Batman summons his crew, Batwoman, Nightwing, Orphan, Spoiler and Clayface, and gives each specific duties, while he faces off for some really well drawn action against the monster. Though the other heroes get small roles, they are tidily and effectively characterized, and I am consistently enjoying watching Clayface using his powers for good, and challenging their limits. Read Full Review

As the start of an event meant to thrill and chill, Orlando and King have given the "Monster Men" one hell of an entrance. Read Full Review

This week's beginning to "Night of the Monster Men" is off to a great start. A few more surprises would be very cool, though! Read Full Review

Batman #7 is a great start to what looks to be a fun crossover. The creative team did their homework and have produced a love letter to monster media that manages to stay true to its Bat roots. Read Full Review

Writers Steve Orlando and Tom King have brought a little slice of horror to Batman's world.  The Night of the Monster Men is just beginning and this is one exciting and creepy way to kick it off.  If this is how they start, I can't wait to see where they go next.  Plus, I mean, where else are you going to see the Dark Knight fight a giant baby?  Somehow I doubt that's going to be the story in the next movie. Read Full Review

Batman #7 kicks off "Night of the Monster Men" in spectacular fashion, with some great action tempered by quieter, yet effective character moments. It's comfortably familiar and accessible while refreshingly new, with innovative takes on old concepts. In other words, it's emblematic of what DC's Rebirth has been getting right. Read Full Review

Batman #7 is a fantastic first chapter in "Night of the Monster Men" that pulls plot strings Tom King planted in his first arc, "I Am Gotham", pays homage to a classic Batman story, and finds two of DC's most talented writers producing a clear and distinct crossover than actually benefits the titles involved instead of taking away from their narrative flow. Read Full Review

Also, where else are you going to be able to see Batman fly a plane into a two story monster? Read Full Review

Steve Orlando does a great job bringing all of the stories together, even if some of the finer points are glossed over, and he certainly delivers when it comes to bombastic action. If this is any indication, every member of the Bat Family will have a chance to shine. Read Full Review

Steve Orlando is the perfect fit to stick with Batman and Detective Comics through the Night of the Monster Men arc. The first crossover of DC Rebirth is a hit, and the perfect book for those ready for Halloween a month early.  Read Full Review

Big and new reader friendly, Batman #7 kicks off the “Night of the Monster Men” with a confident start. Tom King and Steve Orlando, two men who have made their homes in Gotham as of late, play their opening gambit smartly by focusing on character and emotion first and building out the action from there. Orlando and King also effectively use artist Riley Rossmo in order to get the most of his style and deliver a satisfyingly different visual style for this crossover. Strange days are ahead for the Bat-family, and Batman #7 gives us a front-row seat to the unfolding madness. Read Full Review

Even though this issue's plot is a littlethin, it does a decent job of instilling a feelingof emergency for Batman and the rest of his crew. They are definitely in for a long night in the “Night of the Monster Men” crossover. Read Full Review

Curiosity really describes my overall thoughts about this first entry into this multipart crossover. I feel like a little kid looking at something I have never quite seen before no knowing if I should be excited, scared, or just plain indifferent. One issue in and they have my curiosity but time will tell if their will also capture my attention. Read Full Review

I've been wary of the Monster Men event simply because I'm not picking up the other books and as good as this opening installment is, it's not enough to make me pursue it more. Orlando and King keep things moving pretty well here but the real star for me is Riley Rossmo. With some really good issues from Finch previously and then the large group of artists the last time around, Rossmo is an artist whose work I want to see in this book pretty regularly as he has a very good design to it while Plascencia color work avoids the vibrancy that we had with Finch's segment of the run. There's a grittier aspect to this without it being grimdark and difficult to discern. Add in some real love of the monster men themselves in their designs and some really great panels overall in depicting the rain and how the heroes look in it and the art's a winner across the board. Read Full Review

If you've ever wanted to see Batman and his partners battle a pack of rampaging kaiju in Gotham City, then "Night of the Monster men" is right up your alley. The first chapter succeeds on the strength of its memorable creature designs, surreal artwork and a generally entertaining script. However, this isn't shaping up to be the deepest Batman story you've ever read, and fiscally conservative readers might prefer to take a break until the series' next major storyline begins. Read Full Review

