into motion to free himself, what deadly secrets from the past will bubble to the surface?
One of the biggest creative pairings in DC Comics history share their take on one of the greatest heroes ever in ALL STAR BATMAN VOL. 1! Collects issues #1-5.
Rebirth honors the richest history in comics, while continuing to look towards the future. These are the most innovative and modern stories featuring the world's greatest superheroes, told by some of the finest storytellers in the business.
Honoring the past, protecting our present, and looking towards the future. This is the next chapter in the ongoing saga of the DC Universe. The legacy continues.
The #1 New York Times best-selling author of BATMAN returns to the Dark Knight in ALL-STAR BATMAN VOL. 1! But he's not alone. Critically acclaimed, legendary illustrator John Romita Jr. joins him on this epic new series!
In this new graphic novel, Batman finds himself trying to help old friend Harvey Dent...now known as the villainous Two-Face! The Dark Knight accompanies his foe on a cross-country trip to fix his scarred face and hopefully end the Two-Face identity forever. But when the former Gotham City D.A. sets his plan into motion to free himself, what deadly secrets from the past will bubble to the surface?
One of the biggest creative pairings in DC Comics history share their take on one of the greatest heroes ever in ALL STAR BATMAN VOL. 1! Collects issues #1-5.
Rebirth honors the richest history in comics, while continuing to look towards the future. These are the most innovative and modern stories featuring the world's greatest superheroes, told by some of the finest storytellers in the business.
Honoring the past, protecting our present, and looking towards the future. This is the next chapter in the ongoing saga of the DC Universe. The legacy continues.
190 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 25, 2017
293 people are currently reading
1838 people want to read
About the author
Scott Snyder
1,780 books5,144 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 - 30 of 431 reviews
April 19, 2017
Batman has the opportunity to erase Two-Face’s Hyde persona leaving only the “good” Jekyll part of him, Harvey Dent. They have 500 miles to travel to get the cure. Only problem is Two-Face has placed a massive bounty on the Dark Knight’s head and all the rats have crawled out of the woodwork and are gunning for him en route! Will they make it - and will the cure work?
Fucking FINALLY! I knew there was another Rebirth title out there that wasn’t terrible and I found it with All-Star Batman! That said, it’s not a great book. Scott Snyder crams in too much for a five-issue storyline and a lot of it is utter bullshit – this title should really be called All-Star Contrivance!
Two-Face was made too powerful here. Snyder tends to do this whenever he puts a villain in the spotlight - Riddler in Zero Year for example was an insanely OTT characterisation! I could buy that Two-Face has tons of dirt on everyone who’s anyone in Gotham - fine. But in addition he also has access to the top three mob bosses’ finances and can somehow guarantee whoever kills Batman that fortune?? No, I don’t buy that. I mean, how? And that’s not all: he can somehow control the weather and is threatening Gotham with acid rain to burn everyone’s faces to be like his! CONTROL THE WEATHER??? That’s too much, Snyder.
The premise is flimsy at best. Batman just takes Two-Face at his word (already unbelievable) that he has a cure - how did he come up with a cure in the first place, why did he not take the cure when he had the chance and why did he hide it 500 miles away in some remote house on the coast that’s remained abandoned for decades?! It’s such a contrived setup designed purely to make Batman and Two-Face go on a road trip there, conveniently allowing Snyder to write what’s essentially a book-length action scene.
And then there’s all the threats being thrown at Batman because of the impossible bounty placed on him by Two-Face - why does everybody take the word of a lunatic who bases his decisions on a coin toss!? Ordinary people assume if they shoot Batman, he’ll just happily hand them over scads of cash - the rogues too! Why is Two-Face suddenly the embodiment of integrity when he’s done nothing to earn it?? Because there’s no story without this detail.
And STILL the contrived nonsense doesn’t stop there! Great White, Black Mask and Penguin hire KGBeast to kill Batman - ok, he’s actually a viable threat to Batman; except they can’t afford him. You’d think an assassin of KGBeast’s calibre would find a way of checking if they had his astronomical fee, right? Maybe even ask for it completely up front given who he is? But no, he takes the job on the word of a trio of insane crooks. Stupid!
So why am I calling this a decent comic after making so many criticisms? Well, lots of little things. I liked that this was a Batman adventure outside of Gotham so we get to see Batman outside his comfort zone. The set pieces were strong: chainsaw Batman in the cornfield was an awesome visual and the train fight against the likes of Killer Croc was very cool. Bruce’s hunchback mechanic from waaaay back in the day, Harold, makes a surprise cameo and the Bat-knuckles were fun in a silly way. Not all the new gadgets were as good though - the echo-location pecs were ridiculous as was the giant Batarang he’s holding on the cover.
I didn’t love these scenes but I’ll give Snyder that Bruce and Harvey were momentary childhood friends even though, once again, it feels like a contrived detail in an already heavily contrived story. The Gordon/GCPD storming Wayne Manor storyline while Bruce was away was similarly trite - just another facet of Harvey’s sudden absurd reach - but was somewhat tense and the resolution was delightfully daffy. And I really enjoyed John Romita Jr’s art especially when complemented by Dean White’s joyous colours.
The backup story was complete rubbish. Batman and Duke, Zsasz, and Duke’s parents - I have no idea what that was all about, honestly. It was instantly forgettable gibberish. Declan Shalvey’s art was great though, I hope he gets to draw more Batman in the future.
And that’s All-Star Batman, Volume 1: My Own Worst Enemy: deeply flawed but fairly readable and with enough fun nuggets scattered throughout to be entertaining enough. It’s slightly better than the last couple Snyder/Batman books - Endgame and Bloom - but it’s definitely not up there with the best of his New 52 Batman storylines like Death of the Family and Zero Year. It’s still worth a read for Batman fans but don’t expect much either - it continues to feel like Snyder’s running on fumes at this point and doesn’t have any more solid Batman stories left to tell. Unfortunately it wasn’t the all-star read I was hoping it might’ve been.
Fucking FINALLY! I knew there was another Rebirth title out there that wasn’t terrible and I found it with All-Star Batman! That said, it’s not a great book. Scott Snyder crams in too much for a five-issue storyline and a lot of it is utter bullshit – this title should really be called All-Star Contrivance!
Two-Face was made too powerful here. Snyder tends to do this whenever he puts a villain in the spotlight - Riddler in Zero Year for example was an insanely OTT characterisation! I could buy that Two-Face has tons of dirt on everyone who’s anyone in Gotham - fine. But in addition he also has access to the top three mob bosses’ finances and can somehow guarantee whoever kills Batman that fortune?? No, I don’t buy that. I mean, how? And that’s not all: he can somehow control the weather and is threatening Gotham with acid rain to burn everyone’s faces to be like his! CONTROL THE WEATHER??? That’s too much, Snyder.
The premise is flimsy at best. Batman just takes Two-Face at his word (already unbelievable) that he has a cure - how did he come up with a cure in the first place, why did he not take the cure when he had the chance and why did he hide it 500 miles away in some remote house on the coast that’s remained abandoned for decades?! It’s such a contrived setup designed purely to make Batman and Two-Face go on a road trip there, conveniently allowing Snyder to write what’s essentially a book-length action scene.
And then there’s all the threats being thrown at Batman because of the impossible bounty placed on him by Two-Face - why does everybody take the word of a lunatic who bases his decisions on a coin toss!? Ordinary people assume if they shoot Batman, he’ll just happily hand them over scads of cash - the rogues too! Why is Two-Face suddenly the embodiment of integrity when he’s done nothing to earn it?? Because there’s no story without this detail.
And STILL the contrived nonsense doesn’t stop there! Great White, Black Mask and Penguin hire KGBeast to kill Batman - ok, he’s actually a viable threat to Batman; except they can’t afford him. You’d think an assassin of KGBeast’s calibre would find a way of checking if they had his astronomical fee, right? Maybe even ask for it completely up front given who he is? But no, he takes the job on the word of a trio of insane crooks. Stupid!
So why am I calling this a decent comic after making so many criticisms? Well, lots of little things. I liked that this was a Batman adventure outside of Gotham so we get to see Batman outside his comfort zone. The set pieces were strong: chainsaw Batman in the cornfield was an awesome visual and the train fight against the likes of Killer Croc was very cool. Bruce’s hunchback mechanic from waaaay back in the day, Harold, makes a surprise cameo and the Bat-knuckles were fun in a silly way. Not all the new gadgets were as good though - the echo-location pecs were ridiculous as was the giant Batarang he’s holding on the cover.
