Review: Batman #35 Endgame: Part 1
With the seemingly countless foes Batman has faced over the years, we’ve all come to the conclusion that he’s fighting a never-ending battle. So what new threat could Endgame have in store for Bats? We can only wait and see as writer, Scott Snyder, and artist, Greg Capullo, jump back into the driver’s seat for a new arc which promises to be the most muscular and bombastic thing they’ve ever taken on, as Batman fights his strongest, deadliest foes yet…
The Justice League.
Holy kickass new Sydner arc, Batfans! This is going to be a big one!
As the premise suggests, Endgame Part 1 is non-stop explosive action. Though the idea of Batman; being the ever paranoid brute he is, coming up with new tricks and gadgets to fight off his wide array of Super Friends is not particularly an original one, Snyder really seems to use Capullo’s gritty, hard-hitting art style to his full advantage here as we’re thrown into a battle which shows us The Justice League being brought down to a street level by Batman which is something I have never seen before. The Caped Crusader is encased in a giant suit of technological armour, the sort that embodies the loveable violence that was seen in Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns. Capullo captures some pretty badass moments, for example Wonder Woman getting the tiara smashed off her head and Flash getting tripped at such speed he takes an entire building down with him. It’s truly the kind of clash that fans will both argue over and relish.
For End Game, like a lot of Snyder’s other Batman works, the devil may be in the detail. Scott Snyder opens with his his typical method of discussing Gotham history, adding paint to the picture of Gotham’s long, dark, past. Though it is unnecessary, as always, it’s a really nice feature.
You can tell Scott Snyder has put a lot of thought and research into the Justice League here: he throws awesome twists on each of the Leaguers’ special abilities that would make any Batfan punch the air. As much as I love Aquaman, I couldn’t help laughing out loud reading as Batman takes down Aquaman in just two frames, using his absorbent qualities against him. Maybe one day they’ll understand you, Aquaman. One day they’ll respect you. One day they’ll be sorry.
Timing is everything here. If you were reading the editor’s note while reading the comic you will know that Endgame takes place after Batman Eternal, a series set to go on for another 5 months. This completely flat-tires the whole Eternal series, telling everyone, “Actually, after Eternal, everything is all good with Bruce, the status quo is the same as it ever was, chill.”.
But we’re in a weird sort of purgatory here, in the sense that we have no idea where Batman or indeed the entire Bat family stands right. So many unanswered questions to the sub plots, but what ultimately happens in the end is a sort of spoiler. I was a little disappointed by this, but it’s not a big deal, merely a personal issue that should not take away from the enjoyable reading experience overall. There is one more area in which this issue trips itself up a little. This issue is the mastermind behind the Justice League ambush, which is revealed on the last page. At first glance, as happy as I was to see the familiar face, it felt like a joke. Though Synder has given himself time to explain the logic behind this story, it does seem like a kind of stretch.
Despite the few plot hiccups, Batman #35 Endgame: Part 1 is a treat filled with testosterone fueled action and an intriguing plot, getting readers back into the present after spending months in Zero Year. For the first time, we see other DC giants fall down to the Snyder/Capullo street tough, hard as nails action.
As far as Part 1 goes it looks like Endgame has the potential to be a kick ass addition to the already strong line of New 52 Batman stories.
[Words, Kieran Monaghan]