After such a great Gotham Girl-centric issue with #6, it's a shame to not see her appear in the immediate follow-up. Even when Batman signals to his cave, only Alfred and Duke are on standby to assist. What she's up to and how she's doing are questions that remain unanswered in the latest chapter. What's left is a paradoxically predictable and unpredictable issue all at once. The stakes are raised and the story is on the right track, I think. So long as they don't veer unexpectedly off course again. Read Full Review

As stated previously, this is the first issue kicking off a crossover event for DC's Bat-Family, so if you want the full story, you'll need to do a bit of shopping to get all the chapters. The second part of this story is in NIGHTWING this week, so be sure to check it out if you don't want to miss anything! Read Full Review

Rebirth's first crossover has gotten off to a good start and seems ready to test Batman physically and mentally as he puts new stress on himself. The characterisations are spot on and the story is an intriguing one to place this group of heroes in. With the titles shipping bi-weekly as well, this should prove to be a fast-paced and exciting story should the first part of 'Night of the Monster Men' be any indication. Read Full Review

If I had one complaint, it would be one that has been consistent across Kings run. The scale of the action is too large for Gotham. Batman has trashed at least three vehicles in a violent and spectacular manner that doesnt jive well with the character in my head. That seems like a story beat that when used sparingly can be powerful, but seems overdone and has lost any powerful effect. Anyway, the story looks like its going to be schlocky movie fun and I cant wait for more. Read Full Review

Tom King's name is on this book, but with the exception of a referential line or two, this doesn't appear consequential to his "I Am Gotham" arc, so if you need to skip, don't feel too bad. Read Full Review

So, is "Night of the Monster Men" the story that signals the real start of Rebirth Batman? It's looking likely that it is. As much as I loved the previous era of Batman, it's time for a new one. Let's hope DC has faith in this direction and allows it to develop further. Read Full Review

Aside from the art, which was a very pleasant surprise, the side of Night of the Monster Men that I'm most invested in are the characters that I already liked from Detective Comics. It's not like this comic book is a trainwreck but all things considered, most of Batman #7 feels meandering and unfocused. Read Full Review

“Night of the Monster Men, Part 1” was a good read. Orlando and King do a great job of showing us not only Batman but his team as a whole operating under extreme circumstances and still making it work. Even when Nightwing has his doubts about the mission, Batman reassures him that they will save everyone—they have to. It's these small statements reinforced by bigger actions that makes Batman such an inspiration and a joy to read period. I'm eager to see exactly what Strange has planned since obviously that first monster was clearly in the testing stage. I've always been a fan of Strange as being a mental challenge to Batman and so far King and Orlando have stayed true to this formula. Strange has been pulling the strings the entire time, and just now we're seeing the consequences of it! I'm defining looking forward to reviewing the next issue — just like you should be reading this issue now!!! Check it out!!! Read Full Review

The Night of the Monster Men is upon us, but all I can muster up is a lukewarm response.  Steve Orlando sets up his story here and while there isn't anything "wrong" with it, I find myself not really caring either way.  I did like Riley Rossmo's art. but if things don't heat up quick, I will likely check out until the regular run is back underway. Read Full Review

I feel like DC fans may read this review and come to the conclusion that my opinion isn't valid because I clearly don't like superheroes. But nothing could be further from the truth. I love superheroes, which is why I think better things can be done with them than this, which amounts to fight scenes, continuity references, and a few interesting horror beats. In a word, Batman #7 it will likely be what someone wants from superhero comics, but it's not quite as substantial as it should be. Read Full Review

Riley Rossmo's pencils are creatively laid out and the character expressions are well done. Given the quality of the Batman titles, this was a bit of a letdown. Worst case scenario, Night of the Monster Men will prove a decent enough distraction to allow the regular creative team to get a breather and get ahead before their return. Read Full Review

I went into this story with an extremely optimistic attitude, but by the end, I realized it was just more of the same that I had developed a distaste for from The New52. On display, front and center, was the philosophy that bigger equals better. And I simply have no more patience for that mind-set. While I'm sure this story will feature plenty of over-the-top action sequences that will be fun in their own right, that alone is just not enough for me anymore. When it comes down to it, this was just an average comic. While there weren't any major flaws to speak of, it also didn't do anything to wow me. Read Full Review

