In a week that gave us the Grant Morrison/Rags Morales Action Comics #1 as well as Jeff Lemire and Travel Foreman's wonderfully twisted Animal Man #1, I have to say that the comic that surprised me most was Judd Winick and Ben Oliver's Batwing #1. This is coming from someone who has never really enjoyed the stories that Judd Winick has fostered over at DC Comics, whether it be bringing back Jason Todd or his recent run on Power Girl (though he had quite an act to follow). Read Full Review

Batwing is exactly how I like my comics dark, gritty, and grounded. Just as Nolan did for superhero films, this book is doing for comics. Not that colourful superhero adventures aren't enjoyable, but as a man in his early thirties, I just wish there were more "adult" books like this on the market. This title is a stand-out in the New 52 and I highly recommend it to anyone who has yet to give it a go. Read Full Review

As much as I dread what Winick sounds like he's doing with Catwoman, I highly anticipate him doing great things with Batwing. The setting is a breath of fresh air, but it's got enough familiarity working for it to make it easier to get into. Now, it's just up to the world to support it, and it damn well better be ready for a successful book set in Africa. It's about damn time. Read Full Review

Does it become a bit derivative at times? Yes. Batwing has his own gadget-filled Batcave called the Haven and his own Alfred-like character staying there to help him out. And there are quite a few African clichs but they aren't too distracting (yet). This is definitely a book that SHOULD be bad and it has every potential to turn into something awful in the future and get canceled, but for right now I'm staying on board. This book has a lot of potential to do some very original things, but it's going to have to step away from the superhero formulas that the market is saturated with. Read Full Review

Batwing is shown in all his glory in his Batman Inc. Created batsuit/wingsuit, but the helicopters and hinted at Pyramids in the background don't do much for me. It may be overly critical, but Batwing doesn't travel to Egypt in this issue, nor are there any helicopters. This makes me feel that there was confusion over how to introduce Batwing to the masses in a single captivating cover image. Read Full Review

Batman is often seen by many as an action hero, as someone who metes out justice to the wicked, but we can sometimes forget he's also a detective. Winick mirrors that characterization in Batwing, and the mystery that emerges in this story, touching upon an earlier heroic tradition in Africa, really has me interested. I not only want to find out what happened to those heroes, but I want to know who they are. Winick plays his cards close to his chest, only identifying one of these new characters, leaving himself the opportunity of introducing others later in the story arc and providing his readers with the pleasure of new discoveries. Read Full Review

Ben Oliver practically steals the show, however. This is some of the most refined and cinematic art we've seen from Oliver yet. Oliver delivers plenty of wide shots, but the use of diagonal borders brings an extra dose of energy to most pages. And though I feared the final product might not live up to the quality of the black and white preview art, I'm happy to report that Brian Reber's colors do nothing but accentuate the visuals. Yes, Oliver could stand to focus more attention on his backgrounds, but otherwise this is one of the best-looking books DC put out this week. Again, Batwing is an unexpected but very welcome surprise among the New 52. Read Full Review

It's an interesting series of ideas, and there's some decent potential here. I'm not positive I'll be getting this one for long, but it's got a decent start. Read Full Review

As far as debut issues go, this one has it all: the establishment of both hero and identity, an introduction of foes who may yet become rogues in the characters of Blood Tiger and Massacre, an appearance by one of (if not the premiere) DC's most established and beloved heroes, and great art to boot. This book has plenty of potential, but a little raw out of the gate, which works to its advantage. Anything, at this point, is possible, and I'm certain the final page isn't the last surprise we'll be seeing. If you're looking for a new DC book to latch onto, this one just might be what you're looking for, but you may have to search for it, as it is sure to be an overlooked gem and is likely to have been under-ordered. Read Full Review

The pieces are in place, now Winick just has to put them together. He's got an art team that can provide what he needs and a very scary villain in Massacre. All Batwing #1 needs more of is Batwing. Read Full Review

The art may not be enough to overcome the huge challenges that this book faces in a very fickle marketplace. At the very least however, DC Comics deserves credit for doing something so daring. Hopefully, they can do it well. Read Full Review

Winick offers a fertile premise and some promising ideas, but all rather too underdeveloped to really predict if it'll turn out worthwhile or not. Read Full Review

Not looking forward to the next one. Read Full Review