Comics / Comic Reviews / DC Comics

Review: All Star Batman #8

By Philip Schweier
March 28, 2017 - 13:49

This issue is more of a graphic novel than most comics. Rather than traditional word balloons, it’s told in caption form, so in mind, it’s akin to narration, so the whole story reads like a flashback.

Batman goes up against the Mad Hatter, who makes a pretty convincing argument that the whole Batman life is but a dream in the head of an ailing Bruce Wayne. Though it could serve as a stand-alone story, it is connected with the previous issue featuring Poison Ivy, and presumably issues prior to that. However, the ending appears to be at hand, with greater revelations promised for next issue.

Meanwhile, Duke’s story from last issue also continues, as he attempts to resolve the mystery of how the Riddler can be committing crimes from within Arkham. He is on the verge of figuring it out, when an even more lethal situation comes to light.

I appreciated Camuncoli’s artwork more than that of Tula Lotay in issue #7. It seems tighter and more polished. My biggest beef with the story overall is how the once proud Blackhawks have been reduced to a morally ambiguous group of mercenaries. I’d much rather see them restored to their former WWII glory.

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12