As for the story itself, Batman: Europa is a tightly-spun tale that pits Batman against a nameless, faceless foe. That's standard fare in a post-Snyder Batverse, but there's a primal simplicity to Europa that sets it ahead of any Batman book I've read in a good while. Casali and Azzarello are all business here, propelling the story to a deliriously satisfying cliffhanger that promises continued narrative might throughout this mini. (As a four-act book, the close to Act One gets a standing ovation from me.) Read Full Review

It's got its quibbling flaws, but who cares: Batman Europa is exquisitely rendered and the characters shine. I've missed Batman and Joker for years now, so this is like an early Christmas gift that's going to keep giving into the new year. It's a shame this book is only running four issues. If they're all this good, I might cry when it concludes in February 2016. In the meantime, I'm looking forward to our dying duo's travels to Prague in December! Read Full Review

Despite being highly anticipated, the creative team here offers up a fun out of continuity tale that shows a lot of early promise. The art is gorgeous here with the great (and DC Head Honcho) Jim Lee doing the pencils. What I really enjoyed though is the watercolor style (thanks to Alex Sinclair) used instead of crisp digital colors. It gave the book a more gritty and serious tone and I would like to see this technique explored more often. As for the plot, while it isn't the deepest I've seen it moved very well and has me very interested in seeing who is the mastermind behind this evil scheme. Read Full Review

When a book has been in development hell for years, it really needs a strong introduction to catch the audience's attention. Batman: Europa has done just that. Even though a good chunk is exposition, it is highly entertaining and is one of the best Batman books on the shelves today, up there with the main title by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo. It's time for a roadtrip with Batman and Joker; you don't want to miss this superhero version of The Grand Tour. Read Full Review

With the way issue one started out, I think this series is going to give us some very classic looks at the Joker/Batman dynamic, bothin writing and in illustrations. I will be shocked if we don't get a handful of panels from this series that will be the new standard for what everyone pulls up in their mind as their ideal Batman physique and personality (i.e. Jim Lee's Batman from the Hush series). The stage is set for this potent pairing to wow us as they seek the carve a paththroughout Europe. Read Full Review

Batman: Europa #1 may have taken a long time to reach our shelves, but it has definitely been a wait well worth it. Having an intriguing narrative that brings the Dark Knight and the Joker together in a fantastic fashion, the creators lay the foundations for something truly monumental, with the concept behind this series being handled in a marvellous manner. Read Full Review

Batman: Europa #1 is a strong start to the four part miniseries. The creative team shine together, giving so much promise to this series that its hard to see where we could possibly be let down. Every page comes off as an accomplishment, with such lush lines and bold color work driving the script all the way to its very satisfying cliffhanger conclusion. Read Full Review

Overall, this is still an interesting issue to start a brand new series. The stake is high, and actually seeing Batman and Joker traveling across Europe is going to be a lot of fun. I will still buy the next issue, but with Jim Lee leaving the art, I hope things will still be good. Read Full Review

Batman's been fairly Gotham focused since the end of Morrison's Batman Incorporated run and it's nice to see him back on a world stage in a story that most draws from Denny O'Neil's James Bond inspired take on the character in the mid to late-70s. For fans of that very specific era, one that gave us Ra's al Ghul and a host of other memorable parts of the mythos, it's neat to see a modern book pay homage to such a specific moment in the character's history. I'm just not sure how much a casual fan, or even fairly modern Batman fans are going to get out of it. Read Full Review

This was a really fun story and the combination of Giuseppe Camuncoli and Jim Lee art helped create a truly engaging story. Im curious how this will hold when Lee departs Batman Europa. The script and story are in safe hands with Matteo Casali and Brian Azzarello. The dialogue is memorable and is a solid original story. My only issue with Batman Europa is this glaring hole in the plot. They havent created a meaningful reason why Batman and the Joker need to do find the cure together. Hopefully they create a meaning connection between them and makes us believe they need to together. Read Full Review

Batman Europa proved to be of a time when it was originally solicited, but in todays comics world, this is a nice change of pace. While not perfect, Batman fans should pick this issue up. With different artists for the different issues, Ill be back Read Full Review

Batman and Joker. Those two things alone are a selling point. Throw in the impressive creative team and the fact the two enemies have to work together, you have an interesting comic on your hands. There were some delays with this book coming out but now that it's hear, we're able to enjoy a classic feeling Batman story. Jim Lee's art over Giuseppe Camuncoli's layouts along with Alex Sinclair's colors makes this a really pretty book. The issue sets up the overall story and will leave you wanting a little more. You can definitely feel the bigger story brewing. Read Full Review

Overall, a great introduction to a long-awaited book. Although Jim Lee isn't returning for issue #2, Azzarello is and I'm still excited for what's in store the next three months. Read Full Review

Bits and Pieces:This first issue was great at what it did; Set up. It set up the stage, the characters, and the situation in a fantastic way. Granted it can be slow at certain parts, specifically when Batman is searching for the Joker in Berlin, but it does promise to give us an adventure we won't soon forget across Europe. The strongest point of this book is the art by Jim Lee which makes everything look fantastic. I certainly can't wait to see where this great looking adventure leads. Read Full Review

