Batman: Creature of the Night #1 Review

Writer: Kurt Busiek / Artist: John Paul Leon / DC Comics I do not give out this kind of praise lightly but reading this comic was the best kind of experience. I heard the title and knew not what the comic book gods had bestowed on me. “A Batman one-shot or mini-series, whatever”, I naively thought. I saw an extra copy at my comic book store and saw the name. Kurt Busiek. I don’t know if you’re reading Astro City but if you aren’t I advise you to treat yourself. “Creature of the Night” highlights the best of Busiek. He is amazing at telling relatively isolated stories without the extensive context we come to expect in our standard comic books. Within a short period of time, you are emotionally invested in these characters. The story focuses on a young child who loves Batman and the boy’s uncle who loves him. We are taken through the child’s heart-wrenching story from both his and the uncle’s perspective. Much of the book is narrated from their perspectives. This brings me to the next impressive creative choice made in this book. Todd Klein is the letterer and deserves heavy props for it. The two narrating characters are made distinct by the lettering in their respective boxes. The move is equal parts artistically and practically impressive.

Creatures Come Out at Night and They Are Drawn Wonderfully There is no confusion as to whose perspective is being told when the older character speaks in stylistic cursive and the younger in juvenile, simplistic text. As a segue into how …