I didn’t love these scenes but I’ll give Snyder that Bruce and Harvey were momentary childhood friends even though, once again, it feels like a contrived detail in an already heavily contrived story. The Gordon/GCPD storming Wayne Manor storyline while Bruce was away was similarly trite - just another facet of Harvey’s sudden absurd reach - but was somewhat tense and the resolution was delightfully daffy. And I really enjoyed John Romita Jr’s art especially when complemented by Dean White’s joyous colours.
The backup story was complete rubbish. Batman and Duke, Zsasz, and Duke’s parents - I have no idea what that was all about, honestly. It was instantly forgettable gibberish. Declan Shalvey’s art was great though, I hope he gets to draw more Batman in the future.
And that’s All-Star Batman, Volume 1: My Own Worst Enemy: deeply flawed but fairly readable and with enough fun nuggets scattered throughout to be entertaining enough. It’s slightly better than the last couple Snyder/Batman books - Endgame and Bloom - but it’s definitely not up there with the best of his New 52 Batman storylines like Death of the Family and Zero Year. It’s still worth a read for Batman fans but don’t expect much either - it continues to feel like Snyder’s running on fumes at this point and doesn’t have any more solid Batman stories left to tell. Unfortunately it wasn’t the all-star read I was hoping it might’ve been.
December 4, 2017
This is an almost perfect example of what I both like about a well written modern comic as well as the things that make me think I’d be happy never reading another superhero book from a major publisher again.
Scott Snyder came up with a great concept of Batman trying to get Two Face to a destination almost 500 miles away in the hopes of finally curing his split personality. The problem is that Two Face has offered a huge amount of money to anyone who frees him as well as threatened to release all of the dirt he’s accumulated over the year as both Gotham’s DA and a criminal kingpin. This pretty much sets every villain in Gotham on their trail as well as turning some of his most loyal allies against Batman.
So it’s a classic road story like a Midnight Run with Batman being attacked by villain after villain with even average people he encounters ready to pick up a gun and take a shot as he drags Two Face across the countryside. That’s a fantastic idea for a Batman comic that I haven’t read before.
Yet because this is a modern comic we can’t just have a cool superhero story. It’s got to be tied into a secret history of Batman somehow, and this involves a childhood friendship between Bruce Wayne and Harvey Dent when they were both put into a private home for wealthy troubled boys.
I guess this is also tied into this Rebirth stuff that DC is doing, but I’m not gonna touch that with a ten foot pole. If it would have stuck to that cool core idea then it would have been an easy four or five stars. The Bruce/Harvey kid stuff knocks it down a peg as does the bland stories padding out the length of the paperback. And I’m not a fan of the art of John Romita Jr. although the characters look a little less like Lego blocks than his usual square edged stuff.
Scott Snyder came up with a great concept of Batman trying to get Two Face to a destination almost 500 miles away in the hopes of finally curing his split personality. The problem is that Two Face has offered a huge amount of money to anyone who frees him as well as threatened to release all of the dirt he’s accumulated over the year as both Gotham’s DA and a criminal kingpin. This pretty much sets every villain in Gotham on their trail as well as turning some of his most loyal allies against Batman.
So it’s a classic road story like a Midnight Run with Batman being attacked by villain after villain with even average people he encounters ready to pick up a gun and take a shot as he drags Two Face across the countryside. That’s a fantastic idea for a Batman comic that I haven’t read before.
Yet because this is a modern comic we can’t just have a cool superhero story. It’s got to be tied into a secret history of Batman somehow, and this involves a childhood friendship between Bruce Wayne and Harvey Dent when they were both put into a private home for wealthy troubled boys.
I guess this is also tied into this Rebirth stuff that DC is doing, but I’m not gonna touch that with a ten foot pole. If it would have stuck to that cool core idea then it would have been an easy four or five stars. The Bruce/Harvey kid stuff knocks it down a peg as does the bland stories padding out the length of the paperback. And I’m not a fan of the art of John Romita Jr. although the characters look a little less like Lego blocks than his usual square edged stuff.
February 24, 2018
Scott Snyder gets Batman. He revolutionized the Bat mythos with his New 52 run, and he's doing the same with All Star Batman. Snyder takes Batman out of gloomy Gotham on a wacky and violent adventure with new sidekick partner Duke and hostage Two-Face. It's fast and fun, dark and introspective, silly and serious. And Snyder expands the Batman mythos even more like few writers can. Honestly, this is the best Bat book this entire year.
This would be 5 stars with different artwork. Like I've said before, JRJR is not my favorite illustrator. He's skilled, but it's a style that takes getting used to. Faces and human anatomy especially are just weird. I mean, Bats has no chin! Part of my bias is due to my absolute love of Greg Capullo, and he's a hard act to follow. That being said, JRJR's artwork is generally good to great, with amazing color work by industry expert Jordie Bellaire. What's funny is I prefer the art in the subplot, done by Declan Shalvey and Dean White. But oh well. JRJR and Bellaire are still solid.
This would be 5 stars with different artwork. Like I've said before, JRJR is not my favorite illustrator. He's skilled, but it's a style that takes getting used to. Faces and human anatomy especially are just weird. I mean, Bats has no chin! Part of my bias is due to my absolute love of Greg Capullo, and he's a hard act to follow. That being said, JRJR's artwork is generally good to great, with amazing color work by industry expert Jordie Bellaire. What's funny is I prefer the art in the subplot, done by Declan Shalvey and Dean White. But oh well. JRJR and Bellaire are still solid.
December 29, 2016
This is the first mainstream Batman book I've picked up in a looooong time and I only did so because (a) John Romita, Jr. was doing the artwork and I'll pick-up pretty much anything he draws and (b) because it was supposed to be a book you could read without needing to pick up half a dozen other books to fully understand what was going on.
JRJR delivered as usual, with the added artwork bonus of there being a backup strip drawn by the great Declan Shalvey. This backup strip also made each issue 'giant-sized', rather than cutting into the main story's page count, which was nice.
Speaking of the main story, well... it certainly lived up to the promise that you could read it in isolation, mainly because it was essentially a hundred page chase scene. It was OK, I suppose; reasonably entertaining but without ever being great. I got the impression that the backup story was actually a better tale but, unlike the main feature, I didn't really get what was going on due to it focusing on characters it failed miserably to introduce to new readers. I had to Google who this 'Duke' guy in the yellow outfit was because he wasn't introduced in the story; they didn't even mention his superhero name. Nope, not once. Apparently, according to Google, it's 'Lark', which doesn't really explain why he's got Bat logos all over his outfit. Definitely NOT new-reader friendly.
Overall, it was a just so-so read with great artwork. Based on this, I won't be picking up the next arc.
JRJR delivered as usual, with the added artwork bonus of there being a backup strip drawn by the great Declan Shalvey. This backup strip also made each issue 'giant-sized', rather than cutting into the main story's page count, which was nice.
Speaking of the main story, well... it certainly lived up to the promise that you could read it in isolation, mainly because it was essentially a hundred page chase scene. It was OK, I suppose; reasonably entertaining but without ever being great. I got the impression that the backup story was actually a better tale but, unlike the main feature, I didn't really get what was going on due to it focusing on characters it failed miserably to introduce to new readers. I had to Google who this 'Duke' guy in the yellow outfit was because he wasn't introduced in the story; they didn't even mention his superhero name. Nope, not once. Apparently, according to Google, it's 'Lark', which doesn't really explain why he's got Bat logos all over his outfit. Definitely NOT new-reader friendly.
Overall, it was a just so-so read with great artwork. Based on this, I won't be picking up the next arc.
August 29, 2017
4 stars
This book was a blast! I didn't love the art but this was Scott Snyder having fun with Batman. I'd wager that if you don't love the lighter, more humorous Batsy in Detective Comics, you will not like this book.
I'm so surprised to see this from Scott Snyder but I really enjoyed it!
Okay, so this Rebirth series follows the first days of Duke working alongside Batman. I'm not sure what his codename is because it's definitely not Robin. I really like Duke as a character! I've only seen him in Batman & Robin Eternal when he was working with the We Are Robin crew. He's really interesting with the story about his mother and his dynamic with Batman. He's probably the most obedient and creative partner Bruce has had so far. Can't wait to learn more about him! One note: his helmet kinda makes him look like a Yellow Power Ranger.
There's the center plot concerning Bruce trying to stop Two-Face from doing something. I just read it but I'm not entirely sure what Two-Face was trying to accomplish at the start. Anyway, that's the main plot line and then there's a mini-flashback story at the end of every issue that tells how Duke ended up working with Batman. It's surprisingly compelling. I won't spoil anything and Duke's not the first of the Batfam to have a story quite like this but it adds a layer to understanding why he's doing all of this.
