Batman in Barcelona is first and foremost an entertaining, extremely well-crafted comic. That it also happens to come along at a time when Batman is in the midst of a controversial extended storyline makes it even more worthwhile. Whether your loving the current Batman line or hating it, this comic offers a nice reprieve from all the hype and insanity. It's just a fun, accessible Bruce Wayne Batman comic told with a lot of energy and enthusiasm by a couple of talented professionals. As far as I'm concnered, there can never be too many comics like this on the stands. Read Full Review

Artist Diego Olmos is a real find. He demonstrates a lot of talent here, capturing the Batman's dark, violent world nicely. His style strikes me as something of a cross between the styles of the legendary Alex Toth and one-time reigning Batman artist Norm Breyfogle. One of his most important contributions to this comic book is how he brings Barcelona to life. Mind you, the realism of the backdrop seems a bit at odds with the extreme nature of the protagonist and antagonist, who don't really merit a realistic portrayal. Still, I enjoyed his efforts here a great deal, and I hope we'll see more work from him soon. Read Full Review

The writing however is just slightly above adequate. It does not really capitalise on the unique setting of the story. Partly this is because we are merely seeing Batman go up against another old member of his rogues' gallery and not dealing with something unique to Barcelona or Spain itself. Perhaps we should be grateful that they did not resort to some stereotypical Spanish villain like an evil matador but having Batman fight an old foe for the Nth time detracts from the novelty of a story set in Barcelona. While this is a very good-looking comic with an entertaining story, when you get down to the basics, it could just as easily have been set in Baltimore. Read Full Review

The novelty of seeing Batman operate in a familiar location (for me) thats a little closer to my home than his usual stomping ground is enough to raise my bullet rating slightly above the average. However, for anyone who isnt interested in the unique setting, this is a pretty generic and forgettable one-shot that will play well to Batman and Killer Croc fans but probably wont win over any new converts. Read Full Review

Batman in Barcelona has re-sparked my interest in architecture, and it has opened my eyes to a world outside of America in both real-life and in the DCU. Those interested in other cultures may find this book interesting, but the casual reader may find it pointless considering it is just a one-shot. My advice is to flip through and look at the pretty pictures and decide from there. Read Full Review