Batman by Scott Snyder / What is your verdict?

[darkseidpwns]

While I disagree with this statement it did make me laugh.

I feel this is the best look and by far the best story for Batman since Millers run in the 80's.

The argument that nothing as strong as the Court of Owls could have remained hidden from Batman this long was explained in the first or second issue.

I must have missed the "other" issue #2,3 stars from me.2 if not for the art,the storyline is just a simpler version of RIP.

[cactusmaac]

Yeah, I've enjoyed Snyder's run quite a lot so far, but I think it is rather hyperbolic when people say it's the best Batman's been in decades.

For me it's the most I've enjoyed a Batman run since Knightfall - with the caveat that I haven't read Black Mirror yet. Best Batman story I've read since Paul Pope's Batman: Year 100.

Morrison's time was intriguing but there were too many sci-fi and fantastical elements that felt out of place for the Batman universe.

Which other runs would you consider as being better?

Further, the people who think Snyder is the greatest ever don't even NOTICE Bruce's random power fluctuations all throughout this series. In issue #1 he beats 80% of his Rogues Gallery in just a few pages. Then he's beaten up by ONE Talon. Then after being drugged and beaten some more, he inexplicably resurrects himself--much like a pro-wrestler would--and beats the Talon. And then he's able to fend off an entire army of Talons (before getting to the Bat-armor). I had a good time with these comics, generally, but have to point this stuff out because the people who praise Snyder to the heavens don't even NOTICE these things. If they noticed it, it might temper their fawning just a bit.

I don't see it as being inconsistent. He knows his existing rogue's gallery so well it wasn't a huge challenge to take them out relatively quickly. This run is about Bruce being up against an enemy he doesn't know, initially dismisses and underestimates badly.

Him "hulking-out" and escaping aren't new. There have been a number of instances in past Bats stories where he's been on the brink and escaped by drawing on his reserves and making an immense physical effort. Detective Comics #617 - the first Batman comic I read - is one of the obvious examples. And it was believable. It was seeing the terrified picture of Alan Wayne that kicked it off. Bruce Wayne essentially created Batman to avenge the murder of his family. Now he was confronted with a bunch of criminals who had killed one of his ancestors and were about to do the same for him.

As for fending off the army of Talons, he was mostly running away from them, not karate-kicking them left, right and centre. Plus the army had only just been reactivated so it's likely they weren't at the top of their game.

[shark]

Above average.

The book is one of the best things about the reboot, but I'm really tired of the Owls and there are a lot of problems with them. Can't wait for this arc to be over to see what else Snyder can offer.

The art is fantastic, though.

[TZDEKA]

For me it's the most I've enjoyed a Batman run since Knightfall - with the caveat that I haven't read Black Mirror yet. Best Batman story I've read since Paul Pope's Batman: Year 100.

Morrison's time was intriguing but there were too many sci-fi and fantastical elements that felt out of place for the Batman universe.

Which other runs would you consider as being better?

Well, it depends on if you mean runs or stories, I guess. And I also just mean that there have been things on par with this, not necessarily always better. As for Morrison's run, I feel the same way as you in the sense that I don't usually want to see so much sci-fi in Batman, but I felt it was done well enough that it didn't detract from how good it was. So I'd say it's been more enjoyable for me than Snyder's run has been so far, despite the fact that I prefer what Snyder is doing tonally. But just as an example of really good stories between that timeframe you mentioned, and maybe this is because they had less pages to work with, I think Planetary/Batman and Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? have made me feel more sure that the writers got what Batman's about than 8 issues of Snyder's run has. But perhaps there's some outside elements at play there. Still, I think that there have definitely been some good stories between Knightfall and this, even if I do believe the period from the late nineties to the mid 2000s was one of the worst for Batman, characterization-wise.

[Mr. Holmes]

Morrison's time was intriguing but there were too many sci-fi and fantastical elements that felt out of place for the Batman universe.

But it really wasn't. The supernatural/fantastical elements were all thematic.

[Jackson Brody]

Jonathan Hickman, Brian K. Vaughan, Brian Wood, Rick Remender, Grant Morrison, Ed Brubaker, Mike Mignola, Jason Aaron? Come on.

