By Mark Rodriguez
With so many comics with a long history, I can see why they keep releasing so many number 1's. They're just the perfect starting off point. I was gonna limit my Bat-books to just the Outsiders for now, but then I saw this book too. Let's check it out.
Batman Universe Part 1 opens with the Caped Crusader in the Batmobile trying to solve the Riddler's latest riddle, which is simply 'When is the Riddler not the Riddler?'. Alfred is communicating with him via car radio about the dinner Bruce Wayne is missing and how this riddle seems pretty tame for Riddler's usual challenges. Batman uses his grappling hook and scales up a building (Adam West style) and notices that the alarms have been tripped but there aren't any reports of injuries yet. He sees a group of 'Riddlers' running out of the hotel and the Dark Knight swoops down.
Batman sees a bunch of men, all dressed like the Riddler and Alfred informs him that they're all stuntmen. Bats fights his way through him trying to find the real one among the crowd of decoys. During the fight, he notices the real Edward Nygma making a break for it. Bats chases him down and tackles him through a glass window in a nearby restaurant.
With the Riddler down, Batman retrieves a jewel that is on loan from Russia with an estimated value of 15 million. He asks who the buyer is, but all the Riddler can say is 'when is the Riddler not the Riddler' over and over again. Just then Alfred tells Batman that he detects three unique readings and the hero gets blasted and is knocked out.
Batman wakes up in the same spot as police see if he's alright. The cops don't know what happened to the egg jewel, and the Riddlers were all loaded up in the paddy wagon. As the decoys are being questioned, they all reveal that they thought this was part of prank show and were surprised to find out that the real Riddler was among them and that they were fighting the real Batman.
Bats is with Commissioner Gordon and they comment that they couldn't find the real Riddler. Batman says the Riddler was scared and this wasn't his plan. Someone was using him. Gordon says the curator at the museum called to give the name of the original owner of the egg. Batman sees the card and recognizes the owner as Jonah Hex.
Batman drives out to a small town and asks for Jinny Hex, the great gran daughter of Jonah Hex. Jinny says the egg didn't look like it was worth 15 million, nor was anyone going to give her 15 million. She donated it the museum and all she got was a certificate. Batman asks if she's had any strange visitors lately and she says nobody besides him. All Jinny knows is the egg was inherited and she didn't know anything about it until her mother passed away. Batman tells her it belonged to her great great great grandfather, Jonah Hex. Jinny says she knew she was known as 'one bad hombre' and if the egg was stolen, it wasn't stolen by her.
Batman leaves for now as Alfred radios him that the Riddler has been spotted. As he drives off, Jinny's friend shows up and is disappointed that he missed him. Jinny walks back into her house and heads towards a box. She pulls out a portrait of Jonah Hex as she wonders what this is all about.
Later on in Amsterdam, the Riddler is hiding with some bad guys, feeling nervous and wanting to meet 'him' as quickly as possible so he can get the hell out of there. One of the guys says he should relax since he's safe and a million miles from Gotham City. Just then Batman shows up, much to Riddler's horror, but the guys tell him they hired someone.
Suddenly Deathstroke shows up behind and attacks him. Alfred warns Batman that Deathstroke uses 90% of his brain power which makes him incredibly dangerous. Riddler makes a run for it as Batman and Deathstroke fight. Batman tosses a Batarang that clocks Riddler in the nose, and Slade uses this moment to slice the Caped Crusader across the chest with his sword. Batman grabs the mercenary assassin and slams him into a table and asks him who hired him.
Deathstroke tells him that Riddler is getting away, as Nygma crawls towards the box containing the egg. Slade takes this chance to sock Bats across the face when suddenly an arrow flies at him. The arrow wraps itself around Slade's neck and gases him, knocking him out.
Green Arrow has arrived and stands in the way of Riddler's escape.
My opinions-
I liked this story. It's about time we have a FUN Batman story with him just trying to solve some normal crimes and not world ending threats. I liked the reference of him climbing up a building similar to Adam West, complete with running into a stranger on the way up.
The reactions of the fake Riddlers thinking this was all some sort of play and the real Riddler and Batman were among them was entertaining. Only in Gotham, folks. Looking back though, what about all the guns and knives the Riddlers had? Were they fake props?
Then you have Batman speaking to Alfred via Bluetooth or something, and everyone keeps asking him if he's talking to them. Even Deathstroke.
I also like how the comic perfectly portrays the ridiculousness on a guy walking around in a bat costume out in broad daylight in a small town, not even phasing the local townsfolk. It just shows how Batman works better in dark alleys and in the shadows than he does in broad daylight. I just like how chill everyone acted in Jimmy's town as opposed to how everyone, even normal citizens, usually jump when they see Batman for the first time.
So we got a delightful story of someone scaring the Riddler into stealing a priceless gem that once belonged to Jonah Hex. And then you got Deathstroke and Green Arrow into the mix. I can't wait for the next issue.
