Batman Noel Review

Originally posted on December 14, 2013:

     It seems like this time of year always creeps up on us.  After going back to school we are caught up in a rush of holidays that never seem to stop until it's January and we have to endure the cold until summer and then go back to school again in a never ending cycle.  However, it's hard not to get into the Christmas spirit once we get the first couple inches of snow in our area and an endless barrage of holiday music on the radio.  So with that said, this time of year is the perfect time to do plenty of reading, and for me (as you can assume by the blog title) reading means Batman.
    Through the years we have seen many adaptations of the Dark Knight for the holidays, but honestly this one takes the cake(perhaps excluding The Long Halloween).  With the Dark Knight chasing his most hated enemy across the frozen landscape of Gotham, not long after the death of Jason Todd, things are bound to go wrong.  Lee Bermejo, the artist and co-creator of Joker, presents his first over-sized graphic novel that he has not only written but beautifully illustrated in Gotham's version of A Christmas Carol.

Pros

     Lee Bermejo is undoubtedly my favorite comic book artist hands down.  His work on Joker and Luthor were amazing, but in many ways different than the art in this book because of the different colorists who did the job.  In this case the colorist is Barbara Ciardo, who I feel needs needs mentioning because her art perfectly compliments Bermejos'.  And if you have failed to notice, the art is breathtaking.  On top of the art, Bermejo does a great interpretation of the characters in this story and really brings them to life patterned after the characters from Dickens' classic.

Cons

     That being said there are only a few problems with this book.  For one, while the writing style is good and keeps you interested, I feel like a lot more could have been done with the story.  On top of that Batman is portrayed as the detached, brooding and cynical character that has been shaped by the media in recent years.  Which is not a huge problem(and separates him from other heroes), except that it makes him and the story a little more predictable.

The Verdict

     If you enjoyed Arkham Origins, or are looking for a good holiday read, you will enjoy this like I have. Beyond some minor problems, this still gets a 5/5.  All in all, this is a great read and should be near the top of any Batfans' wishlist.