Batman #12 Review

Batman #12 is the kind of comic that DC should be striving to make 100% of the time. It’s a socially conscious character study that not only gives a glorious (and proper) introduction to Harper Row – the young woman that assisted Batman escape from the sewer in the midst of the Court of Owls story – but also succeeds in bringing Batman back to the streets after spending the last year locking horns with the epitome of a super villain.

Framing this issue from Harper's POV gives us an understanding of her character, but also allows us to see Bruce/Batman from an outsider’s perspective. Harper doesn’t know they’re the same person – though with how clever she is, I’d be shocked if she didn’t figure it out sooner or later – but using her perspective allows the reader to appreciate the full scope of Bruce’s devotion to eliminating crime in Gotham.

What’s even better is that we know that this story takes place during the events of Batman’s hunt for the Court of Owls, and so seeing him tackle a “small” crime in the middle of all the madness only makes him a greater hero. Not only that, but Snyder successfully explores the very nature of crime in the subtext of this story. In the context of Gotham itself, the plight that Harper and her brother are dealing with is indeed a “small” problem, but that doesn’t mean it’s not the most important thing in their own lives, or even in Batman’s. Combine the subtleties of this issue with the fact that you have Batman essentially tackling one of the most important real-world issues – bullying, specifically pertaining to homophobia – and you’ve got one of the best comics of the year, both in terms of characterization and meaningful message.

But the beauty is that this book isn’t preachy about its subject matter, it merely exists as a believable extension of Harper’s character. Despite not knowing much about her going in, Snyder is able to sell us immediately. From page one, we’re devoted to her and her brother with the added fun twists of how their story intertwines with events we’ve already seen. Rest assured, this issue will grip you from cover to cover and you might just have a new favorite Bat-character.

To cap it all off, Becky Cloonan makes her debut on a Batman title with her patented character driven storytelling, giving physical weight to Snyder’s characters with flowing body language and expressive faces. Her lines are smooth and her backgrounds gorgeous; she manages to walk a thin line between keeping her artwork clean while still portraying the grime of Gotham City. In that way, though their styles are quite different, Cloonan’s work fits thematically with what Greg Capullo has been doing on the series to date. And while most of issue #12 is focused on Harper sans Batman, once the Dark Knight does show up, Cloonan handles the action with an equal amount of grace.

The visuals only stumble when artist Andy Clarke takes over in the last few pages – the “back-up” portion of the book, though it’s just an extension of the main story. That’s not to say his art isn’t solid, it’s simply a stark stylistic contrast from Cloonan’s work. Had Clarke’s segment been a separated back-up tale, the transition would’ve been far less jarring.

Though there’s that slight nitpick, Batman #12 is a complete triumph. This is the kind of issue that we get far too few of in superhero comics; the one that reminds us a superhero book can be so much more than just the typical big action we get month-in and month-out. This is a book that exemplifies the true potential of these characters – and Batman hardly shows face.

Source : feeds.ign.com