Batman deals with death and not being the hero he thinks he should be. Legendary artist Neal Adams draws and writes the book.
The Good
Neal Adams is a legend. There is no doubt about it, and in this issue, his work really does shine, but sadly, that's all I enjoyed while reading this book. I searched for a few other things to like and the only thing I really came up with is that I enjoyed the lettering, which really pushed the boundaries of the soap opera feel to the book.
The Bad
The biggest problem I had with this book was the over-exaggerated facial expressions on all the characters. When characters are sad, they're bawling. When they're angry, they're like an angry dog backed into a corner. It's incredibly distracting. Added together with the dialogue, it's like watching an afternoon soap opera. Batman didn't feel like Batman. He did a few things way out of character. Maybe it's because I skipped out on the first 3 issues, but when Batman grabbed the kid's camera and took a picture of Reuben Blades, then screamed at the kid, I cringed. When "mulletted" Aquaman made a sting-ray fly out of the ocean and stab someone through the chest, I laughed out loud. As I said before, Neal Adams is a legend, and his work here is great, but it's just not up to par with the majority of what is going on today in comic books, writing and art wise. It feels incredibly dated. If Neal Adams does art on a book after this, I'd love to see a colorist and inker mix his style with more contemporary colors and inks because everything in this book screams bronze age comic to me. And overall, aside from my complaints about it being dated, I just didn't enjoy the book.
The Verdict 1.5/5
I may seem harsh, but it's all about opinion, and while (even though I've said it numerous times) I think Neal Adams has done some stellar work, I don't think this book, overall, is worthwhile. If you're a Neal Adams fan, I'd say for sure pick this book up because it really does highlight his art, and frankly, it looks great, but the book as a hole falls incredibly flat, and feels dated. I do not recommend this book.
