Comic Review: Batman Universe #4

Batman Universe #4

DC Comics

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis

Artist: Nick Derington

Batman’s and Green Lantern’s trek across the Wild West continues in this brand new chapter of Batman Universe. And they’re joined by Jonah Hex! in the 1800s! Also, Hal’s ring has, like, 40 minutes of power left so that kinda leaves them in a tough spot, especially since they don’t know how to get back to their own time. Oh, and there are some crazy-ass ninjas around because of course there are ninjas in the Wild West.

I mean, all of that is cool and nice, but it isn’t the highlight of the issue. Oh no, not even close. The real highlight? The real highlight is Bruce and Hal getting all fancy in full cowboy gear. Seeing them walk out of a saloon all slick and cool is reason enough to get this issue. It being a fun book, in general, is just an added bonus.

And make no mistake, this book is hugely entertaining. I haven’t been following Bendis’ output in the last year or so, just occasionally taking a peek at his Superman stuff so I can’t really comment on those, but this book is just lighthearted… fun. I feel like I’ve said ‘fun’ too many times by now. 

Anyway, the book has this silver-age vibe to it and Bendis just nails it. Some of his most celebrated books have been from the crime-noir genre and you’d expect him to take Batman in that direction… And he kinda did that with the first issue… Before he slingshot Bruce across space (and time!) with the follow-ups.

However, I do have some problems with the book. Mainly – the characters. Especially Batman. Yes, this is a more lighthearted, silver-age-y book and yes, the general atmosphere, the feel of the book is way more laid back. However, there is something just off about Batman. The inconsistency in character characterisation is something you grow accustomed to (hell, even expect) with every new writer, but Bendis’ Bruce just feels… dull. Blank. Not a real character. There is a robotic, yet laid back note to him. He feels off, but I just can’t put a finger on why, exactly, that is.

As for the artwork, Nick Derington does a decent job with it. It’s nothing too spectacular, but it gets the job done and the general pulpy look of his art boosts the silver-age (God, another term I’ve used a lot in this review) quality of the series. The framing is nice and the detailing is decent, but there isn’t anything that really stands out, makes you go ‘wow’… Except for that final sequence. That looks awesome. And it does feature a drastic change in tone, art-wise and story-wise. But I’m not gonna spoil anymore.

Oh, and one more time – Bruce and Hal in cowboy outfits are the best. Seriously.

So yeah, despite some general problems with the characterisation, and artwork that doesn’t go beyond decent, this mini is still a lot of fun and worth anyone’s time. It’s one of the most fun Batman stories I’ve read in a while and I look forward to seeing what Bendis has in store for us with the remaining two issues. Especially with that grim cliffhanger.