Comic Review: Batman #5
When you get to the thick of the story you will find yourself reading this book in a way you may not have originally expected.
Batman #5 left me in a bit of a sore spot by the time I was finished. Looking back on all of my previous reviews I have done nothing but praise this series and I felt it may turn into me blindly giving the series good reviews simply because. I went into this book ready to be the reviewer I am and critique any and all flaws found. God Dammit, they did it again were my exact words as I put this flawless issue down on my table.
The Court Of Owls has trapped Batman in a maze from hell. He has wandered the corridors for days with only a fountain of spiked water to keep him alive. One of my favorite aspects of this series so far is the emphasis on animal characteristic towards Batman & The Court. Bats are the prey of Owls and the same can be said about The Court, as an audience we are beginning to realize the sheer level of power and control The Court has had throughout Gotham. In their eyes, Batman has already lost and they are simply playing with their prey before The Talon finally ends its life. Even with Bruces attempt to keep a grasp on sanity, sheer exhaustion and desperation has reverted Batman to using mere animal instincts to survive. Hiding away in the dark of the maze in a frantic attempt to escape the ever watching, ever shining gaze that blinds him around each corner. Bringing a character back to the animal he represents always fascinates me and I cant wait to see how Writer Scott Snyder helps Batman breaks the rules of the food chain and overcome the threat of The Court in the coming year.
Ive never been the biggest fan of when a book forces you to rotate your book 90 degrees simply to have a somewhat wider double page splash. But artist Greg Capullo uses every inch of the page to show this fascinating story. From the start I noticed a change in Capullos work, there are far more smaller, compressed panels to one page which thankfully enhance the story rather than restrict it. The subtle change in art style helps emphasize the constricted location of The Courts Maze and sets the tone of the issue within minutes. Without giving the game away this is a book that needs to be read in print rather than digital, the team behind this issue pull some moves that are usually extremely frowned upon but they surprisingly make them work (even if you finish reading with a little bit of vertigo). When you get to the thick of the story you will find yourself reading this book in a way you may not have originally expected. It makes every page more satisfying, even if you end up looking slightly odd if youre reading in a public spot (youll know what I mean when you get to it).
Even when Im desperate to find any faults in this book I struggle to come up with anything of substance. With almost every issue it seems that the creative team raise the bar and this issue is no different. Now if youll excuse me Im off to buy a couple more copies of Batman #5 so I can make my friends as addicted as I am.
rating: 5