Review: Batman Universe

Bendis does Batman. At pretty much any point during Brian Michael Bendis’s 20 years in the limelight, this is a phrase that would have elicited strong reactions. Exhilaration from some. Dismay from others. Which of these groups you fall into may even have changed over time. On paper, it’s a match made in heaven. Bendis and a street level crimefighter. Bendis and a dark, brooding hero. Or is it a match made in hell? A Dark Knight who talks like an Aaron Sorkin character. A silent guardian who never shuts up. As is so often the case, the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

Illustrated by Nick Derington, Batman Universe is an out-of-continuity, standalone story. It first featured in the Wal-Mart exclusive DC 100-Page Comic Giant specials, before a reprint as Batman Universe singles, and now this trade collection. The plot has Bats embarking upon a quest that DC’s blurb describes as “a tour of the DC Universe, spanning space and even time”. Guest stars are numerous, often here in one chapter and gone the next. The scope of the story is certainly ambitious, almost a little much to cram into six issues. Simultaneously, it somehow feels lacking in depth. It reminds me of Christopher Nolan’s Tenet: a chase for an unashamedly vague but powerful MacGuffin; a few cool action sequences with a plot cobbled together around them; style over substance. At certain points, it comes across as Bendis attempting to do mind-bending, DC-pantheon-covering, Grant Morrison Batman, and coming up short.

And is there Bendis dialogue? Surely he wouldn’t do that with Batman? Of course he does. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. The book definitely gives us a…chattier Batman than we’ve seen before. But he has an enjoyable dynamic with various guest stars, and of course with Alfred – who finally sounds like the sarcastic, fan-favourite incarnation from Batman: The Animated Series. And the dialogue sets the tone of the book, one that has been rare in Batman comics for the last 35 years – a tone of fun. It’s almost a modernised Silver Age caper, and that’s certainly a refreshing change.

Nick Derington’s art fits the tone well, often having a very clean and classic feel. As expected from a star cover artist, he really shines in the book’s handful of epic action scenes and splash pages. Award-winning veteran colorist Dave Stewart completes the Silver Age picture, with the brightest and most colorful pages I’ve ever seen in a Batman comic.

All in all, this is not one of the best Batman books you’ll ever read, nor is it one of the best Bendis books. But the bar is very high for both of those categories. Would I, one day, like to see a Batman run from him that echoes his outstanding work on Daredevil? Of course, but it seems clear that this was never intended to be such a story. It does however look good visually, and it is something entertainingly different. If you’re bored of a Batman who lives in silent shadows, check this out for a change.

Writing – 3 Stars
Art – 4 Stars
Colors – 4.5 Stars

Overall: 3.5 Stars

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Nick Derington
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Publisher: DC Comics

Author Profile

Yavi Mohan

Yavi Mohan is a comic writer (and more frequently, comic reader) based in London. He is frequently overwhelmed by the number of comics in his reading list, to the extent that it sometimes delays his reading. This list includes every issue ever published with Spider-Man as the main character.