Agreed. Particularly with Vaughn and Mignola. Best creator-owned writers in the biz.

[cactusmaac]

Well, it depends on if you mean runs or stories, I guess. And I also just mean that there have been things on par with this, not necessarily always better. As for Morrison's run, I feel the same way as you in the sense that I don't usually want to see so much sci-fi in Batman, but I felt it was done well enough that it didn't detract from how good it was. So I'd say it's been more enjoyable for me than Snyder's run has been so far, despite the fact that I prefer what Snyder is doing tonally. But just as an example of really good stories between that timeframe you mentioned, and maybe this is because they had less pages to work with, I think Planetary/Batman and Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? have made me feel more sure that the writers got what Batman's about than 8 issues of Snyder's run has. But perhaps there's some outside elements at play there. Still, I think that there have definitely been some good stories between Knightfall and this, even if I do believe the period from the late nineties to the mid 2000s was one of the worst for Batman, characterization-wise.

Those are good choices. One I'd add to the list is David Lapham's 8 page back-up in Detective #800 "In The Dark" which ranks as my favourite Batman story of all time.

It's a pity his arc turned into such an incoherent mess.

[starsonfire]

Above average.

The book is one of the best things about the reboot, but I'm really tired of the Owls and there are a lot of problems with them. Can't wait for this arc to be over to see what else Snyder can offer.

The art is fantastic, though.

This. I liked his Detective run much better then this Owls arc, but it isn't by any means bad or even average. I'm just waiting to see what's going to happen next, because we all know Batman's going to win and no one really important is going to die.

[sabongero]

I definitely would give Detective Comics 871-881 a 4.5 Star rating. But the mood of that run was also due to the part of the two artists.

But I am wishing I can change my rating to 5 Stars on this Batman run by Snyder. I can't believe the ramifications that's going to go through the whole Bat Universe with the surprise of issue #10. I am still thinking it will be tied into another "Earth"... like a Crime Syndicate type of "Earth."

[Let's Kill Hitler]

Not as good as his Detective run but still very, very good.

If it wasn't for Morrison Snyder would be the best writer to work on Batman since Frank Millar. This is a fantastic story that cuts though Batman's skin and exposes the man underneath. After years of the Batgod this is the most vulnerable portrayal of Batman in years and I love it for that. Issue 5 especially is the highlight of the new 52 so far. I have a couple of problems with the plot but Snyder is such a good writer that he makes the flaws easy to ignore.

The Black Mirror is still better though, possibly my favorite Batman story ever. I hope he writes more Dick Greyson in the future because his portrayal was perfect.

[godzilla2099]

Its 4.5 stars to me.

My only complaints:

1. I think the story took too long. Filler Issues
2. Almost too much history

My compliments:

Its a breath of fresh air. Its different, but its really good. A whole new take on things. New bad guys that can be staples on to the Bat Verse. A real challenge for Bruce Wayne. One of the reasons I nearly dropped Batman was because I thought to myself "Nothing is a challenge for Batman anymore." Court of Owls gave him a real run for his money.

[TrevorDS]

This version of Batman sounds a lot better than the Detective Comics version, which I just started reading. I like the look of Detective Comics for the most part, but there are just so many unnecessary and over-the-top things going on in my opinion. I'm looking forward to getting Snyder's Batman vol. 1 in the mail, hopefully sometime in the next day or so, and I hope that I enjoy it more than Detective Comics.

[Davidian]

Above Average. He´s good, really good, not excellent. There are a FEW quite talented writers out there in DC with more carreer than Scott and that have done amazing things... saying Scott is the best is just unfair to so many writers. And if the point is to say that Snyder is better than Daniel and Liefeld (?) well... then there´s no sense on this poll at all xD

[Seattle Freeze]

Of the Bruce Wayne titles, Batman and B&R have been the only ones keeping really excited anticipating new issues. The others have had good stories but haven't kept me hooked.

[TrevorDS]

Now THIS is what I'm talkin bout. I just finished reading the first two issues of Vol. 1: Court of the Owls, and wow, it is amazing. Great stroytelling and cool looking art. Totally blows Det. Comics out of the water. Cannot wait to read further...