I'll admit, I don't know a ton about Batman's history and, aside from Batman: the Long Halloween, I don't know a damn thing about Harvey Dent. I'm not sure if Scott Snyder ret-conned or randomly inserted this history between Bruce and Harvey and I don't care. It's compelling, it makes me care more about Harvey and it adds another reason for Bruce going through so much trouble to help him, here. Aside from the whole "It's the right thing to do" angle, Bruce has a history with him that's kind of touching.
Bruce and Duke's relationship was great! I love Batfam interactions and Bruce with Duke is more of a father with the middle child relationship. I say this not just because he's younger than Dick and older than Damian but because the middle Bat-children, aside from Jason, tend to be the most obedient. Duke certainly has his own style (the scene with the car was hilarious) but he truly believes in what Bruce is doing so he follows the training. I really love that he questions Bruce, as well. This isn't a passive partnership at all and I can't wait to see how they progress from here.
This book is funny. I laughed out loud at some moments and it never felt too hammy or overdone for me. It's not Harley Quinn funny but it's a quiet type of humor. Some quips, a few sarcastic comments and some throwaway references (like the shark repellant) to make you laugh. Snyder had fun with this book and it shows. I really, really enjoyed it and I can't wait to read more of it.
It's a recommend from me if you're not looking for a dark and broody Batsy. If you're enjoying Detective Comics and you like to see Batsy having some fun beating up Killer Croc and King Shark, this might be the book for you.
4 stars.
I gave it 4 stars for this panel alone, not gonna lie:
This book was a blast! I didn't love the art but this was Scott Snyder having fun with Batman. I'd wager that if you don't love the lighter, more humorous Batsy in Detective Comics, you will not like this book.
I'm so surprised to see this from Scott Snyder but I really enjoyed it!
Okay, so this Rebirth series follows the first days of Duke working alongside Batman. I'm not sure what his codename is because it's definitely not Robin. I really like Duke as a character! I've only seen him in Batman & Robin Eternal when he was working with the We Are Robin crew. He's really interesting with the story about his mother and his dynamic with Batman. He's probably the most obedient and creative partner Bruce has had so far. Can't wait to learn more about him! One note: his helmet kinda makes him look like a Yellow Power Ranger.
There's the center plot concerning Bruce trying to stop Two-Face from doing something. I just read it but I'm not entirely sure what Two-Face was trying to accomplish at the start. Anyway, that's the main plot line and then there's a mini-flashback story at the end of every issue that tells how Duke ended up working with Batman. It's surprisingly compelling. I won't spoil anything and Duke's not the first of the Batfam to have a story quite like this but it adds a layer to understanding why he's doing all of this.
I'll admit, I don't know a ton about Batman's history and, aside from Batman: the Long Halloween, I don't know a damn thing about Harvey Dent. I'm not sure if Scott Snyder ret-conned or randomly inserted this history between Bruce and Harvey and I don't care. It's compelling, it makes me care more about Harvey and it adds another reason for Bruce going through so much trouble to help him, here. Aside from the whole "It's the right thing to do" angle, Bruce has a history with him that's kind of touching.
Bruce and Duke's relationship was great! I love Batfam interactions and Bruce with Duke is more of a father with the middle child relationship. I say this not just because he's younger than Dick and older than Damian but because the middle Bat-children, aside from Jason, tend to be the most obedient. Duke certainly has his own style (the scene with the car was hilarious) but he truly believes in what Bruce is doing so he follows the training. I really love that he questions Bruce, as well. This isn't a passive partnership at all and I can't wait to see how they progress from here.
This book is funny. I laughed out loud at some moments and it never felt too hammy or overdone for me. It's not Harley Quinn funny but it's a quiet type of humor. Some quips, a few sarcastic comments and some throwaway references (like the shark repellant) to make you laugh. Snyder had fun with this book and it shows. I really, really enjoyed it and I can't wait to read more of it.
It's a recommend from me if you're not looking for a dark and broody Batsy. If you're enjoying Detective Comics and you like to see Batsy having some fun beating up Killer Croc and King Shark, this might be the book for you.
4 stars.
I gave it 4 stars for this panel alone, not gonna lie:
February 15, 2019
Scott Synder has set a pretty high bar for himself writing Batman. This was just...OK. The main story is one big 500 mile chase. The whole thing feels so contrived to keep the story headed towards where Snyder wants it to go. Two Face is blackmailing every bad guy in the city and offering up millions to stop Batman from taking him to this house they spent time in as children where there is supposed to be a cure for Two Face's dual personalities. So it's nonstop Batman villains appearances for 5 issues. Batman pulls out some ridiculous gadgets during these fights. They approach Bat Shark Repellent levels.
I found the backup story to actually be the better story and features art by the fantastic Declan Shalvey. It's about Batman's training of Duke as they take on Mr. Zsasz.
I found the backup story to actually be the better story and features art by the fantastic Declan Shalvey. It's about Batman's training of Duke as they take on Mr. Zsasz.
July 10, 2021
This was a blast to read through!
It starts off with Killer Moth and Firefly after Batman as he is protecting Two-face. The latter has said if they don't free him he will spill their secrets to the world and to stop that every villain of his is after them including Killer Croc, Cheshire and Copperhead. We learn of what secrets he maybe holding and what Batman plans to do with Harvey, trying to cure him and we learn of their past in some summer-school-boarding house and how they were close friends and why Batman is trying to save Harvey. Next KGBeast comes after them and the fight is epic until the final conclusion, will Harvey be saved or will Two-Face take over fully? Will Batman survive in the end?
All answered really well here and the second story is about Duke's training and how he goes on to become the signal and makes peace with his trauma. Also Victor Zsasz and a mystery there. Fun stuff.
Its a great volume with lots of moving part and I love how its so action oriented and involves almost all bounty hunters or assassins after them and shows Batman and how he will go so far to protect his friend and adds to their backstory. I loved this one from an art perspective as its a delight and never bores you. All moments earned and everything. The facial features were odd sometimes and some scenes were dragged but then again story with lots of fun and everything.
It starts off with Killer Moth and Firefly after Batman as he is protecting Two-face. The latter has said if they don't free him he will spill their secrets to the world and to stop that every villain of his is after them including Killer Croc, Cheshire and Copperhead. We learn of what secrets he maybe holding and what Batman plans to do with Harvey, trying to cure him and we learn of their past in some summer-school-boarding house and how they were close friends and why Batman is trying to save Harvey. Next KGBeast comes after them and the fight is epic until the final conclusion, will Harvey be saved or will Two-Face take over fully? Will Batman survive in the end?
All answered really well here and the second story is about Duke's training and how he goes on to become the signal and makes peace with his trauma. Also Victor Zsasz and a mystery there. Fun stuff.
Its a great volume with lots of moving part and I love how its so action oriented and involves almost all bounty hunters or assassins after them and shows Batman and how he will go so far to protect his friend and adds to their backstory. I loved this one from an art perspective as its a delight and never bores you. All moments earned and everything. The facial features were odd sometimes and some scenes were dragged but then again story with lots of fun and everything.
September 7, 2017
This is not the Scott Snyder I'm hoping for.
World: Love love love the Romita Jr. art. It's a style all its own and it's just beautiful. The world building here is simply a road trip with cameos after cameo if Batman's rogues gallery and it is fun for what it is. There is nothing of substance really and it's simply a stage for the story to take place. Solid.
Story: I am not a fan of this story. I like action but it needs to mean something and what we got here was just 5 issues of nonstop action and Batman using insanely elaborate gear to get around everything. He Batmans way too much here. And in the end of this road trip we are actually where we start off at with Harvey. Nothings changed and we get nothing of value. I liked Snyder when he builds up towards the action and he builds towards his penultimate issue but yeah this was just him blowing his load on all the fights he can possibly think of and it's a shame. The Duke story is also I feel not fully developed and a rehash of what he's been going through with his parents so yeah...also nothing of note.
Characters: Bruce is Bruce here and there is nothing much except him being punched in the face repeatedly by different villains. Alfred is a bit off and I don't like that. Duke is barely developed and the Rogues are there to fight Batman. Harvey, what can I say? This was suppose to be his big story after Snyder did Joker and the Riddler but we get nothing here...
A disappointment of a story.
Onward to the next book!
World: Love love love the Romita Jr. art. It's a style all its own and it's just beautiful. The world building here is simply a road trip with cameos after cameo if Batman's rogues gallery and it is fun for what it is. There is nothing of substance really and it's simply a stage for the story to take place. Solid.
Story: I am not a fan of this story. I like action but it needs to mean something and what we got here was just 5 issues of nonstop action and Batman using insanely elaborate gear to get around everything. He Batmans way too much here. And in the end of this road trip we are actually where we start off at with Harvey. Nothings changed and we get nothing of value. I liked Snyder when he builds up towards the action and he builds towards his penultimate issue but yeah this was just him blowing his load on all the fights he can possibly think of and it's a shame. The Duke story is also I feel not fully developed and a rehash of what he's been going through with his parents so yeah...also nothing of note.
