Batman #27 - A Review

Batman #27 continues the on-going epic that is Batman: Zero Year.  The Riddler - in his first public caper - has knocked out all the power in Gotham City in the wake of an oncoming hurricane.  The corrupt police commissioner is more interested in hunting down the vigilante Batman than dealing with the current crisis and a message from The Riddler implying that Batman is his disgruntled ex-partner in crime offers all the excuse he needs to send the SWAT teams after Batman in-force.  Luckily, there's one cop in Gotham who believes in what Batman is trying to do... but can Bruce Wayne bring himself to trust anyone else in his war on crime?


Scott Snyder's script has a lot of great character moments.  The flashback where Jim Gordon recounts precisely how he came to decide to stand against the corruption in his own department because of a young Bruce Wayne is a powerful one.  As is a scene where Alfred speaks to his fears that Bruce's quest will devour him if he tries to bear the weight of the world on his shoulders alone. 

Good as this is, the script is not flawless.  The action of the issue falls a bit flat in the end and for a storyline that is meant to be all about The Riddler there's been very little of the Question Mark Criminal.  We see the effects of his actions and are told about what he's doing but see nothing of Mr. Nygma himself.  It's also worth noting that we've yet to see any riddles in all of this.



Thankfully, Greg Capullo and Danny Miki's artwork is as good as ever.  Capullo's pencils are crisp and clear and the man is a great visual storyteller.  Miki's inks enhance without enveloping and - unlike many Batman comics in the past - do not drown the original pencils in darkness.