ALL-STAR BATMAN #5
Written by Scott Snyder
Art by John Romita, Jr., Danny Miki, Dean White, Steve Wands, Declan Shalvey, Jordie Bellaire
Published by DC Comics
Release Date: December 29, 2016
It’s not often we see Batman out of his element. Scott Synder and John Romita Jr. have put Batman on the ultimate road trip with Two-Face. Determined to complete his mission in taking Harvey Dent out of Gotham, Batman’s rogues and countless civilians are gunning for Batman in order to claim the reward Two-Face is offering.
ALL-STAR BATMAN #5 picks up where the previous issue left off, with an angry mob waiting to get their hands on Batman. The Bat, alongside Duke and Two-Face, is held captive in a boat by KG Beast and company. The scene quickly escalates as bullets are exchanged from both the mob and KG Beast, leading Batman and the gang to make an epic escape from waterfall. They finally reach their destination and what started as a journey to find a cure for Harvey, ended up being more of a “solution?” I really hope we can see more beast in the issues to come because he is a monster.
With the main conflict between Batman and Harvey/Two-Face aside, this concluding issue also reveals Alfred’s actions from past issues. Batman learns that even his butler acted against him in order to halt the mission to cure Harvey. Alfred’s desire to keep his secret opens a new discussion for the character as he describes himself as a hypocrite. Alfred often acts a moral adviser to Bruce, so it’s a bit surprising to see the character act differently behind Bruce’s back. In Alfred’s defense, he was trying to protect Batman’s secret identity, but he fails to see that Bruce doesn’t really give a damn. Really show’s that bruce really doesn’t care if anybody see’s his identity when lives are at stake.
Okay, so The art of this series has been truly outstanding. I love john rough and rugged art in this arc Each punch thrown looks weighty and brutal. Whilst each sneer and threat from Two-Face is sinister and borderline terrifying. And that’s down to the incredible talents of John Romita Jr. His unique art style lends itself perfectly to All-Star Batman #5 and the whole series in a way that throws it’s characters across the storyline without any remorse. And then there’s the fantastically complex writing of Scott Snyder. He’s written all of the characters in this story with complete purpose, regardless of how big or small – everyone is there for a reason. And it’s clear just how much depth all of the main characters are given. It’s one of those books that grabs you right from the start.
Check out my favorite panel from this arc….
Overall, All Star Batman #5 brings this rollercoaster of a journey to a pleasant conclusion. Many questions are answered, leaving relationships open to be revisited in later issues. Multiple readings will only benefit the story, especially once in a collected book.
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