Batman: The Uninspired Cash Grab
The Good: If nothing else, David Finch's artwork is admittedly awesome. There's an especially cool part where Batman punches a clown and there's some subtle blurring done to show depth.
There's a cool thematic monologue here about fear that runs through the issue and comes full circle.
The choice of villains in the scene is interesting, it kind of counterparts the ones in Batman #1, and has some slightly more obscure choices.
The Bad: Basically, there's just SO much here that's blatantly retreading old ground. Breakout at Arkham's nothing new, but not having Arkham breakouts is like a bird not flying. But it's just so odd that it comes right on the heel of Batman #1. But what REALLY gets me is Batman meeting his mysterious lady friend who intrigues him. And she has a nose ring. She's tan and sort of a very subtle kind of dangerously alluring. She reminds me SO MUCH of Jezebelle Jet, in terms of the style of her introduction.
White Rabbit is.... Do we REALLY need another unrelated Alice in Wonderland themed villain in Gotham? SERIOUSLY. Also, she's just... sexy for the sake of being sexy. But I do have to admit she is pretty sexy. But her appearance here is so unbelievably random. I mean, there's subtlety and pacing, and then there's whatever this is.
So, Bruce funding Batman Inc. is JUST NOW being investigated? By who exactly? It just doesn't seem right.
Why does Two-Face suddenly want to be called 1-Face? It's not like he got cured or anything, just.... buff.
Whe does this exist? We have 2 Batman series, and one that focuses on the dynamic duo. Spin-off Batman series need an identity, and this one has none.
In Conclusion: 2.5/5
I mean, it's cool and all, and will probably wow a new reader just fine, but longtime fans will find this dull and uninspired. It does look cool, but it's really hollow.