Characters: Bruce is Bruce here and there is nothing much except him being punched in the face repeatedly by different villains. Alfred is a bit off and I don't like that. Duke is barely developed and the Rogues are there to fight Batman. Harvey, what can I say? This was suppose to be his big story after Snyder did Joker and the Riddler but we get nothing here...
A disappointment of a story.
Onward to the next book!
January 26, 2022
70% | B | Great
"Hey. All of you in this diner. Look at me, not them. Look at my face. No one is dying today"
The premise and execution of this is pretty good. The dynamic between Batman and Two-Face is written well, and the plot is fairly strong. Duke Thomas' inclusion isn't really necessary and I feel like it could of done without him being there as a third wheel. I don't know why Snyder loves to push this character, but he just isn't a strong presence in anything that I've read so far. Other than Duke, there are some interesting character choices, some of whom I'd literally never heard of before (I'm looking at you Copperhead). It's very fast paced with an almost endless slew of action, neatly chronicled by a location tracker which shows how far Batman has progressed towards the destination. The conclusion feels a little anticlimactic, but this might just be one of those stories where the journey is better than the destination. There's also a second story which is centred around Duke Thomas...yay. It pales in comparison to the main story and is pretty forgettable. Not a bad read by any means, quite enjoyable for the most part, but there are slightly better Snyder stories out there.
"Hey. All of you in this diner. Look at me, not them. Look at my face. No one is dying today"
Harvey Dent tells Batman that there's a house they can go to in order to cure him once and for all. However, Two-Face has other plans and offers a massive reward to anyone who stops them from getting to the said location. With hitmen, villains, citizens, and allies all after them, can Batman make it and save his friend, or will Two-Face come out on top?
The premise and execution of this is pretty good. The dynamic between Batman and Two-Face is written well, and the plot is fairly strong. Duke Thomas' inclusion isn't really necessary and I feel like it could of done without him being there as a third wheel. I don't know why Snyder loves to push this character, but he just isn't a strong presence in anything that I've read so far. Other than Duke, there are some interesting character choices, some of whom I'd literally never heard of before (I'm looking at you Copperhead). It's very fast paced with an almost endless slew of action, neatly chronicled by a location tracker which shows how far Batman has progressed towards the destination. The conclusion feels a little anticlimactic, but this might just be one of those stories where the journey is better than the destination. There's also a second story which is centred around Duke Thomas...yay. It pales in comparison to the main story and is pretty forgettable. Not a bad read by any means, quite enjoyable for the most part, but there are slightly better Snyder stories out there.
February 18, 2018
You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.
After handing the mantle of the Batman canon series to Tom King as the DC Universe Rebirth was introduced, Scott Snyder has embarked on new adventures and continues to reshape and innovate titles like no other writer has done before. Including his ongoing ambitious and mind-blowing Metal event, Scott Snyder, the very man who has written the game-changing New 52 Batman series, American Vampire, Batman Eternal and Superman Unchained, is now masterly coming up with stories for the All-Star Batman series.
In My Own Worst Enemy, Batman goes on a road trip alongside Harvey Dent, also known as Two-Face, in hunt for a cure for his old friend's split-personality. With 500 miles separating him from his goal, the Caped Crusader runs into countless obstacles, notably individuals who seek to prevent him from reaching his destination.
Why would anyone want to stop Batman from doing something that seems so harmless?
Over the years Two-Face successfully gathered the deepest and darkest secrets of every single person in Gotham. He has unveiled an evil offer to these citizens where their secrets will be exposed to the world if they don’t stop Batman from bringing Harvey Dent to the indicated location. Whoever is able to take down the Dark Knight would be rewarded with an incredible sum of money. Batman however plans on reaching that goal through hell and high waters. Will he find a cure? Will he be stopped?
In this five part story arc, Batman and Harvey Dent are faced with not only criminals of all ranks, known and unknown to casual readers, but also the citizens of Gotham who just can’t let the world know about their sins.
It is a bit destabilizing to jump into this story knowing that Harvey Dent holds the kryptonite of every single person out there. How he even achieves such a feat is beyond my understanding and being able to accept this without hindering my appreciation for the story was a colossal task.
The writing is however excellent and plays beautifully with the artwork. With puns that foreshadow the imminent panel, transitions are done perfectly. The action is also top-notch, with Batman’s suit being the main attraction. You’ll be amazed by the tricks he has up his sleeves. Always a billion steps ahead of danger, his ability to withstand pain is also showcased throughout the story.
While the artwork complements the writing quite well, it isn’t a style that can be easily chugged down. John Romita Jr’s artwork continues to be a hard pill to swallow with the odd facial shapes, but as soon as you find yourself used to it, it isn’t so bad. There are moments where you question the artwork for certain characters, especially Batman, but there are also plenty of instances where everything is drawn with purpose.
An extra small story arc is also incorporated within this volume called “The Cursed Wheel”. It doesn’t have much to do with the main story arc and simply offers us a look at Duke, the same boy straight out of We Are Robin, Batman’s latest partner, who no one should ever refer to as a Robin. This story offers us a glimpse into Duke’s motivations and into what kind of hero he wants to become. It was a very clean story that was pretty well-thought out, but was nothing too mind-blowing.
All-Star Batman: My Own Worst Enemy is an entertaining ride to the finish. It explores the relationship between Bruce Wayne and Harvey Dent in ways that past stories have not done in a while. With sneaky Easter eggs for long-time Batman fans, this first volume promises great stories for this series.
In Scott Snyder, I trust.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
____________________________
This was surprisingly pretty decent! There were some pretty insane things going on, especially with Two-Face, but the ride was fun. The writing continues to be excellent, but the artwork... The artwork is not easy to swallow and enjoy. It is possible to get used to John Romita Jr's style, but there are moments where characters just look weird.
The short story at the end with Duke was interesting too, but nothing mind-blowing. Doubt it was meant to do anything more than just tease us on Duke and his new role alongside Batman.
P.S. Full review coming soon
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
After handing the mantle of the Batman canon series to Tom King as the DC Universe Rebirth was introduced, Scott Snyder has embarked on new adventures and continues to reshape and innovate titles like no other writer has done before. Including his ongoing ambitious and mind-blowing Metal event, Scott Snyder, the very man who has written the game-changing New 52 Batman series, American Vampire, Batman Eternal and Superman Unchained, is now masterly coming up with stories for the All-Star Batman series.
In My Own Worst Enemy, Batman goes on a road trip alongside Harvey Dent, also known as Two-Face, in hunt for a cure for his old friend's split-personality. With 500 miles separating him from his goal, the Caped Crusader runs into countless obstacles, notably individuals who seek to prevent him from reaching his destination.
Why would anyone want to stop Batman from doing something that seems so harmless?
Over the years Two-Face successfully gathered the deepest and darkest secrets of every single person in Gotham. He has unveiled an evil offer to these citizens where their secrets will be exposed to the world if they don’t stop Batman from bringing Harvey Dent to the indicated location. Whoever is able to take down the Dark Knight would be rewarded with an incredible sum of money. Batman however plans on reaching that goal through hell and high waters. Will he find a cure? Will he be stopped?
In this five part story arc, Batman and Harvey Dent are faced with not only criminals of all ranks, known and unknown to casual readers, but also the citizens of Gotham who just can’t let the world know about their sins.
It is a bit destabilizing to jump into this story knowing that Harvey Dent holds the kryptonite of every single person out there. How he even achieves such a feat is beyond my understanding and being able to accept this without hindering my appreciation for the story was a colossal task.
The writing is however excellent and plays beautifully with the artwork. With puns that foreshadow the imminent panel, transitions are done perfectly. The action is also top-notch, with Batman’s suit being the main attraction. You’ll be amazed by the tricks he has up his sleeves. Always a billion steps ahead of danger, his ability to withstand pain is also showcased throughout the story.
While the artwork complements the writing quite well, it isn’t a style that can be easily chugged down. John Romita Jr’s artwork continues to be a hard pill to swallow with the odd facial shapes, but as soon as you find yourself used to it, it isn’t so bad. There are moments where you question the artwork for certain characters, especially Batman, but there are also plenty of instances where everything is drawn with purpose.
An extra small story arc is also incorporated within this volume called “The Cursed Wheel”. It doesn’t have much to do with the main story arc and simply offers us a look at Duke, the same boy straight out of We Are Robin, Batman’s latest partner, who no one should ever refer to as a Robin. This story offers us a glimpse into Duke’s motivations and into what kind of hero he wants to become. It was a very clean story that was pretty well-thought out, but was nothing too mind-blowing.
