 |
Main Story
Written by Ty Templeton
Pencils by Rick Burchett
Inked by Terry Beatty
Colored by Lee Loughridge
Lettered by Phil Felix
Cover by Bruce Timm
Asst. Editor Harvey Richards
Editor Joan Hilty
|
Back-Up
Written by Dan Slott
Penciled by Ty Templeton
Inked by Terry Beatty
Colored by Lee Loughridge
Lettered by Phil Felix
Asst. Editor Harvey Richards
Editor Joan Hilty |
Issue #01 - No Asylum /
Who Am I?
Cover Date - June 2003.
Released May 7th - Series Premiere
The busiest day of Batman's life begins here,
as someone breaks into Arkham Asylum, intent on hunting down
everyone from the Joker to Poison Ivy.
Batman must protect and recapture his biggest foes all at the
same time - even though he's just been outlawed by Gotham's
surprising new mayor. |
Review
A first issue is always a tricky
prospect. Creative teams are challenged not only with
the task of coming up with a “hook”, or somehow
ensnaring the reader for future issues, but also
establishing the direction of the new series. The best
first issues, the ones that rise to the challenge, are
very special reads indeed. Fortunately, Batman
Adventures #1 is among them, charging out of the
gates from the very first page.
After a lengthy and somewhat controversial run by writer
Scott Peterson, the book’s previous incarnation,
Gotham Adventures, had limped to a troubling
conclusion. Fortunately, DC saw fit to re-launch the
book, with longtime DCAU maestro Ty Templeton in charge
of scripting, working alongside relative newcomer Dan
Slott. Each issue would contain a seventeen-page main
story, along with a five page backup. Pre-release
coverage of the series looked good, and DC decided to
select Batman Adventures #1 as its Free Comic
Book Day title for 2003. All eyes were on the series…
and few were disappointed.
The opening pages of Batman Adventures #1
immediately establish the series’ sense of daring and
adventurous plotting. We discover that the Penguin is
now the mayor of Gotham City, turning the GCPD against
the Caped Crusader.
It’s a clever idea, and one has to wonder why it hasn’t
been done in the more anemic Batman titles of the
mainline DCU continuity. Batman is often at his most
intriguing when he’s working outside, or even against,
the law, so this development establishes a new status
quo, with obvious dramatic potential.
But that’s merely the setup. The issue is primarily
concerned with Batman’s struggle to keep a group of
assassins from attacking the inmates of Arkham Asylum.
It’s a dynamic which works, primarily because it’s
interesting to see Batman charged with the task of
protecting his greatest enemies. It’s also a clever way
to give all of Batman’s greatest villains a small role
in his new series’ first issue. Each rogue gets a nice
character-centric moment, from Two Face’s reliance on
pure chance to dictate his actions to Poison Ivy’s
continuing loss of her own humanity. Poison Ivy, in
fact, is the recipient of a stab wound, a scene which
shocks at first but is later revealed to be a rather
clever fakeout.
This main story is plenty of fun, packed with strong
action scenes and excellent dialogue. Perhaps most
importantly, it also serves to distinguish Batman
Adventures from previous animated Batman comics. Ty
Templeton makes an effort to establish running plot
threads which would be addressed over the coming months,
embracing a kind of long-form storytelling which had
previously been rare in the animated Batman books.
Several fascinating mysteries, from the secrecy
surrounding the Penguin’s election to Alfred’s curious
use of a cane, make the reader want to stick with the
series to learn more.
The five-page backups were a debatable addition on DC’s
part, as they cut down the number of pages available for
the main story. Thankfully, the backup which appears in
this issue, “Who Am I?” sets a precedent for satisfying
and logical five-page stories. Dan Slott takes advantage
of the first issue status to deliver a condensed version
of Batman’s origin and general approach to
crimefighting, nicely setting up the character’s history
and motivation.
The art is provided by Terry Beatty, Ty Templeton, and
Rick Burchett, a strong creative collaboration which
thankfully sets the tone in just the right manner.
Action sequences are fluid and enjoyable, and the Timm
style is used to its fullest effect, with expressive
characters and dramatic lighting. There are errors in
the coloring, particularly in Two-Face’s appearance, a
problem which would plague the series until it ended.
Still, this is a visually appealing and bright comic, a
pleasure to look at if not a total feast for the eyes.
As #1 issues go, Batman Adventures #1 is a
satisfying debut, packing a fresh sense of direction and
purpose that would embody the series in future issues.
Hard to argue with that. |
|
|
