script: James Tynion / artist: Fernando Blanco
So, Batman Eternal has found a groove that works well for a weekly series. Granted, it is NOT as good as Scott Snyder’s primary Batman book (if you’re not reading it now, go to the comic shop and get it immediately….after you read/share this review, though), but it is definitely one of the strongest Bat-titles DC could hope to churn out consistently. It seems pretty appropriate that the book would get so good just when it involves Batman having everything taken away from him.
James Tynion IV, Scott Snyder co-conspirator for Eternal’s plot, takes the wheel this week and handles scripting duties. Issue 35 explores the fact that, yes, even a billionaire’s vigilante alter ego can have his assets frozen if he fucks up badly enough. And…man oh man…did he EVER fuck up badly? Let me tell you something: if you make your reputation on being “the guy who has a plan for everything” without planning for your murderous childhood friend who killed his own parents to be just like you to find your WMD bunkers and detonate them to discredit you….you don’t get to be The Guy Who Has A Plan For Everything anymore. Anywho, now that our hero has effectively screwed the pooch, Lucius Fox has been forced to fully cooperate with the shockingly corrupt (or is he?) Commissioner Jason Bard in capturing Batman.
Tynion creates a really exciting romp that gives us a little bit of that Batman from Snyder’s other Bat-book who flies by the seat of his pants and is forced to think on his feet when he’s pushed into a corner. Fernando Blanco’s art isn’t the best we’ve seen in the book’s rotation, but he’s not the worse either. The scenes of exposition come across a bit too sketchy and basic, but the action beats are crisp and intense as they should be. I don’t want to shoot the art down too much because other artists have improved a great deal during their tenure on Eternal. One can only hope that such is the case here.
Bottom Line: This was an action packed week that reminds us why we fell in love with New 52 Batman in the first place. 8 out of 10.
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