There's plenty of adventure in the first half of this book, but it's not a stand-alone episode. No, it is clear by the end of Batman #1 that Snyder is building a mystery that's going to span across a few issues. Which is a good thing because if it's anything like #1 we're in for a heck of a ride! Snyder and Capullo's Batman earns a 10/10 from me because it shows off everything I love about Batman and gets me excited about the future. This is a definite buy. I even picked up the variant cover! Read Full Review

Greg Capullo's arrival to the mainstream couldn't come too soon. His stylized, exaggerated characters, noir city-scapes, and gritty pulp sensibilities paired with Glapion and Plascencia's finishes are absolutely gorgeous. I won't be able to stop looking at this issue for a while. This is a pitch-perfect tuning to the Batman franchise. Read Full Review

With Batman #1, Snyder and Capullo spotlight all of the things that make Batman great. From Batman's handling of Rogues Gallery to a single panel of the Bat-Boys of Bruce, Dick, Tim and Damien together, they hit all the right marks that every Bat-fan, smart, new and old needs to see and then some. Read Full Review

I haven't enjoyed the start of a Batman story this much since the first issue of Morrison's Batman and Robin. This issue has just about everything. It's got character introductions, action, looks at the character of Bruce Wayne and as Batman and even some mystery. Snyder juggles a couple of threads and manages to show a few surprises in this issue. About the only thing I don't like about the issue is the logo. Beyond that I can't recommend a book more highly than this one. Read Full Review

Really what I am trying to get at is that this book really takes Batman back to his roots. Rather than just kicking the crap out of some face painted goons working for the joker, there is mystery and suspense. Don't get me wrong, there are many great fight scenes within the first seven issues but I really like the layers that are within this title. I found myself having to pick my jaw up off of the floor multiple times. The art and innovation really adds to the experience also. The dark gritty streets of Gotham, the twisted owl faces of the court, and the spiral into madness Batman experiences within the maze are all portrayed so well. There are multiple lip-biting moments that just wouldn't have been the same without the fantastic illustrations. I am highly anticipating issue #8 and if the action and suspense stay on par, then Batman may becomeone of my favoriteseries of this year. I give this read a 10/10. Read Full Review

Batman #1 was a delight to read and truly caught me off guard with that nice little twist at the end. Youll have to read this issue to know what Im speaking of. And believe me, if you do, youll be anxiously waiting for whats coming up in 30 days just like I am! Read Full Review

Whether we agree or not that Batman needed a fresh start this was about the best possible way to do it. Read Full Review

Batman #1 is a great issue with a solid lead-in. Somehow, Snyder brings in a lot of what makes Batman great " the physicality, technology, and detective work. There are twists and turns, a little bit of gore, and more than a hint of mystery. It was wise of DC to leave the Bat family alone. It may be the one book that survives the New 52 relaunch. Read Full Review

This is the best of the new 52 issues I've read so far. With a creative team like this title has, we should be in for an outstanding run on this new Batman. I can't wait! Read Full Review

Unlike a few other titles in the relaunch, Batman #1 shows us exactly where this comic is headed " as well as dropping a couple bombs on us as well. If the end doesn't leave you excited for what's to come, you must have read it wrong. If this issue does nothing, it should at least gives those wary of Snyder taking the reins some comfort that the series is in very capable hands. Read Full Review

Snyder's script hooked you from the first word balloon and the art work is just right. Bruce, Dick, Jason, Damien, Commissioner Gordon and Harvey Bullock all look younger and we get a glimpse of what the villains look like. The Joker seems to be the top bad guy in town while the Riddler now has a green Mohawk shaped as a question mark. The story seems to be current because the GCPD works with Batman unlike Detective Comics where the police are hunting him down. Very good first issue and I can't wait to see how the evidence pans out next month. Read Full Review

But this is a strong foundation to build on, and of the Bat-books I've seen, this is the one you don't want to miss. Read Full Review

The only let down is Rob Capullo’s art, which is very hit or miss with this issue. The opening battle is gorgeous, with strong movement and some wonderful detail work, especially on Two-Face. However the scene with Commissioner Gordon doesn’t work at all, mainly because Capullo draws Gordon to look like Groucho Marx-meets-The Triplets Of Belleville. At one point, Dick Grayson looks like he’s about twelve, but then the murder scene Batman investigates is wonderful. Capullo really captures the dilapidated nature of the apartment and the brutality of the kill. I’m not giving up on Capullo because there is more good than bad, it’s just the bad really sticks out. Regardless, Batman #1 is cause to celebrate not only the return of a singular Dark Knight, but also that he rests in the capable hands of Scott Snyder. Read Full Review

Snyder's highly acclaimed run on Detective Comics was hardly a fluke. Just as he approached Detective with a story that could only be told through Dick's eyes, so too does he approach Batman #1 in the same fashion. This a story that is uniquely Bruce's, taking Snyder's fascination with Gotham City and twisting it to reflect the original Dark Knight. There's a wealth of Batman titles coming in DC's relaunch, but so far, this looks to be the one to beat. Read Full Review

