“People never change. Not really.”
At best, I was an average comic collector growing up. My favorites included Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Spider-Man, and ROM: Spaceknight. I never gave much thought to the history or canon; I just loved the art and the heroic stories. My collecting stopped and started over the years. Some comics were lost, others given away, but every so often, something would pull me back in. Image Comics’ Spawn was one of those reasons. Later, DC’s New 52 drew me back again. And now, once more, I’ve returned to the comic shop because of something special: Batman #1.
Written by Matt Fraction with art by Jorge Jiménez and colors by Tomeu Morey, this new Batman #1 is only the fourth time in 85 years that the Dark Knight has restarted with a first issue. After reading it, I can say this: I’m back in.
Fraction’s opening issue takes a careful but interesting approach. We see Batman in all his forms: brutal fighter, detective, and his human side. In a DC interview, Fraction explained: “I’m trying to make this a Batman for everybody. My approach is to treat Batman as the mothership. Obviously, there’s a big Bat-Family with a lot of books, but the Batman title is where you should go if you love Batman like I do. It’s Batman central.” . I appreciate Fraction’s making “Batman for everybody,” but hope that this doesn’t change the long-established “Dark Knight persona” fans have grown to love. That said, I am very excited and interested in where the story takes us.
Artist Jorge Jiménez’s passion is incredible. He described the opportunity as: “A dream come true, something I’ve been looking for for years… with the renowned, brilliant, smart, and super cool Matt Fraction as Batman writer!” His take on Gotham and Batman is striking, with really great cinematic images.
Related: 5 Batman Fan Films That Earn the “Bat-Nod” of Approval
Adding to the release are the many variant covers, if you can find them! From legends like Jim Lee, Marc Silvestri, J. Scott Campbell, Frank Quitely, and Andy Kubert to incredible artists like Gabriele Dell’Otto, Julian Totino Tedesco, Arif Prianto, and David Aja. Personally, my favorites come from Jiménez, Dell’Otto, Aja, and Tedesco.
As someone who has drifted in and out of comic collecting, I can say this: Batman #1 feels like the perfect jumping-on point. It honors Batman’s history while opening the door to something fresh.
The Dark Knight has returned with Batman #1, and I’m ALL IN!
Batman issue #2 will release in October 2025.
