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Just an FYI, Sorrentino is an Italian guy. I love his paneling and the way he moves your eye around a page.
Bruce Wayne's mission as the Batman has only been underway for a year or so, but he can tell he's making a difference. Unfortunately, he's made some powerful enemies. All the traditional power brokers of Gotham resent the disruption the Batman has brought to town...and it seems one of them has a plan to neutralize him. There's a second Batman haunting Gotham's rooftops and alleys-and this one has no qualms about murdering criminals, live and on tape. With the entire might of the Gotham City Police Department and Gotham's rich and powerful coming down on his head, Batman must find this imposter and somehow clear his name...but how can you prove your innocence from behind a mask?
Director and screenwriter Mattson Tomlin (Project Power, Little Fish) has teamed up with Eisner-winning suspense and horror artist Andrea Sorrentino (Joker: Killer Smile, Gideon Falls) to create a wholly new version of Gotham City, informed by grim reality, where every punch leaves a broken bone and every action has consequences far, far beyond Batman's imagination! more
With the attention that The Batman will get over this weekend, it seems that serendipity that this book has recently hit the racks. Personally, I think comics should be more respected than just an advert for the movie, but I understand the logistics of such a plan from Warner Brothers. An interesting start to a three part series, I am very curious to see how it all plays out down the line. Read Full Review
This comic features great art, solid writing, and interesting characters! The pacing is good and the mystery element is strong. If you enjoy alternate takes on Batman and Gotham, then I definitely recommend this issue to you! Read Full Review
This first of a three issue event is going to be worthy of some space on your bookshelf. I love the tweaking of the story. The lenses of both Detective Wong as well as Dr. Leslie Thompson. provide a new view of Gotham's vigilante hero. They are two strong female protagonists trying to heal their city in their own way! Read Full Review
This first chapter of this three-issue event is going to be worthy of some space on your bookshelf. I love the tweaking of the story. The lenses of both Detective Wong as well as Dr. Leslie Thompkin, both provide a new view of Gotham's vigilante hero. They're two strong female protagonists trying to heal their city in their own way! Read Full Review
There are many things in the darkness; this Batman: The Imposter #1 makes them worth exploring. Read Full Review
Sorrentino delivers some great art throughout the issue. The art captures the dark, gritty mood of the story and the style is perfect for this type of plot. There are great details in the panels and the action is visually thrilling. Read Full Review
Batman: The Imposter #1 is a fantastic start to the series. It isn't some dark and gritty read one might expect from DC Black Label. Instead, the issue has a very practical approach to it all. What Batman even faces is down-to-earth in some ways. Combine that with some great art and this feels like there's potential here for a memorable Batman story people will come back to for a while. Read Full Review
The crime and action segments are beautifully drawn, but the writing is really at its best when it's just Batman and Dr. Thompkins facing off. It reminds me a bit of The Sopranos with capes at times, and it's a highly intriguing start. Read Full Review
A really good first issue for a promising series and welcome addition to DC's Black Label. Read Full Review
Let us know what you thought of the issue by leaving your comments down below! Read Full Review
If you like a more grounded and down-to-earth Batman story with great action sequences and cool art, then this is a book for you. Read Full Review
The premise of "what if Batman existed in the real world?" is fascinating, but too often this comic fails to take advantage of it. Even as Andrea Sorrentino's art gives the comic a searing beauty, the story resembles more standard Batman tales. Read Full Review
Overall, the issue misses the marks the marketing set up for it. Tomlin's story isn't well constructed and lacks cohesion with all the themes. Sorrentino's art lacks consistency for each page, which is evident when a statue is prominently jammed as part of the background, with mostly dialog moving the story. Unfortunately, this issue tried to remake the wheel, and it ended up as a square instead. Read Full Review
Wow that was fantastic! I love the way this was written. I love the pacing and the feel of it. The artwork is perfect as it matches the time of the story and is absolutely beautiful. You really get your money's worth in this one! Great first issue
This was an absolute treat. Finally, a writer who understands Batman on a more psychological level. This is exactly what I wanted and hoped for from this issue, and it delivered even more than just my expectations. The world-building, the art, the tone, the seamless P.O.V transitions, everything. Absolutely spot on.
This was a great start. Tomlin is a very, very good writer in my opinion. The script and dialogue were crisp, believable, and engaging. Sorrentino's art was hauntingly beautiful as always and complimented the tone of the story wonderfully.
Kept getting better as it went on, and by the end, I was sold. Good concept, amazing Sorrentino art and solid read overall.
Amazing art from Sorrentino. The plot, in part, does picture what we have heard from the next BATMAN movie (i.e the one from Matt Reeves) in addition to this batman's costume resembling that of Pattinson.
Not everyone is going to like this. It's a Batman that swears and hurts people so Dan Slott and his fans are going to say it's garbage. The story is intriguing, an interesting take on Bruce and how he dealt with his trauma and some possible underlying mental problems. I definitely enjoyed the exploration in that as it honestly makes sense if someone like him were in a more realistic world. The art is phenomenal. I didn't used to be a fan of Sorrentino but I have grown to appreciate all of his works that I have read. He is a master panelist and creates tension even between two panels that are connected. The pacing is fantastic. I am excited to see where the series goes.
