No one has ever stopped the Caped Crusader. Not The Joker. Not Two-Face. Not even the entire Justice League. But how does Batman confront a new hero who wants to save the city from the Dark Knight?

Action packed. That’s the best way to describe Batman #1 which kicks off from writer Tom King and artist David Finch in a way that will definitely get you to stand up and take notice.

The issue is basically one giant action sequence as Batman must race to save a plane that’s about to crash. The solution is over the top and something that’d only ever work in comics, but it’s still very entertaining.

The issue feels like a second in some ways while the previous Batman: Rebirth acts as the setup for the new dynamic and trio of characters at the center of the comic. You don’t have to read that issue, but it’ll help in some ways.

And who’s that behind Batman on the cover? We get names at the end of the issue as both make their debut in a dramatic fashion and it has me wanting to see more in next issue as it feels like something new for Batman, and Gotham, to deal with.

Finch’s art brings the action to life and it looks solid with the help of Matt Banning on inks and Jordie Bellaire on colors. What’s great about this trio is that they nail the feel of Batman and Gotham in a way where the comic feels dark, but not depressing. The story too also sets up some awesome action sequences that the art team nails. While there’s no two page spreads that’ll have you lingering on the page, there are some single ones that are fantastic.

This is a great start to a new run on Batman and doesn’t feel like too much of a deviation from what Snyder and Capullo put together for years. Batman was DC’s top comic, and it looks like it’ll be fighting to retain that title.

Story: Tom King Art: David Finch Inks: Matt Banning Color: Jordie Bellaire
Story: 8.15 Art: 8.35 Overall: 8.2 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review