All-Star Batman: My Own Worst Enemy is an entertaining ride to the finish. It explores the relationship between Bruce Wayne and Harvey Dent in ways that past stories have not done in a while. With sneaky Easter eggs for long-time Batman fans, this first volume promises great stories for this series.
In Scott Snyder, I trust.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
____________________________
This was surprisingly pretty decent! There were some pretty insane things going on, especially with Two-Face, but the ride was fun. The writing continues to be excellent, but the artwork... The artwork is not easy to swallow and enjoy. It is possible to get used to John Romita Jr's style, but there are moments where characters just look weird.
The short story at the end with Duke was interesting too, but nothing mind-blowing. Doubt it was meant to do anything more than just tease us on Duke and his new role alongside Batman.
P.S. Full review coming soon
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
January 6, 2017
I like Scott Snyder
I love Black Mirror, Court of Owls, Death of the Family, and Superheavy.
Thought Zero Year and Graveyard shift were decent. End Game being the worst.
This is around Zero Year level.
Which makes me sad...cause I wanted to LOVE Batman main title for Rebirth but everything else has been better.
So this really focuses one one long chase. It starts with action and ends with it. It's just one big long fight tbh. It reminds me of Mad max...and I hate Mad Max. So yeah. I really wasn't feeling it much except for a few great moments.
Love the side story with Duke, very interesting and well told. Loved the train fight, that looked great and was intense. I also loved the backstory to Bruce and Harvey. Made me care somewhat of the final confrontation, which was decent.
The bad side of it is it's just a lot of overblown action. A bit too much. I also disliked Batman ALWAYS having a tool to fight someone. It was absurd even for our favorite bat friend. I also disliked the jumping all around, especially issue 1-2 being the worst offenders.
So it was decent, good at moments, even great, but overall it felt rushed and sloppy. Hope the next part is better paced. Still decent though. A 2.5-3/5.
I love Black Mirror, Court of Owls, Death of the Family, and Superheavy.
Thought Zero Year and Graveyard shift were decent. End Game being the worst.
This is around Zero Year level.
Which makes me sad...cause I wanted to LOVE Batman main title for Rebirth but everything else has been better.
So this really focuses one one long chase. It starts with action and ends with it. It's just one big long fight tbh. It reminds me of Mad max...and I hate Mad Max. So yeah. I really wasn't feeling it much except for a few great moments.
Love the side story with Duke, very interesting and well told. Loved the train fight, that looked great and was intense. I also loved the backstory to Bruce and Harvey. Made me care somewhat of the final confrontation, which was decent.
The bad side of it is it's just a lot of overblown action. A bit too much. I also disliked Batman ALWAYS having a tool to fight someone. It was absurd even for our favorite bat friend. I also disliked the jumping all around, especially issue 1-2 being the worst offenders.
So it was decent, good at moments, even great, but overall it felt rushed and sloppy. Hope the next part is better paced. Still decent though. A 2.5-3/5.
May 13, 2017
After fifty-one issues on the main Batman title during The New 52, it felt like the end of a beautiful friendship as writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo went their separate ways with the latter heading to Image whilst the former stays in his DC territory. However, whilst we await for their much-excited Bat-reunion during this summer, Snyder has more stories to tell about the Dark Knight Detective. Whilst Tom King is currently writing for the main title as part of the DC Rebirth relaunch, Snyder launches his own Bat-title, which allows him to collaborate with different artists in telling radical new stories about Batman’s relationships with his rogues gallery.
Following Two-Face’s dastardly plan involving acidic rain against Gotham, Batman must transport his old friend to an undisclosed safe house in the heart of rural America, where a supposed cure for Harvey Dent’s split personality lies. However, when Two-Face places a bounty on the Bat’s head, this will be one hellish road trip for Batman and Dent.
From its few pages where we see a café outside the city where Batman gets his ass handed to him by the likes of Firefly and Killer Moth, all of which drawn by John Romita Jr., Snyder is clearly doing something different from what he has done before from his run with Capullo. Throughout Snyder’s initial run, Gotham was as much as a significant character in how the city defines Batman and its citizens. Taking the hero out of his comfort zone, it seemed like Snyder took inspiration from the Mad Max movies, with a road trip across rural America centralising on a dysfunctional relationship whilst incorporating as many obscure villains as possible.
However, with its modern western/exploitation sensibilities and the many appearances of odd villains, Snyder is cramming too much into the narrative, which is pulled in many directions such from Commissioner Gordon’s participation to the crime lords (Penguin, Black Mask and Great White Shark). What works best about this arc if you strip away the baggage is its hero and villain. Given these two characters have had a history prior to being enemies, Snyder delves deeper into their childhood and how it defines them later as grownups who are constantly butting heads with each other. Two-Face in particular is sinisterly fun as despite being tied up for the most of the book, he’s got a death wish whilst taking pleasure in watching Batman being bloodied up.
Although Snyder has collaborated with numerous artists on a number of Batman comics, John Romita Jr. is not an ideal choice and this book shows. Despite the nice colouring from Dean White, Romita Jr. is known for drawing inconsistent and blocky-looking characters and for a comic that is action-heavy, it is a rough and sometimes ugly visual fest.
The only saving grace of this book is the backup feature “The Cursed Wheel”, illustrated by Injection artist Declan Shalvey whose moody visuals is a perfect fit for the bleak nature of Snyder’s writing. It is a story that finally showcases Duke Thomas as under the mentorship of Batman, Duke is put through the eponymous wheel, a test in psychology that uses colours to define whether a person becomes good or evil. What’s great about this tale is Snyder’s talent as a horror writer and how he gets under the skin of his characters who go through such dark territory, whilst the use of a known Batman villain is bone-chilling.
As someone who expects the best from Scott Snyder, I was somewhat disappointed by this initial arc which suffers from an over-baggage of storytelling whilst the artwork is patchy at best. However, there is enough to like from Snyder trying to explore new ways of exploring the Dark Knight and certainly the backup issues make this first volume of All-Star Batman a decent read.
Following Two-Face’s dastardly plan involving acidic rain against Gotham, Batman must transport his old friend to an undisclosed safe house in the heart of rural America, where a supposed cure for Harvey Dent’s split personality lies. However, when Two-Face places a bounty on the Bat’s head, this will be one hellish road trip for Batman and Dent.
From its few pages where we see a café outside the city where Batman gets his ass handed to him by the likes of Firefly and Killer Moth, all of which drawn by John Romita Jr., Snyder is clearly doing something different from what he has done before from his run with Capullo. Throughout Snyder’s initial run, Gotham was as much as a significant character in how the city defines Batman and its citizens. Taking the hero out of his comfort zone, it seemed like Snyder took inspiration from the Mad Max movies, with a road trip across rural America centralising on a dysfunctional relationship whilst incorporating as many obscure villains as possible.
However, with its modern western/exploitation sensibilities and the many appearances of odd villains, Snyder is cramming too much into the narrative, which is pulled in many directions such from Commissioner Gordon’s participation to the crime lords (Penguin, Black Mask and Great White Shark). What works best about this arc if you strip away the baggage is its hero and villain. Given these two characters have had a history prior to being enemies, Snyder delves deeper into their childhood and how it defines them later as grownups who are constantly butting heads with each other. Two-Face in particular is sinisterly fun as despite being tied up for the most of the book, he’s got a death wish whilst taking pleasure in watching Batman being bloodied up.
Although Snyder has collaborated with numerous artists on a number of Batman comics, John Romita Jr. is not an ideal choice and this book shows. Despite the nice colouring from Dean White, Romita Jr. is known for drawing inconsistent and blocky-looking characters and for a comic that is action-heavy, it is a rough and sometimes ugly visual fest.
The only saving grace of this book is the backup feature “The Cursed Wheel”, illustrated by Injection artist Declan Shalvey whose moody visuals is a perfect fit for the bleak nature of Snyder’s writing. It is a story that finally showcases Duke Thomas as under the mentorship of Batman, Duke is put through the eponymous wheel, a test in psychology that uses colours to define whether a person becomes good or evil. What’s great about this tale is Snyder’s talent as a horror writer and how he gets under the skin of his characters who go through such dark territory, whilst the use of a known Batman villain is bone-chilling.
As someone who expects the best from Scott Snyder, I was somewhat disappointed by this initial arc which suffers from an over-baggage of storytelling whilst the artwork is patchy at best. However, there is enough to like from Snyder trying to explore new ways of exploring the Dark Knight and certainly the backup issues make this first volume of All-Star Batman a decent read.
