Tag Archives: batman: off world

Preview: Batman Off-World #1 (of 6)

Batman Off-World #1 (of 6)

(W) Jason Aaron (W) Doug Mahnke
In Shops: Nov 21, 2023
SRP: $3.99

A routine night in Gotham City for a young Batman proves to be anything but routine when the crime-fighter is confronted with a sort of foe he’s never faced before–one from beyond the stars! A universe of possible alien threats leads Batman to make a daring decision–to venture alone into the far reaches of the cosmos for the very first time, where the Dark Knight will face the fight of his life! Superstar writer Jason Aaron delivers his first Batman story ever, partnered with blockbuster artist Doug Mahnke for a unique, brutal tale!

Batman Off-World #1 (of 6)

Batman: Off-World #1 takes Batman off planet for… more training!?

Batman: Off-World #1

A routine night in Gotham City for a young Batman proves to be anything but routine when the crime-fighter is confronted with a sort of foe he’s never faced before–one from beyond the stars! A universe of possible alien threats leads Batman to make a daring decision–to venture alone into the far reaches of the cosmos for the very first time, where the Dark Knight will face the fight of his life! Batman: Off-World #1 takes Batman into the cosmos for a story that’s… familiar.

Written by Jason Aaron, Batman: Off-World #1 is an interesting start. After facing an alien threat hire by a local mobster (year, don’t ask), Batman heads to space. Why? To figure out how to take on these types of threats. Yes, at its core, Batman: Off-World #1 is just another Batman training story. But, this time in space.

Where Batman: Off-World #1 stands out is the focus on how alien everything is. There’s aren’t human beings he’s been training to deal with. Their vulnerabilities are new to him. They have physiology he’s not used to. Overall, he’s at square one having to learn how to deal with a new enemy. That aspect is interesting and that type of detail intriguing. And, to the aliens, Batman is a bit goofy. They keep making fun of his costume and him in general, infantilizing him and calling him weak. And compared to them, he currently is. He’s enslaved and given pretty menial tasks because he’s perceived as not strong enough to do other things. All of that is actually interesting.

But, at it’s core, the story is one we’ve seen before. And beyond those interesting details, the latter half of the comic comes off as a bit of a “training montage” just without the quick cuts and music to get the reader pumped. The comic doesn’t deliver much beyond putting Batman in a new setting with new enemies to deal with.

The art by Doug Mahnke is good. With ink by Jaime Mendoza and color by David Baron the aliens and ship looks solid. There’s a lot of variation and due to that, the comic has a great feel that this truly are slavers and bounty hunters snatching aliens from all over. This isn’t just one alien race enslaving planets and others, it’s a hodgepodge of different beings from different planets. There’s also a solid use of size, showing Batman as tinier and thus weaker than those around him. Finally, there’s something nice in the aliens look as such, and at times scary, but not being treated as such. Aaron’s writing has them as just soldiers, warriors, slaves, so when Mahnke reveals the initial two looking for Batman on his ship, they look frightening but are just two beings doing their jobs. It brings a little bit of humor to it all, along with the utter chaos of the first encounter.

Batman: Off-World #1 has moments. There’s good details within and when it focuses on how it stands out, it does that really well. But, the overall plot feels like something we’ve seen so many times before on Earth. There’s potential here and this is clearly a setup of more to come but as a first issue, it’s entertaining but doesn’t quite hook the reader with excitement.

Story: Jason Aaron Art: Doug Mahnke
Ink: Jaime Mendoza Color: David Baron
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Read

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review


Purchase: TFAWZeus ComicsKindle

Graphic Policy’s Top Comic Picks this Week!

The Fifth Beatle: The Brian Epstein Story Anniversary Edition

Wednesdays (and Tuesdays) are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in

Each week our contributors choose what they can’t wait to read this week or just sounds interesting. In other words, this is what we’re looking forward to and think you should be taking a look at!

Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this week.

Associate Professor Akira Takasuki’s Conjecture Vol. 2 (Yen Press) – A university student who can detect lies teaming with an associate professor to investigate odd happenings was a solid debut and we’re expecting the same here.

Batman: Off-World #1 (DC Comics) – It’s Batman… in space! While the concept is… something, the comic is intriguing and showing Batman’s obsession with dealing with any contingency and going up against any opponent.

Beginning After the End Vol. 4 (Yen Press) – Arthur is finally able to travel to the city of Xyrus to reunite with his family!

Daredevil: Black Armor #1 (Marvel) – Marvel’s returning to “classic” times of characters to fill in unknown periods has been mixed but this debut is rather interesting so far pitting Daredevil up against some heavy hitters.

The Devil That Wears My Face #2 (Mad Cave Studios) – The first issue was solid mixing Face Off and The Exorcist and the second is what we’d expect as the fallout from the concept begins!

Edenfrost #1 (Mad Cave Studios) – After losing their parents in a pogrom, teenage siblings Alex and Yuli use the mystical power of a Golem to survive the chaos of the Russian Civil War. In a harrowing journey through war-torn Ukraine, the duo will face the harsh reality of warfare, ethnic bias, and national pride as they fight for their own place in the world. Can you say relevant?

The Fifth Beatle: The Brian Epstein Story Anniversary Edition (Dark Horse) – If you missed out on this when it was released 10 years ago, here’s your chance to correct that mistake with a new edition with new additions! It’s the true story of the visionary manager of the Beatles, Brian Epstein!

Hellicious #1 (Massive Publishing) – There’s only one soul who Cherry thinks might be a good playmate – Satan-worshipping death metal frontman Briggy Bundy. The bad news is, he isn’t dead…Yet. If you missed the original release of this series, now’s your chance!

Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong #2 (DC Comics) – The crossover might seem a little silly, the result is a lot of fun as DC’s heroes must deal with an invasion of oversized monsters. Don’t think to much and just sit back and enjoy the action.

Kiss the Scars of the Girls Vol. 1 (Yen Press) – Deep within a dense forest stands an academy for girls, whose students share a secret-they’re all vampires. To learn to hunt without attracting human attention, the maidens forge bloody bonds of sisterhood, but what fate will their ties bring…?

Red Harvest: Terror and Famin in Soviet Ukraine (NBM) – Red Harvest is based on the tragic events that took place in Soviet Ukraine and other parts of the Soviet Union from 1929 to 1933.

Somna #1 (DSTLRY) – Set amidst the terrifying backdrop of the witch hunts in a quiet 1600s English village, Somna follows one woman’s descent into an erotic escape from the confines of her puritanical world.

Universal Monsters: Dracula #2 (Skybound) – A retelling of the classic tale of Dracula with some fantastic art. The first issue was amazing and we expect no less from the second.

Void Rivals #6 (Skybound) – The series seems to have found its legs with the previous issue moving away from the guest of the week and bringing all of the teases together. Hopefully that direction continues.

Yokohama Station SF Vol. 3 (Yen Press) – The series has been interesting so far as the setting is a Japanese train station that’s sort of sentient and expanding!

Preview: Batman Off-World #1 (of 6)

Batman Off-World #1 (of 6)

(W) Jason Aaron (W) Doug Mahnke
In Shops: Nov 21, 2023
SRP: $3.99

A routine night in Gotham City for a young Batman proves to be anything but routine when the crime-fighter is confronted with a sort of foe he’s never faced before–one from beyond the stars! A universe of possible alien threats leads Batman to make a daring decision–to venture alone into the far reaches of the cosmos for the very first time, where the Dark Knight will face the fight of his life! Superstar writer Jason Aaron delivers his first Batman story ever, partnered with blockbuster artist Doug Mahnke for a unique, brutal tale!

Batman Off-World #1 (of 6)
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