Batman #9
By Avi Weinryb
October 23, 2016 - 11:56
DC Comics
Writer(s): Tom King
Penciller(s): Mikel Janin
Inker(s): Mikel Janin
Colourist(s): June Chung
Letterer(s): Clayton Cowles
Cover Artist(s): Mikel Janin; Variant by Tim Sale & Rico Renzi
Tom King does some great work here, beginning with an evocative few pages that assure readers they are in good hands. The interplay between Batman and the director of Arkham is especially enjoyable, demonstrating a ferocity from Batman that we’ve been missing for some time. Mikel Janin takes some fun risks in bringing the script to life, including an effective image in which primary characters are repeated within the same panel to demonstrate movement from the background to the foreground. Another artist might have stumbled with this, or not conceived it at all. Janin nails it.
This issue is “pure Batman” with scenes in Arkham, smart talk from Alfred Pennyworth, and Bruce Wayne pressing a button on a statue to slip into the Cave. King checked these off his list, combining it with strong writing and in doing so, gives us a fun tale and the start of an intriguing storyline.