August 7, 2019
Well, this is kind of embarrassing. I've been very harsh on Scott Snyder in the past few years, saying that he haven't written a single decent comic since Batman: Zero Year wrapped up. Turns out I was wrong this entire time, because his All-Star Batman is actually really good!
I was quick to dismiss this series when it was first coming out because I've been going through a harsh Batman-hating phase caused by BvS, and I wasn't that big on Scott Snyder at the time either because of the whole Bat-Gordon story arc he was writing in the main Batman series not long before All-Star. Well, Snyder is not considered one of the definitive Batman writers of the century for nothing, and it's high time I was reminded of that fact. He knows how to write Batman on a very deep level. His Batman is the perfect blend of door-kicking foul mouthed badass, the always prepared, three-steps-ahead genius detective and the kind-hearted hero who genuinely cares about human life.
I also loved Snyder's characterisation of Harvey Dent here. It's rare to see writers acknowledging that Two-Face actually has two distinct personalities, not always being stuck in his villainous mode. Snyder uses those two sides to create the main conflict of the book, and it's very effective in opening up both Batman and Harvey as characters, though it did take a kinda weird retcon of Bruce and Harvey's past to get there. Still, when the end result works as well as it does here, who cares about retcons.
I wasn't as into the backup story that was focused more on Duke, aka The Signal, aka the new kinda-Robin. I just don't really see the appeal of Duke's character, and nothing about that story grabbed my attention except for Declan Shalvey's always fantastic artwork (and Jordie Bellaire's colors, of course).
Speaking of art, this seems to be the most divisive thing about this volume. I personally enjoy John Romita Jr.'s artwork, and I think All-Star Batman features some of his best stuff to date — the book looked absolutely fantastic, and especially how it worked with Dean White's colours to create the book's brilliant visual atmosphere.
Overall, All-Star Batman volume 1 is a fantastic Batman story, an action-packed cross-country road trip from hell that I feel bad for not reading sooner. Scott Snyder may not be the most reliable or consistent writer elsewhere on other books, but he can still write Batman like nobody's business.
I was quick to dismiss this series when it was first coming out because I've been going through a harsh Batman-hating phase caused by BvS, and I wasn't that big on Scott Snyder at the time either because of the whole Bat-Gordon story arc he was writing in the main Batman series not long before All-Star. Well, Snyder is not considered one of the definitive Batman writers of the century for nothing, and it's high time I was reminded of that fact. He knows how to write Batman on a very deep level. His Batman is the perfect blend of door-kicking foul mouthed badass, the always prepared, three-steps-ahead genius detective and the kind-hearted hero who genuinely cares about human life.
I also loved Snyder's characterisation of Harvey Dent here. It's rare to see writers acknowledging that Two-Face actually has two distinct personalities, not always being stuck in his villainous mode. Snyder uses those two sides to create the main conflict of the book, and it's very effective in opening up both Batman and Harvey as characters, though it did take a kinda weird retcon of Bruce and Harvey's past to get there. Still, when the end result works as well as it does here, who cares about retcons.
I wasn't as into the backup story that was focused more on Duke, aka The Signal, aka the new kinda-Robin. I just don't really see the appeal of Duke's character, and nothing about that story grabbed my attention except for Declan Shalvey's always fantastic artwork (and Jordie Bellaire's colors, of course).
Speaking of art, this seems to be the most divisive thing about this volume. I personally enjoy John Romita Jr.'s artwork, and I think All-Star Batman features some of his best stuff to date — the book looked absolutely fantastic, and especially how it worked with Dean White's colours to create the book's brilliant visual atmosphere.
Overall, All-Star Batman volume 1 is a fantastic Batman story, an action-packed cross-country road trip from hell that I feel bad for not reading sooner. Scott Snyder may not be the most reliable or consistent writer elsewhere on other books, but he can still write Batman like nobody's business.
April 15, 2017
[Read as single issues]
Oh no, Scott Snyder left Batman...to write Batman. Guy knows what he does best, you can't deny that.
All-Star Batman is basically Snyder's jam session series, teaming up with top industry talent to tell very different Batman stories compared to his run with Greg Capullo, arguably the most successful and most enjoyable New 52 series.
This first arc consists of a five part road trip across the country as Batman takes Two Face towards a permanent solution for his murderous schizophrenia, pursued by basically his entire rogues gallery of assassins and bounty hunters. It's a very personal story, told on a different level to Snyder's previous stuff. You certainly wouldn't find Batman dual wielding chainsaws and a combine harvester in the New 52 series, that's for sure.
Also included are the first four parts of The Cursed Wheel back-ups, which sees Batman putting Duke Thomas through his Bat-Training, giving some more insight into how the different members of the Bat-Family have developed and looking at Duke as a character where most other books gloss over him (probably because he's Snyder's character to play with).
John Romita Jr. turns out his best work since Amazing Spider-Man here, dialing up the madness to 11 and delivering madcap visuals to go along with Snyder's bonkers plot. Meanwhile Declan Shalvey pencils the back-ups, and his name has become synonomous with great artwork over the past few years.
Great stuff from Snyder and friends, as you'd expect. Totally mad, but amazing.
Oh no, Scott Snyder left Batman...to write Batman. Guy knows what he does best, you can't deny that.
All-Star Batman is basically Snyder's jam session series, teaming up with top industry talent to tell very different Batman stories compared to his run with Greg Capullo, arguably the most successful and most enjoyable New 52 series.
This first arc consists of a five part road trip across the country as Batman takes Two Face towards a permanent solution for his murderous schizophrenia, pursued by basically his entire rogues gallery of assassins and bounty hunters. It's a very personal story, told on a different level to Snyder's previous stuff. You certainly wouldn't find Batman dual wielding chainsaws and a combine harvester in the New 52 series, that's for sure.
Also included are the first four parts of The Cursed Wheel back-ups, which sees Batman putting Duke Thomas through his Bat-Training, giving some more insight into how the different members of the Bat-Family have developed and looking at Duke as a character where most other books gloss over him (probably because he's Snyder's character to play with).
John Romita Jr. turns out his best work since Amazing Spider-Man here, dialing up the madness to 11 and delivering madcap visuals to go along with Snyder's bonkers plot. Meanwhile Declan Shalvey pencils the back-ups, and his name has become synonomous with great artwork over the past few years.
Great stuff from Snyder and friends, as you'd expect. Totally mad, but amazing.
August 3, 2022
Snyder and Romita Jr., a damn good team-up.
August 12, 2018
Fabulous artwork, but a confusing story, and too much profanity and blood.
September 6, 2017
All Star Batman was a little different. Snyder crafts a action packed tale of "Get Two-Face to Gotham".
In a new trend, a lot of the villains of D.C. have been retconned for n o reason other than shits and giggles. This now happening to Two Face. There is a lot of babble about Dent and his father, somehow the Dents knew the Waynes way back when (do only the rich people do anything? The Waynes, the Dents, Elliots, etc) somehow. That part is convoluted and didn't care for it much.
The rest of it? Kinda mindless fun. A mash up of b and c list villains try to stop Batman from taking Two Face back to Gotham. Apparently Two Face now has the ability to dredge up dirt on anyone. Even Jim Gordon (now sporting a d-bag hipster beard) is caught up and orders a search warrant on Wayne Manor.
The rest? I'll leave it to you. The story overall is decent-good. The artwork? I rather liked seeing John Romita Jr's artwork. I remember him well from the X-Men days. I was never a huge fan but in this issue his large framed characters do not seem too out of place. Is this something I can do for several volumes? No...like grain alcohol Romita is enjoyed in small amounts only. Too much and I get sick :)
So all in all this isn't a bad story, not terrible art and a story that doesn't stray too much from the normal lore. Sort of. Still taken as a whole I enjoyed it..I don't know if I'll actively hunt down more of this. But I am glad I checked out this volume.
In a new trend, a lot of the villains of D.C. have been retconned for n o reason other than shits and giggles. This now happening to Two Face. There is a lot of babble about Dent and his father, somehow the Dents knew the Waynes way back when (do only the rich people do anything? The Waynes, the Dents, Elliots, etc) somehow. That part is convoluted and didn't care for it much.
The rest of it? Kinda mindless fun. A mash up of b and c list villains try to stop Batman from taking Two Face back to Gotham. Apparently Two Face now has the ability to dredge up dirt on anyone. Even Jim Gordon (now sporting a d-bag hipster beard) is caught up and orders a search warrant on Wayne Manor.
The rest? I'll leave it to you. The story overall is decent-good. The artwork? I rather liked seeing John Romita Jr's artwork. I remember him well from the X-Men days. I was never a huge fan but in this issue his large framed characters do not seem too out of place. Is this something I can do for several volumes? No...like grain alcohol Romita is enjoyed in small amounts only. Too much and I get sick :)
So all in all this isn't a bad story, not terrible art and a story that doesn't stray too much from the normal lore. Sort of. Still taken as a whole I enjoyed it..I don't know if I'll actively hunt down more of this. But I am glad I checked out this volume.