ALSO, psychiatry and therapy are VERY important. Batman, Robin, the entire Batfamily as well as the Justice League could do with actual therapy not some Sanctuary crap where Tom King murders legacy characters. If you or anyone you know suffers from bouts of wanting to dress as a bat and hit people even if you are making a difference, seek professional help. Not enough people do. more
Just an FYI, Sorrentino is an Italian guy. I love his paneling and the way he moves your eye around a page.
Batman the Imposter #1 was brilliant for a whole list of reasons.
Positives
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The art is spectacular.
The writing is amazing. People talk like actual people, the plot is interesting and complex while remaining airtight.
The story dismantles the idiotic claims that Bruce Wayne should just throw money at Gotham, and fix it that way as if that would work.
The question of "what would Batman really be like?" is handled in a very intersting way.
The world building is phenomenal.
I'm a sucker for the ultra realistic takes on Batman.
Finally an R Rated Batman book that utilizes the fact that it's Rated R.
Negatives
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I wish Batman was in the book more like him as a person and not as a presence, however he's most definitely gonna be in the next two a lot more. This issue is very much about setting the buildings blocks as this is a completely new universe. We are introduced to a lot of new faces that we experience this new version of The Dark Knight through, but the next two issues as I said will most likely be told from Batman's point of view. If the following two fail to do so then I'll be very disappointed but thus far I do not mind this approach of setting the stage, so it'll be much more character driven in the next one.
my only critiques in regards to the art are Bruce Wayne's design, he looks much younger than what they are going for. He looks closer to a Robin than Bruce Wayne, and that the batsuit doesn't have blades on the gauntlets.
There are things that will become a negative if they don't get resolved in the following issues. If Alfred and Gordon are just not in this Batman's life anymore, then I'll be highly disappointed, but I presume they'll both come back at some point. more
Fantastic review. I'd like to make one remark. I agree with your assessment of Batman's face and costume. I was also perplexed by his face and costume design. However, after more thought, I believe they wanted to keep this look closer to Robert Pattinson's new Batman look. On page 34, when he removes his mask, he look like Robert Pattsion. It's possible that my guess is incorrect. Regardless of the design, I feel their writing and story should compensate for this flaw, .
In that panel I think he looks cool, but he doesn't have as defined a face as Robert Pattison so he doesn't look as manly as he does as Bruce Wayne. And yeah definitely it's just a nitpick.
It looks like they're riffing on the Pattinson look in the new movie. We re used to seeing a batman well into his thirties, more masculine and heavier muscled.
Pattinson looks very masculine in the Batman trailer. He's the one with the most defined face of all the Batmen
That's a subjective opinion. Most fans have pointed out that Pattinson lacks the physical attributes one associates with Batman. Keaton was also questioned on the same and also his being a comedic actor at that point and he was a great Batman.
Pattinson definitely isn't very masculine, there's a reason he was so popular in those vampires movie, men are not the target audience for those types of movies. But I've learned to look beyond that, for example Curran Walters seemed very feminine to me and he's been very good as Red Hood in the shitty Titans show. And Pattinson is talented so I'm rooting for him to make a great job.
Decent first issue, I didn't know Leslie Thompkins is supposed to be black nowadays but oh well, this is the trend, I guess. I'm not very interested in the psychiatrist angle but I am interested in the rest of the story, let's see how this develops.
A very interesting series that has great art, characterization and actually good dialogue.
This is a low-key intrigue Batman story. There's no flashy comic villain, which I'm all for, but there is also that little something extra missing to draw the reader in. The most interesting idea present here, for me, is Batman being blackmailed into psychiatric therapy; it's rare that we see anyone get an edge over Bruce, let alone a psychotherapist.
This was pretty good, but I'm having trouble staying invested. In response to Asger's review, I don't see how this story "dismantles the idiotic claims that Bruce Wayne should just throw money at Gotham, and fix it that way as if that would work." The only hint at that we really get is Leslie Thompson saying he should do that, and him saying no, and providing a very unconvincing reason for it. And then the rest of the issue, Batman is trying to hunt down an imposter that is murdering people, presumably at the behest of rich types participating in white collar crimes, which are not being addressed by Batman whatsoever.
Strong art, writing's okay.
Not bad, not great, kinda typical but still enjoyable.
This is a pretty average book. It could be better, it could also be worse. But from what I've read in this issue I'd say it's worth 2 more issues (How I miss when your average comic story was that long, not 18 parts).
The art is a bit sloppy and I can't say any of the characters are very likable in this story, but as I said, it's sill decent enough to follow for 2 more issues.
Art is good but doesn't narrate well. A few double pages that don't show anything special. Writing seems to be a little sloppy. Story looks predictable and you can easily guess where it's going. Batman in this issue isn't the protagonist. Nothing great here. sorry.
I'm sorry, I didn't like it. Let's say it's halfway for me.
Bruce’s signature. That was the moment I realized this was going to be really special.
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