Comic Review: Metal: Batman Lost

[bedsitter23]

Batman: Lost #1 by Scott Snyder

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This appears to be the right book, though the Goodreads credits are slightly skewed (GR doesn't like you reviewing single issue comics anyway) Bengal does the awesome cover, Snyder is surely point person. but there is a team of creators.

I picked this up because it really caught my eye. I have been picking up the Metal miniseries. I am a Marvel guy, but I can't disagree with the popular sentiment that DC is kicking the House of M's a-- right now.

This is a oneshot tie in with a great set of collaborating writers (Snyder, Tynion IV, Williamson). I loved the idea. Bruce Wayne is telling his granddaughter various old Batman stories (these of course are tie-ins to the storyline).

But he half-remembers and his granddaughter figures out that all these stories literally cannot be true. It's a fantastic setup. There's misses in logic and in personality and in timeline.

To broaden it much further out, if it's all Batman, then how do you explain the difference between Gotham Adventures Batman and Dark Knight Returns Batman, or for that matter Adam West Batman and Christian Bale Batman. They are all the same one story right? That to me makes for an interesting road to go down. (Imagine Spiderman with as many times as that story has been re-written).

So like Metal, very Morrisonesque but in all of the best ways.

I also have to say a word about the art which is also incredible. I usually don't mention art, unless it is something out of the ordinary like Frank Quietly or if it's bad. The art in this book is incredible. It is hard to explain- it's just DC art, but big thumbs up to Mahnke, Mendoza, Jiminez, and Paquette. I know a couple of those names and they are good, but I was a big fan of the art.

As it being what it is, this is a tie-in to Metal, one of several, and thus has to stand alone. It works pretty well, though by its very definition is nonessential. I did enjoy it quite a bit.

Lastly, I am not a real big fan of the idea of that there is a long line of Batmen, there will always be a Batman, etc. I realize that is central to the Metal run, and it doesn't stop my enjoyment. I am just not really a fan. I don't think the character needs it. I think the origin is enough in explaining, and I think saying Bruce Wayne's Batman is predestined is a contradiction of that. I don't have a problem with other books that do that. For Bendis's Powers, it makes sense (that monkey issue aside). I am sure someone will school me on why it's better that way, and it surely opens up a realm of possibilities. It's just not my favorite thing.





View all my reviews