Batman #21 Review

BATMAN #21

by Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo and Rafael Albuquerque

I still refuse to believe Bruce went through 5 Robins in 6 years. And I firmly believe that Stephanie counts as a Robin. And that she and Cass are out somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, alive. 

Batman #21 marks the start of the new Zero Year storyline, which chronicles Bruce's origin in the New 52. Now, there are problems all around this issue. First up, while this very different Gotham City is a breath of fresh air, it leads to an uncomfortably out of character Bruce. He flips off the Red Hood gang, and even disses Alfred. Not cool dude, you NEVER diss Alfred. Also, I hate that this story replaces Year One, which in my opinion, is one of the greatest Batman stories ever told. Also, according to the beginning of this issue, it's supposed to lead into the New 52 version of No Man's Land. This sucks, because I DO NOT see the need to make that story part of Bruce's origin. (No Man's Land is my guilty pleasure) The issue can get very boring at times to, especially with the unnecessary flashbacks to Bruce's childhood. However, Snyder does set up some interesting conflicts, like young Eddy Nigma being in cahoots with Phillip Kane, and the Red Hood Gang's continued wrath on Gotham. Also, Snyder does a great job at writing Alfred, as usual.

While Snyder's writing takes a dip in quality this month, Greg Capullo's art gets better. It seems Capullo is more suited for this brighter and more colorful Gotham, as it's portrayed here. He can really get the emotion of the characters, and the opening flash-forward has a very Mad-Max vibe to it.

The backup story is the best part of the issue. We learn where Bruce learned how to drive, and it's a boatload of fun. Albuquerque's art, as usual, is flawless.

Batman #21 has very hit-or-miss writing, but the art is stunning and the backup is one of Snyder's best stories yet. If you're on a tight budget, skip it, but if you have $4 to spare, buy it.

STORY: 2.5/5

+ Good Alfred writing

+ Some interesting plot points

- No need to retell the origin of Batman when we have Year One

- Annoyingly uncharacteristic Bruce

- Pointless flashbacks

ART: 4.5/5

+ Capullo's art shines in a brighter environment

+ Perfectly suits the mood

BACKUP: 4/5

+ One of Snyder's better scripts

+ Rafael Albuquerque's art

VERDICT: 3.5/5