This book continues to excel, and we get a little more about the new Scarecrow in this month’s issue. Join me as I break down why this book should definitely be in your pull list!

Fear Is The Mind-Killer

We pick up exactly where we left off last month, with Gotham’s Caped Crusader frozen in a chair, at the will of the new Scarecrow. When I say new, this is still Dr. Crane as far as I know, but he’s got a wicked new character design that looks fantastic. The opening splash page is pretty spectacular, I have to say. As with the previous book, this is mostly flashback, as Bruce pieces together the events that led to his captivity.

I love what Tynion is doing so far with the new mansion-less Batman. He’s giving me what I was hoping for, and what Batman needed, which is a facelift. Tynion started this in Detective some years ago with the emphasis on the Bat-family, and he has now given Bruce himself neighbors and other social storylines which might actually flesh him out as a character a little more, as opposed to just a mask for Batman. Also, Oracle being back behind the chair is really nice, and is one of my favorite ongoing character interactions.

I will say I’m not a huge fan of how he writes the Ghost Maker character. I understand his role in the story, but his glibness really seems out of place in this book. That’s really the only complaint I have about Tynion’s writing in this series, however.

Halfway Between Schumacher And The Stars

The art is obviously crucial in any comic book, but I feel it’s particularly important in a Batman book, or more specifically the coloring. Black plays a central role in the palette, of course, but what other colors the artists introduce, and how they use them, can really make or break a Batman book. If you’ve read some of my other posts on their work, then you know where I’m going with this, which is to point out the greatness of Tomeu Morey. I absolutely love their work, and the yellows and purples that come along with it. Morey and Jimenez are a great team, and I hope they stick with this combo for a while (I have a feeling it will be at least for the rest of this arc).

There’s a backup story here, also by Tynion, with art by Ricardo Lopez Ortiz. This story was meh, to be frank, and is supposed to engender excitement for the upcoming Robin ongoing, starring Bruce’s son and erstwhile sidekick. I didn’t really find this story super interesting, it seemed a little bit like a commercial to be honest. But overall, I really like the direction this book is taking, and you should put it in your pull list today!