July 31, 2017
It was awesome, especially the three last ones!
Scott Snyder, you rock.
Scott Snyder, you rock.
May 15, 2022
Although this is billed as, "Volume 1," all of these characters have prior history with each other. In fact, if you're not already well-versed in Batman lore, I'd advise you to give this one a miss.
Batman is trying to get Two Face–not the version of the character I'm familiar with, though–from Gotham to another location almost 500 miles away, supposedly to cure him. And just about literally *everyone* is trying to stop this, because 2F doesn't want to be cured and has enough dirt on the entire world that people will do anything he asks to prevent it coming out.
The pace is insane. Batman can't catch a break. It's basically one long, 500 mile fight scene. It's exhausting to read. Well-drawn, sure, but it's not a pleasant read. I feel like I've just run a marathon, never having trained properly for it beforehand.
And changes. I barely recognize this Batman. His origin is now intimately tied with Two Face. They were apparently boyhood friends. Ooookay. And we've got another new Robin. I've lost count of how many there've been. Honestly, this book makes me long for a ground-up reboot. Chuck the last eight decades or whatever of continuity and start over. It's wandered way too far from anything that made it good and readable. Best part of the entire story was the very last page, and not just because that meant it was over. That one page is closer to the Batman I know and love than the entirety of the rest of the book.
Oh, and there's a shorter tale to round out the book that focuses on the new Robin. It's not bad, but still way further into grim and gritty and melodramatic territory than I usually care for.
I don't know. Objectively speaking, this isn't too bad. It's simply that it's a vision of Batman that I don't much care for. I can't really recommend it, but I suppose you could do worse.
Batman is trying to get Two Face–not the version of the character I'm familiar with, though–from Gotham to another location almost 500 miles away, supposedly to cure him. And just about literally *everyone* is trying to stop this, because 2F doesn't want to be cured and has enough dirt on the entire world that people will do anything he asks to prevent it coming out.
The pace is insane. Batman can't catch a break. It's basically one long, 500 mile fight scene. It's exhausting to read. Well-drawn, sure, but it's not a pleasant read. I feel like I've just run a marathon, never having trained properly for it beforehand.
And changes. I barely recognize this Batman. His origin is now intimately tied with Two Face. They were apparently boyhood friends. Ooookay. And we've got another new Robin. I've lost count of how many there've been. Honestly, this book makes me long for a ground-up reboot. Chuck the last eight decades or whatever of continuity and start over. It's wandered way too far from anything that made it good and readable. Best part of the entire story was the very last page, and not just because that meant it was over. That one page is closer to the Batman I know and love than the entirety of the rest of the book.
Oh, and there's a shorter tale to round out the book that focuses on the new Robin. It's not bad, but still way further into grim and gritty and melodramatic territory than I usually care for.
I don't know. Objectively speaking, this isn't too bad. It's simply that it's a vision of Batman that I don't much care for. I can't really recommend it, but I suppose you could do worse.
April 25, 2017
Exciting, for the first issue or two. But nobody needs five issues of a single chase scene, so it became monotonous before the halfway mark. And stretching the story out to five issues gave the cracks in the setup time to show. Two Face is remarkably more powerful and well connected than I can ever remember seeing him before, and there's no explanation for how he can suddenly arrange for disfiguring acid rain over an entire city, or how he found himself in a position to not only have dirt on basically everybody in Gotham and to be able to steal incredible amounts of money directly from what should be the most protected accounts in the city. And the ending is baffling: It's ridiculously self righteous and even cruel.
But... There are some really cool set pieces. The train fight is a quality fight scene, in particular. And the back up story with Duke is actually pretty good. It's probably the best introduction to the character if you're just meeting him for the first time in Rebirth. Of course, the best scene in the entire book is the resolution to GCPD breaching the Batcave. The humor of the scene was absolutely necessary in an otherwise grim book. But while all of this made for a decent book, on balance, I think I've had about enough of Snyder writing Batman. I think he's said all he has to say about the character, or all I care to hear from him.
But... There are some really cool set pieces. The train fight is a quality fight scene, in particular. And the back up story with Duke is actually pretty good. It's probably the best introduction to the character if you're just meeting him for the first time in Rebirth. Of course, the best scene in the entire book is the resolution to GCPD breaching the Batcave. The humor of the scene was absolutely necessary in an otherwise grim book. But while all of this made for a decent book, on balance, I think I've had about enough of Snyder writing Batman. I think he's said all he has to say about the character, or all I care to hear from him.
February 1, 2017
Very good! Scott Snyder may not be writing the core batman title anymore, but he's killing it with this series! So the story has Two Face, who has done something very bad(you only find out later), and now basically everyone wants to kill him: Commissioner Gordon, Gotham's Criminal Underworld, various assassins. So now batman has to fight to keep Two Face safe! Overall this a really fun time; as we get to see Batman and Two Face have to fight their way through thick and thin, while still not exactly getting along themselves! This one was pretty good through out, we get to see some good art from John Romita Jr; and a very engaging story. Cons I guess, is the amount of dialogue you have to read; I know it makes for a good story, but every so often my eyes would get tired as I would race to the end of each issue, from all the reading I would have to do; not a major complaint, but a little less dialogue would be good!
May 14, 2020
I feel like this should have been better given the team and Scott Snyders long tenure on Batman, but it turned out to be more just average. It makes me wonder if it's time for Snyder to step away from the Bat for a little while (even though All-Star isn't done yet) and JrJr is not the artist he used to be. Shalveys artwork in the backups is great though.
*2020 reread review update* - still hold to my original review pretty much. JrJr’s art is pretty bad here.
*2020 reread review update* - still hold to my original review pretty much. JrJr’s art is pretty bad here.
June 27, 2017
I'm not sure. I don't think Romita Jr's. art really fits in the main DC universe. The story was ok.
March 5, 2017
Glad to see Snyder continue on Batman in one form or another. The main story here is a several-issue story regarding Batman and Two-Face, with Batman tasked with taking the villain to a location where a cure for his condition has been stored. Unfortunately, Two-Face has his own plot underway--if Batman isn't stopped, Gotham's villains will have their darkest secrets outed to the police. This was a lot of fun, not nearly as dark as some of Snyder's run on Batman, but with its own moments. With a new Robin in the form of ward Duke on hand, this is a fast-paced and exciting adventure. About the only drawback for me was the John Romita, Jr. artwork, which kept reminding me of Kick-Ass. Romita definitely has his own style, but I've associated it with cartoonish, over-the-top nonsense for too long now and it hampers this story somewhat. The rest of this volume is given over to an introspective story featuring Duke and his parents, poisoned by the Joker during one of his recent crime sprees, and a crime that features the handiwork of Victor Szasz. This worked a little better for me, with more restrained artwork from Declan Shalvey. Curious to see what Snyder and co. have in store for us next.
September 24, 2017
Expectations were a little high on this for me, so there's was some letdown. Stepping back the plot was a nice idea, having Batman drag Two-Face across the country while being attacked from other villains, all while his identity may be revealed to the world. However, most of it felt clunky to me. It jumps between now, a little while ago, and a long time ago which was a little hard to follow. The story didn't come together for me until the end when it is determined if Two-Face will be cured or not. Unfortunately this was a little bit predictable as well.
The story is also another step in developing Batman's new ally, the Signal, which is one of the worst names ever. This is also about the third time that when questioned about the Signal, Batman has responded "I'm trying something new." Sidekick, ally, or whatever, it's still the same: someone else going through Bruce's training, not liking how he does things, yet still sticking with it. Yes, Bruce is more "open" in Rebirth, but it's still expanding the already too large Bat Family.
I've been a long time fan of John Romita Jr.'s art, but have become increasingly dissatisfied with it. I still maintain he's one of the best storytellers, but his anatomy has become worse over the years and he still maintains some of the blocky look he had awhile ago when it comes to inanimate objects, making them look exceedingly bulky and unrealistic. The color palette felt a little too bright and varied as well but maybe that's the point to "try something different" and perhaps I'm not ready for the change.
I actually enjoyed the second story in this volume, The Cursed Wheel. It has a creepy, mystery vibe to it that truly showcases how menacing the villain can be. In the end, it's really another stepping stone for the Signal, but it felt more satisfying than the first story.
The story is also another step in developing Batman's new ally, the Signal, which is one of the worst names ever. This is also about the third time that when questioned about the Signal, Batman has responded "I'm trying something new." Sidekick, ally, or whatever, it's still the same: someone else going through Bruce's training, not liking how he does things, yet still sticking with it. Yes, Bruce is more "open" in Rebirth, but it's still expanding the already too large Bat Family.
