Batman #5
Story By: Scott Snyder
Art By: Greg Capullo and John Glapion
Review Score : 10/10
There isn’t another medium that can create and involve you with art and storytelling better than comic books and Batman #5 is a testament to that statement. A week has passed since anyone from the Bat Family has seen Bruce Wayne . Scott Snyder takes us further into the mind of Bruce as he is left to wander the Court Of Owls Maze this issue . With the exception of two pages in the beginning of the issue and a page at the end we are left to watch Batman at the mercy of his own insanity and insecurities . Scott Snyder uses Batman’s own inner dialogue to carry us through each part of this issue . It’s a perfect way to create despair as we watch Batman enter room after room , sometimes the same room he had just left as he convinces himself that he’s still in control . With every reaffirmation things take a turn for the worse and what begins as a battle of survival slowly turns into a decent into madness. I can only compare it to the feeling I had while watching “Buried ” . You want to see Bruce succeed , but deep down inside your convinced this isn’t going to end well.
Greg Capullo and Johnathan Glapion have truly out done themselves this issue. They use every angle and perspective you could imagine to create images that are nothing short of perfect. While Scott’s Job is to create the narrative , Greg Capullo is just as involved in the story telling this issue . Greg’s art is always amazing but he takes his craft up to another level this issue. By making the reader turn this issue to the side , upside down and finally having us view things out-of-order , we get the sense of what Batman’s feeling . His confusion at not being comfortable in his surroundings even though this is something he feels he can overcome and survive. Greg also manages to have Talon stalk Batman on each page utilizing reflections in glass and showing us the glow of his eyes off into the distance, waiting for the perfect moment to finally put down his prey .
This leads to a single page spread that blew me away . Watching Bruce slowly lose his mind as it gives way to his insanity is painful enough but to see him get taken down the way he is at the end of this issue I can only describe it as gut wrenching. Closing out by focusing on Damian missing his father and the symbolism of the Bat Signal burning out is a pitch perfect way to end this issue. Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo must be commended for not only taking risks with this issue , but flawlessly executing them in every way. This is art and narrative blending in perfect harmony . Batman#5 may already be the best single issue I read of any comic this year and I can’t recommend this book strongly enough.
Mike DeVivo
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