Unfortunately, I'm not going to be continuing with the Monster Men crossover. I really wanted to like this story, if only because of how disappointed the main Batman title has been. Had this been a fun little romp, I would have been entirely into it. But instead, it puts a focus on some truly abysmal dialogue. It really reads nothing like Orlando's other work, which is odd to me considering how consistent he's been. That being said, this book did turn me on to Rossmo's art, so I'll be looking out for that name attached to future projects. Read Full Review

This is kind of a weird story. Monsters that literally pop out of nowhere. It's like Batman meets the Kaiju. In the second act, Batman fights Godzilla with only a Batarang and dental floss... I dunno where this is going, I also read the Nightwing issue and I still don't know where this is going but hey, we saw Hugo Strange work out naked so 8 out of 10 I guess...

I thought this was an enjoyable first issue of the Monster Men run, but I do get why some people might be more cautious towards it. Batman is portrayed more emotional than I have seen him done in a long time, but I also do not think that is a bad thing. It gives more depth to a character who might be considered by some fully fleshed out, along with explaining how he would react after the death of a close friend. Not that bad of the first issue of the story arc.

Good art. Better cover. Decent story, will be picking up the series

A rather enjoyable introduction. Not much happens in this issue but there are some great moments, like Batman beating a "monster man" alone. Batman's characterization is quite failed though. Riley Rossmo's art is superb. He brings a peculiar atmosphere to the issue! The crossover seems quite interesting and I'm looking forward to the next chapters.

Riley Rossmo's art is the best part of this issue. The plot is quite good but the characterization and some dialogues are rather weak.

I don't think its quite as good as Kings first arc on Batman but its a strong kickoff to the Night of the Monster Men kick off. There were a lot of hints towards this story in the first Batman arc and it builds on both Batman's standalone story and detective comics. There is a high ceiling for this story. Especially when we find out who's involved.

So, we're finally getting some overdue explanation for the whole messy Doctor Strange mystery. Unfortunately, to really grip the whole context of this story, the reader is supposed to be on par with the whole plethora of Batman titles, which is something I have no intention to do and because of that the first part of the book can be quite confusing for someone in my situation.
The brightest side to this issue is the art by Rossmo, an artist I never heard about before but who's done a very good job at giving us an unusual, more indie style for an A-level comic and some intense scenes with beautifully drawn (and titular) monsters.
The complete absence of Gotham Girl from the issue is not a good signal, as she seems disappeared from the story already. At least a momentary addition of the character would have been a good idea to make it feel less like two separate arcs and more like a unitary world. more

DECENT ISSUE. Let's see where it goes

This was a solid start to the Monster Men series, with a couple of stunning action panels, a good setting up of suspense and some interesting character work every now and then. That said, this arc all seems a little bit predictable at the moment - there are yet to be any real surprises and everything feels a little bit dull thus far; the plot just seems a bit too simplistic when compared with what was previously building in Tom King's first arc of 1-6. The art and colours were a mixed bag; really great with the large monster panels but not always entirely to my taste in terms of rending faces - it was okay in general, but weaker than the Detective Comics run for sure. There really was nothing particularly bad about this, but unless it picks up I'll probably be glad when it's over, and we can get back to the more interesting plot lines taking place individually in Batman, Nightwing & Detective comics previously. more

An entertaining start to a crossover, even if it's not as good as the regular book.

Batman Rebirth hits its nadir...hopefully.

The art looks great, the plot isn't doing much for me thus far.

so this is what it's all been building towards? . . . . . . . . . . i'm sorely disappointed! . . . especially after being treated to an excellent story within Detective Comics. what truly makes me sad is that now Detective Comics is going to join in on this mess. . . . . . . . a pretty big fail in setting up a crossover arc. . . . . . . . . . gone are the days of exciting and compelling stories like 'Knightfall' or 'No Man's Land'. . . . . . . . . . references made about 'Zero Year' and Tim Drake's "death" in Detective Comics #940 really feel FORCED!!! there is also reference to John Henry Steel for absolutely NO reason at all! . . . . . . . . . . . . the art was nice at some points, but messy and wonky in others. . . . . . . wasn't crazy about how Batman's cowl was drawn, or how short the ears were. . . . . . . the line "the monster men are coming, aren't they strange?" i just find absolutely CORNY! more

A real shame. Wasted opportunity.