Agree or disagree with my review? Leave us a comment in the section below! Read Full Review

Batman: Europa #1 doesn't necessarily justify the decade-long wait, but it does offer a reasonably enjoyable adventure that takes Batman out of his usual comfort zone. The main appeal in this first issue is seeing Giuseppe Camuncoli and Jim lee jamming together. Hopefully the book won't lose too much of its charm with Lee's departure. Read Full Review

The showstopper is Jim Lee's art, which has been of a very particular fan-pleasing style for quite some time, and it's wonderful to see him cut loose on a very different BD-inspired approach to pencil and inks, with the latter washes still feeling wet even in the digital format. Read Full Review

Batman is always going to be popular. As such, DC Comics (don't you just hate that the "Comics " in DC Comics is redundant but we all say it?) have a few choices: They can produce excellent quality stories with fantastic art or produce books that maintain a well established style covering that which has gone before or they can put out any old tat and put Batman in it. If DC's (see what I did there?) aim was to hit the first point, then they missed by a quite a bit; the book certainly looks good though story wise, there isn't really anything new, which is a shame as I normally enjoy Azzarello's work. Still, the book will sell loads, with the draw of Batman by Lee again. Read Full Review

Perhaps you can chalk it up to a slow week at DC, or simply a slowing down on all fronts with the holidays approaching, but Batman Europa winds up being one of the strongest of the DC books this week. Ultimately, that praise is due primarily to Jim Lee flexing his muscles, treating readers to see a master in action. While the change in styles might not be to everyone's liking, it's Lee that makes Batman Europa worth your time - hopefully, with that hook in place, Casali and Azzarello will up their game in future installments. Read Full Review

"Batman: Europa" kicks off the four-part mini-series with a classic rendering of Batman and The Joker. The pair are infected with a deadly disease and appear to need each other in order to solve the case. The comic book has a painted, but classic look to the artwork as the book has a timelessness to it. The comic book doesn't break any story barriers and does feel like any number of other Batman stories that have come before it. If you are looking for a more classic version of Batman that is continuity free and involves The Joker then this comic is one to check out. I recommend giving it a look. Read Full Review

Still, the Where in the World is Carmen San Diego? approach to storytelling means that we only get one city per issue, which means that the minuscule amount of insight we see into Berlin is all we're really going to get for future cities like Prague and Paris. There's a real passion in exploring European cities present in “Europa” #1, so it's sad to see that most of the comic still has to be made of regular Batman stuff. Read Full Review

In the end, I'd say this is definitely a story that hardcore Batman fans need to pick up, if only for the great art and Batman/Joker interactions. Otherwise, the more casual reader can probably skip this it"unless you want to see a beautiful portrait of Europe through two very demented perspectives. Read Full Review

I don't think this Director's Cut of Batman: Europa is going to change many opinions that readers had of the original, but if you enjoyed the original and are a completist, here it is.  The big difference is on the art side of things and having just Jim Lee's pencils gives it more of a gritty feel that I liked, but in the end, this is still the same story, plagued by the same pacing issues that we got before. Read Full Review

"Batman: Europa" #1 looks interesting thanks to Lee and Camuncoli, but Casali and Azzarello's story falls flat. There's nothing special or unique here; perhaps just as importantly, there's nothing from any of the handful of characters that feels compelling. I love the idea of a Batman miniseries hitting major cities within Europe (the next issue is set in Prague), but -- if the end result is going to be this generic -- it's a missed opportunity. This is worth picking up to see Camuncoli and Lee's collaboration, but that is ultimately the only draw. Read Full Review

A good start to an interesting miniseries that should be on any fan's radar who adores Joker. Read Full Review

The story will travel across Europe over the course of these four issues with Brian Azzarello writing and other artists lined up for the remaining three issues. Because of my lack of love for this first issue, I don't think I'll be back for the rest of this series. I was so excited to see it re-solicited and finally making its way into our hands, but I expected more after waiting 10 years. If you're a fan of anything Jim Lee or Batman, you'll still most likely be giving this a try, just be aware that it may not be either of the two that you're used to. Read Full Review

This is definitely a solid book. The writing and artwork mesh well together and are well done. Whether the rest of the series will follow suit or not is left to be seen, but lets hope it does. It will be difficult to follow in Lees footsteps, but maybe the other three artists will bring their own talents that will complement the story. In the meantime, check out this premiere issue of Batman: Europa. Read Full Review

Love this book. Maybe I think its sooo good because I miss old Batman at this point but regardless this would still be a top Batman title regardless. The story starts with a well drawn fight and the pace quickly picks up steam. A quick trip to Berlin and a meet up with Joker to solve a mystery Im sold and want more now.

Art is top notch, writing is gripping, buy this comic!

Good begining.

Really cool, love the artwork.

If they had just called it "Joker Team-Up", I probably wouldn't have read it.

Wow the writing is bad. Super hammy. It's as if the plot was given to a 12 year old and they were told to write the most obvious, cheesy, and grammatically incorrect dialogue possible.Joker's characterization is baaaaaaaaaaad. Pretty good art but not enough to keep me around; especially with the $5 price tag. Stay away.