With so many comics with a long history, I can see why they keep releasing so many number 1's. They're just the perfect starting off point. I was gonna limit my Bat-books to just the Outsiders for now, but then I saw this book too. Let's check it out.
Batman Universe Part 1 opens with the Caped Crusader in the Batmobile trying to solve the Riddler's latest riddle, which is simply 'When is the Riddler not the Riddler?'. Alfred is communicating with him via car radio about the dinner Bruce Wayne is missing and how this riddle seems pretty tame for Riddler's usual challenges. Batman uses his grappling hook and scales up a building (Adam West style) and notices that the alarms have been tripped but there aren't any reports of injuries yet. He sees a group of 'Riddlers' running out of the hotel and the Dark Knight swoops down.
Batman sees a bunch of men, all dressed like the Riddler and Alfred informs him that they're all stuntmen. Bats fights his way through him trying to find the real one among the crowd of decoys. During the fight, he notices the real Edward Nygma making a break for it. Bats chases him down and tackles him through a glass window in a nearby restaurant.
With the Riddler down, Batman retrieves a jewel that is on loan from Russia with an estimated value of 15 million. He asks who the buyer is, but all the Riddler can say is 'when is the Riddler not the Riddler' over and over again. Just then Alfred tells Batman that he detects three unique readings and the hero gets blasted and is knocked out.
Batman wakes up in the same spot as police see if he's alright. The cops don't know what happened to the egg jewel, and the Riddlers were all loaded up in the paddy wagon. As the decoys are being questioned, they all reveal that they thought this was part of prank show and were surprised to find out that the real Riddler was among them and that they were fighting the real Batman.
Bats is with Commissioner Gordon and they comment that they couldn't find the real Riddler. Batman says the Riddler was scared and this wasn't his plan. Someone was using him. Gordon says the curator at the museum called to give the name of the original owner of the egg. Batman sees the card and recognizes the owner as Jonah Hex.
Batman drives out to a small town and asks for Jinny Hex, the great gran daughter of Jonah Hex. Jinny says the egg didn't look like it was worth 15 million, nor was anyone going to give her 15 million. She donated it the museum and all she got was a certificate. Batman asks if she's had any strange visitors lately and she says nobody besides him. All Jinny knows is the egg was inherited and she didn't know anything about it until her mother passed away. Batman tells her it belonged to her great great great grandfather, Jonah Hex. Jinny says she knew she was known as 'one bad hombre' and if the egg was stolen, it wasn't stolen by her.
Batman leaves for now as Alfred radios him that the Riddler has been spotted. As he drives off, Jinny's friend shows up and is disappointed that he missed him. Jinny walks back into her house and heads towards a box. She pulls out a portrait of Jonah Hex as she wonders what this is all about.
Later on in Amsterdam, the Riddler is hiding with some bad guys, feeling nervous and wanting to meet 'him' as quickly as possible so he can get the hell out of there. One of the guys says he should relax since he's safe and a million miles from Gotham City. Just then Batman shows up, much to Riddler's horror, but the guys tell him they hired someone.
Suddenly Deathstroke shows up behind and attacks him. Alfred warns Batman that Deathstroke uses 90% of his brain power which makes him incredibly dangerous. Riddler makes a run for it as Batman and Deathstroke fight. Batman tosses a Batarang that clocks Riddler in the nose, and Slade uses this moment to slice the Caped Crusader across the chest with his sword. Batman grabs the mercenary assassin and slams him into a table and asks him who hired him.
Deathstroke tells him that Riddler is getting away, as Nygma crawls towards the box containing the egg. Slade takes this chance to sock Bats across the face when suddenly an arrow flies at him. The arrow wraps itself around Slade's neck and gases him, knocking him out.
Green Arrow has arrived and stands in the way of Riddler's escape.
My opinions-
I liked this story. It's about time we have a FUN Batman story with him just trying to solve some normal crimes and not world ending threats. I liked the reference of him climbing up a building similar to Adam West, complete with running into a stranger on the way up.
The reactions of the fake Riddlers thinking this was all some sort of play and the real Riddler and Batman were among them was entertaining. Only in Gotham, folks. Looking back though, what about all the guns and knives the Riddlers had? Were they fake props?
Then you have Batman speaking to Alfred via Bluetooth or something, and everyone keeps asking him if he's talking to them. Even Deathstroke.
I also like how the comic perfectly portrays the ridiculousness on a guy walking around in a bat costume out in broad daylight in a small town, not even phasing the local townsfolk. It just shows how Batman works better in dark alleys and in the shadows than he does in broad daylight. I just like how chill everyone acted in Jimmy's town as opposed to how everyone, even normal citizens, usually jump when they see Batman for the first time.
So we got a delightful story of someone scaring the Riddler into stealing a priceless gem that once belonged to Jonah Hex. And then you got Deathstroke and Green Arrow into the mix. I can't wait for the next issue.
Comments
Post a Comment
Leave your thoughts on this article!