DC’s comics are going all out for the Batman: Zero Year story. In the main book, that “all out” comes with a price tag of five bucks. Seriously, I don’t need high end paper or super special covers to sell me on a book. To be honest, it irritates me when a book has the same page count (22 for the story, 6 for the back up story) as any other comic, but thanks to bells and whistles, I get to shell out an extra buck.
Okay, with that off my chest, Batman: Zero Year continues to be a rousing good time. Writer Scott Snyder does what he does best here, unfolds a story with constant pokes to keep you interested. Snyder rarely finds satisfaction in just the main arc – he seems to enjoy using subplots as pillars supporting the rest of the story. Zero Year has shifted focus from the defeat of the Red Hood Gang to the rise of the Riddler. The criminal with a knack for puzzles has blacked out all of Gotham, which does not bode well for the GCPD.
Not only dealing with the blackout and the resulting crime spree, the current commissioner of GCPD (not Jim Gordon) is dedicated to taking out the masked vigilante with a penchant for dressing up like a flying rodent. The final cherry on this dark city parfait is a criminal rampage on the scientists of Wayne Enterprises. One particular scientist, referred to as Dr. Death, is killing botanists by administering a drug that forces their bones to twist and grow until they explode from the inside out. Jim Gordon, the one cop who seems to dig Batman’s vibe, is trying to figure out who is behind he killings.
Snyder’s epic reboot of Batman’s history continues to impress. Not only the story, but how he tells it, and the choices he makes. For instance, The Riddler, a woefully misused character, as the center villain. Whereas the Red Hood gang and their leader tested Wayne’s muscle, Edward Nigma is going to test his intellect and force Bruce Wayne to become a detective, not just a vigilante. I also like the new tension between Gordon and Wayne about the night Wayne’s parents died. In all past versions of the origin, Gordon either wasn’t there, or he was some gentle soul helping the young Wayne boy. The idea that Bruce Wayne has an issue with Gordon is very interesting.
Helping Zero Year achieve its place in the annals of comic book lore, is Greg Capullo. The man who loves Black Label Society once again brings his A-Game to the pages of Batman. I could gush more over Capullo’s skill with the pencil, but really, Issue #25 has the prime example of it. Snyder and Capullo unveil the first Batmobile, and it is so gorgeous, and done with such a visceral punch, that you simply can’t deny the genius of Greg Capullo.
The meeting of story and art on this level is rare in comic books. Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo are, quite simply, the Lennon/McCartney of Batman.
(4.5 Story, 4.5 Art)