I've been a long time fan of John Romita Jr.'s art, but have become increasingly dissatisfied with it. I still maintain he's one of the best storytellers, but his anatomy has become worse over the years and he still maintains some of the blocky look he had awhile ago when it comes to inanimate objects, making them look exceedingly bulky and unrealistic. The color palette felt a little too bright and varied as well but maybe that's the point to "try something different" and perhaps I'm not ready for the change.
I actually enjoyed the second story in this volume, The Cursed Wheel. It has a creepy, mystery vibe to it that truly showcases how menacing the villain can be. In the end, it's really another stepping stone for the Signal, but it felt more satisfying than the first story.
July 2, 2018
Tak ani druhy precteni nezmenilo muj nazor na to, ze je to sracka.
Ok, neni to sracka jako Dark Knight Strikes Again, Batman Odyssey nebo All-Star Batman & Robin, ale i tak je to neco, co sem dolouskal s vypetim vsech sil.
Snyderuv pribeh neni spatnej, namet je relativne fresh, ale v mejch ocich mu podrazi nohy to, ze Snyder uz neumi napsat neco, aniz by se snazil “prepisovat” kanon (viz detsky vzpominky). Jasne, v dobe, kdy DC restartuje jednou za dva roky, tak se tezko da mluvit o kanonu, ale stejne...
Duke alias cernej Robin me jako charakter zaujal asi tak jako dokument o norskym kozedelnym prumyslu.
Kazdopadne nejvetsi pruser cely tyhle parady je kresba. JRJR by mel vsem udelat velkou sluzbu, nechat si na krk povesit medaili za zasluhy a jit do prdele. Premejslim, jestli mi nekdy kresba zpusobovala vetsi fyzickou bolest. Bohuzel mu tesne na paty slape Declan Shalvey v Dukove back story.
Romita dostal jedinecnou prilezitost - moznost kreslit snad celou Batmanovu rogue gallery a at se pustil do kterykoliv postavy, tak je to s prehledem jeji nejhorsi verze, co kdy kdo nakreslil. Nedelam si prdel, neprehanim ani trochu. Ukazte mi horsiho Killer Croca, horsiho Killer Motha, horsiho Firefly nebo i horsiho Two-Face.
*rant over*
Ok, neni to sracka jako Dark Knight Strikes Again, Batman Odyssey nebo All-Star Batman & Robin, ale i tak je to neco, co sem dolouskal s vypetim vsech sil.
Snyderuv pribeh neni spatnej, namet je relativne fresh, ale v mejch ocich mu podrazi nohy to, ze Snyder uz neumi napsat neco, aniz by se snazil “prepisovat” kanon (viz detsky vzpominky). Jasne, v dobe, kdy DC restartuje jednou za dva roky, tak se tezko da mluvit o kanonu, ale stejne...
Duke alias cernej Robin me jako charakter zaujal asi tak jako dokument o norskym kozedelnym prumyslu.
Kazdopadne nejvetsi pruser cely tyhle parady je kresba. JRJR by mel vsem udelat velkou sluzbu, nechat si na krk povesit medaili za zasluhy a jit do prdele. Premejslim, jestli mi nekdy kresba zpusobovala vetsi fyzickou bolest. Bohuzel mu tesne na paty slape Declan Shalvey v Dukove back story.
Romita dostal jedinecnou prilezitost - moznost kreslit snad celou Batmanovu rogue gallery a at se pustil do kterykoliv postavy, tak je to s prehledem jeji nejhorsi verze, co kdy kdo nakreslil. Nedelam si prdel, neprehanim ani trochu. Ukazte mi horsiho Killer Croca, horsiho Killer Motha, horsiho Firefly nebo i horsiho Two-Face.
*rant over*
February 8, 2023
Over time, I’ve read a lot of Batman comics, beginning with Miller’s Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. I’m familiar with a dark and brooding Batman. In this volume, Snyder, rather uncharacteristically, presents a Batman with humour. He jokes a fair bit and even fist bumps his partner, Duke. The Dark Knight’s playful attitude is juxtaposed with the brutality he inflicts on his enemies. The story is in equal doses comical and violent.
This volume definitely reads as a Rebirth title. It doesn’t rehash old storylines (not to my knowledge, at least).
I’d recommend this fun and quirky read.
This volume definitely reads as a Rebirth title. It doesn’t rehash old storylines (not to my knowledge, at least).
I’d recommend this fun and quirky read.
August 30, 2017
Good, but not really exceptional, Batman adventure. Throughout the main story I was reminded of the DeNiro action/comedy Midnight Run (taking fugitive in custody on an obstacle-laced road trip) and/or the big-screen version of S.W.A.T. (fugitive in custody offers mega-$$$ to be sprung during extradition). However, the bone-crunching, blood-soaked action and extended chase sequence / 007-style pitfalls with various foes made it a fast read.
Of more interest was the secondary story 'The Cursed Wheel.' Promising new character Duke gets more backstory and shows some real initiative as a trainee.
Of more interest was the secondary story 'The Cursed Wheel.' Promising new character Duke gets more backstory and shows some real initiative as a trainee.
November 2, 2019
It was a really simple story that was put in a very complicated way just to try and make it entertain but for me it wasn't;Though i do like Batman new side kid Duke.
April 25, 2017
Scott Snyder returns to write more awesome Batman. The whole journey is back and forth between the past friends that Harvey Dent and Bruce Wayne use to be and the now. Two –Face has put a hit on Batman as he tries to return his old friend to his old self again. Harvey sent Batman a message that he found a way to eliminate his split personality but he hid it in a place Two –Face will never know about. THe hit brings out all kinds from the woodwork. Penguin, Black Mask and Great White hire an Assassin to kill Batman and Two-Face. Along the way Batman is faced with a multitude of foes and civilians.
Art:
The art was impressive, the details and the somewhat muted tones mixed with the bright primary colors. It kind of reminded me of an old style of story book illustrations. I really liked the way Two-Face was drawn.
Characters:
Batman/ Bruce Wayne: of course, his usual brooding, loyal, overprotective self. Protecting his ward, loyal to an old friend and brooding over the past that he can't change. Determined to do the right thing to fix the unfixable no matter the obstacles.
Duke: the new not Robin. As of now Duke may be in what looks like a Robin costume but Batman told Gordon they were trying something new. I like Duke so far. He differs from the majority of the rest of the sidekicks as his parents are still alive (like Tim Drake) but Duke has a vendetta against the Joker and he wants justice to always prevail, and not just like Batman but mostly because his mother.
Two-Face/Harvey Dent: Two-Face knows the right way to manipulate Bruce Wayne.
Other cameos: Amygdala, Killer Croc, King Shark, Firefly, Killer Moth, Black Spider, Copperhead, Cheshire, The Royal Flush Gang, Gotham’s Lords of Organized Crime, Harold Allnut, The Court of Owls, The Beast.
Review: I really liked this one. I've never been a big Two-Face fan but this one was pretty good. The manipulation level was really up there and bringing in all these other villains honestly I didn't even know two of them even existed. The story kept me hooked to the end all very exciting I couldn't put it down, and the last one with a bit of the back story with Duke was nice to have.
Art:
The art was impressive, the details and the somewhat muted tones mixed with the bright primary colors. It kind of reminded me of an old style of story book illustrations. I really liked the way Two-Face was drawn.
Characters:
Batman/ Bruce Wayne: of course, his usual brooding, loyal, overprotective self. Protecting his ward, loyal to an old friend and brooding over the past that he can't change. Determined to do the right thing to fix the unfixable no matter the obstacles.
Duke: the new not Robin. As of now Duke may be in what looks like a Robin costume but Batman told Gordon they were trying something new. I like Duke so far. He differs from the majority of the rest of the sidekicks as his parents are still alive (like Tim Drake) but Duke has a vendetta against the Joker and he wants justice to always prevail, and not just like Batman but mostly because his mother.
Two-Face/Harvey Dent: Two-Face knows the right way to manipulate Bruce Wayne.
Other cameos: Amygdala, Killer Croc, King Shark, Firefly, Killer Moth, Black Spider, Copperhead, Cheshire, The Royal Flush Gang, Gotham’s Lords of Organized Crime, Harold Allnut, The Court of Owls, The Beast.
Review: I really liked this one. I've never been a big Two-Face fan but this one was pretty good. The manipulation level was really up there and bringing in all these other villains honestly I didn't even know two of them even existed. The story kept me hooked to the end all very exciting I couldn't put it down, and the last one with a bit of the back story with Duke was nice to have.
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