- Written by Scott Snyder
- Pencils John Romita Jr., Declan Shalvey
- Inks Danny Miki, Declan Shalvey
- Colored by Jordie Bellaire, Dean White
- Cover by Danny Miki
“My Own Worst Enemy” part 2! All aboard the train ride from hell! Batman and Two-Face continue their journey to Harvey Dent’s cure through an assassin-infested landscape. But can the Dark Knight continue his crusade across the countryside when Two Face turns one of his greatest allies against him?
Pickup your copy of ‘All-Star Batman’ #2 @ Comixology now!
The opening issue of this new series (reviewed here) made for a really interesting read. Visually I’m not sure that I was able to connect with it. The story, however, was still very Snyder.
To this day I cannot decide if I was wholly satisfied with the issue as a whole. Sadly that feeling is continuing to linger with issue #2.
The premise of ‘All-Star Batman’ is great. It also happens to serve as an analogy for what Scott Snyder is doing with this series. Both writer and star are outside of their comfort zones, exploring new territory.
As the story continues to evolve through this issue the ‘All-Star’ title is lived up to in every way. With every assassin going following the Bat and his prisoner there are opportunities for a huge number of guest appearances. It’s a little overstuffed with characters which does mean that development is often sidelined for action.
The story itself is well handled. Flashbacks continue to explain some of the events in Gotham which had led us to where we are in the present day. Essentially Snyder is adopting an ‘Arrow’ type model in juxtaposing the past and present stories.
There’s enough development in this issue to push the story forwards but the present day action seems to be moving a little slower than the flashbacks.
‘All-Star Batman’ #2 does feel like a more cohesive issue than #1 but there’s still something amiss with the story which I can’t quite put my finger on.
The sticking point for me remains the artwork. I’m struggling to get past the equally all-star team of Snyder and Greg Capullo and their run on the main ‘Batman’ title. The team of John Romita Jr., Danny Miki, Declan Shalvey, Jordie Bellaire and Dean White have got massive shoes to fill.
The series naturally has a different visual style because it’s so heavily daytime set. Already as an audience we’re taken out of our comfort zone to see Batman spend so much time in direct sunlight.
The colour palette is fairly standard to match. With Killer Croc appearing in this issue there is the chance for some more standout greens to go alongside the purples of Two-Face. That aside there’s a slightly washed out feel to ‘All-Star Batman’ which is definitely one of its drawbacks.
What I do like about the artwork is the level of detail given my the pencil strokes. Fine detail is abundant in environments and costumes. Sadly where it is lacking is in facial features.
If I had to point the finger at the biggest drawback with ‘All-Star Batman’ for me it’s the character drawings. It does have a great indie comic flair but it still feels, to me, as though it doesnt’ belong in this series. It feels at odds with the story but I still have hope the two will settle their differences in future issues.
Verdict
‘All-Star Batman’ #2 is not as bad as this review seems to have made it out to bed. It’s a solid read from a brilliant writer. It definitely breaks new ground for the character. But like all good new products it has its teething problems.
It is, however, still worth your time reading.
3 stars