From Page One, Snyder absolutely nails what the reader wants from a Batman title: Batman. While Tony Daniel's Detective seems to be focused on getting gritter than gravel above anything else, we find our Batman facing down his rogues' gallery and promptly dispatching them. Any doubts of what kind of Bruce Wayne we're looking at are quickly assuaged Snyder has the ability to craft some brutal fighting interspersed with arresting dialogue and captions. Read Full Review

In the end, Batman #1 didnt turn out to be my favorite of all the DC #1s as I expected it would be coming into September: thus far, that honor is still held by Swamp Thing #1, also by Scott Snyder. But I would say Batman #1 is the best New 52 title Ive read so far that doesnt fall under the DC Dark banner. Its classic Batman, and should feel simultaneously rewarding for old readers and welcoming for new ones. And in the background, we get the sense that a narrative is brewing that could make the issues that follow even better. Read Full Review

So that's three of the four core Batman series of the new 52 I have read so far. I'll put it to you this way: Batman is not as amazing and perfect as Detective Comics, but Oh My God is it vastly superior to Batman & Robin! The grittiness is toned down from Detective but replaced with a really interesting character that has my attention. The annoyance factor of Batman & Robin is completely absent from this series and takes everything I liked about that series. In other words, Batman is exactly as I hoped and expected. This a good series that may need a while to really take off but is worth your time. Read Full Review

I really liked this first issue. This book is easily in the upper echelon of DCs New 52 thus far. Read Full Review

This one's an easy recommendation, and a solid read (even if the final panel is an obvious red herring). Worth a look. Read Full Review

The caped crusader is back in this new ongoing series! Theres a knife-wielding killer on the loose in Gotham and the trail leads to Bruce Waynes inner circle. Who can it be? Find out in Knife Trick. Written by Scott Snyder (American Vampire) and illustrated by the very talented Greg Capullo (Spawn, The Creech). Im anxious to see where Snyders taking this beloved DC character, with his razor sharp stories and snappy dialogue he uses for American Vampire. Capullos art just springs to life on every panel, hes come a long way since drawing Quasar for Marvel all those years ago. A great start for new readers. Love the new title art as well. Read Full Review

Make no mistake: Batman #1 is not a debut issue regardless of what number is on the cover. It's a continuation in all aspects. Will new readers jump on? Sure. Is it accessible to new readers? Somewhat, but it's like any beginning to a new story arc. If that was the point then this effort is average at best. But that's not the point. The point is to tell good stories with a modern tone, and as far as that goes Batman #1 is a good comic"but it should have been excellent. Read Full Review

i've been reading and collecting this series since the very beginning of the New 52, and wanted to now take a look back at it and see what made me fall in love with it in the first place.

this issue starts off with Scott Snyder's usual run-on exposition ... that can either captivate you into a dark world of intrigue ... or sometimes just bore you to tears. the very first time i read it, i was among the highly captivated.
we are immediately placed inside Arkham Asylum in what looks like Batman about to face off a great number of the most notorious inmates ...and then the melee begins!!! Greg Capullo shows off his beautiful sense of action and eye for drama in this scene. had this been story-board for and action based anime or even movie, it'd be one of the most amazing things any Batman fan has ever seen!!! i will give Scott Snyder Credit, the plot twist during the Arkham brawl was very clever and really fun to revisit during many many re-reads!!! i WANT to give this a perfect 10. but truthfully i know i can't, as in my many re-reads i just find too many parts needlessly TOO wordy for no reason at all! that whole 'Gotham's Tomorrow is just a Dream away' or what ever mumbo jumbo Bruce Wayne is spouting at the fund-raiser scene is just PAINFUL!
still the personalities of the members of the Bat-family scenes are spot on! even though Snyder's voice for Batman can at times make Bruce come off as a snotty little brat.
still though, it's a very good issue overall. and is worth checking out for Greg Capullo's visual story-telling alone. what's always struck me as funny about this series as a whole, is both reviewers and users love to throw 'PERFECT TENS' at this series! and they probably have NO idea why? i used to be one of them till after reading a few of issues that Greg Capullo didn't provide the art for, that Snyder's writing wasn't as good as i once thought it was? more

Great start and setup for the arc ahead. The art is fantastic too.

The New 52 kickoff for Batman is a very well written story. The steps towards who is causing all suspicious murder in Gotham will be small but its nice to see the world greatest detective doing what he's best at while also including all Batman's allies. This series could be a classic.

While the general reception of New 52 was overwhelmingly bad, Batman's solo run (re)started very well, setting up one of the best mysteries the character ever faced and briefly explaining the new status quo and most importantly, being ultra enjoyable.
These are the reasons I revisit the Court of Owls storyline every now and often, and every time I read it, I have as much fun as the last time.
One and only thing I could criticize about this particular issue is the first little glimpse of what New 52 was about to be infamous for - awful character redesigns and retcons. During the opening sequence you can clearly see the butchered Riddler with a question mark haircut, and a laughing girl with ponytails I presume is Harley Quinn, who I perceive as one of the very biggest victims of the entire New 52 reboot.
This issue kicked off a modern classic, an absolute must read for any Batman fan. more