Comic Info
Comic Name: Batman (Volume 2)
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Greg Capullo
# of Issues: 8
Release Date: 2014
Batman (2) #29
Reprints Batman (2) #25-27 and #29-33 (January 2014-September 2014). The Riddler has launched an attack on Gotham City, but Batman is about to discover that there is someone else lurking in the wings. Dr. Death is prowling the streets and a young Bruce Wayne might have to put aside his feelings toward Jim Gordon and the police if he hopes to find him…but the Riddler has a bigger plan and Gotham City could be his greatest hostage!
Written by Scott Snyder, Batman Volume 5: Zero Year—Dark City is part of the New 52 relaunch and contains the bigger Zero Year event series. Following Batman Volume 4: Zero Year—Secret City, the collection features art by Greg Capullo. Not included in this collection is the Batman Eternal tie-in Batman (2) #28 (April 2014) which was included in Batman Volume 6: Graveyard Shift.
Scott Snyder really lit a fire under Batman for me. I was never that big of fan of the character. I liked the goofy Batman as a kid and the dark, brooding Batman of the ’80s and ’90s just always seemed pretty one-dimensional to me. The New 52’s Batman got me reading Batman (which was a feat) and for good or bad, the story is different.
This volume is split into the “Dark City” and “Savage City” storylines. “Dark City” is more about Dr. Death and then turns into the Riddler’s real plan. It kind of muddles the story of “Dark City” and while horrific, it kind of detracts from the overall arc (that and outside DC interferences like Forever Evil leading up to this didn’t help).
Batman (2) #30 Variant
The second part of the story “Savage City” reminds me a lot of an abridged version of Batman: No Man’s Land. Much like that story, Gotham City is isolated from the outside world and under the Joker’s control. It is like a jungle and everyone is fighting for control…but instead of lots of factions, it is essentially Batman and GCPD trying to wrestle control away from Riddler. I’ve always kind of considered the Riddler a joke, and it was nice to have a “serious” Riddler story.
Both stories are combined with Greg Capullo’s great art. It is solid and also has some nice homages to previous Batman entries (especially Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns). Capullo really is able to pull Snyder’s writing up even in the segments that feel a bit weak (plus, they have some great covers).
Batman continues to be one of the best rides of the New 52. For me, the New 52 worked, and I liked the streamlining and jumpstarting aspect of the series. Snyder took Batman and created something both familiar to fans and new and exciting to readers who didn’t follow the character closely. Batman 5: Zero Year—Dark City was followed by Batman 6: Graveyard Shift.
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