The creative team of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo have held the reigns of Batman since DC Comics’ company-wide title relaunch which became part of “The New 52”. Since then, the combination of Snyder’s well-thought out and deep writing and Capullo’s consistently detailed and perfectly executed art have served DC well, with the first three story arcs from this dynamic duo topping best seller lists and shipping hundred of thousands of units.
From Snyder’s own creation, “Court of Owls”, it’s been clear that the creators are here to tell us a story that we will remember; something that will go down in history as a creative leap for Batman and comic books in general. Stories for all ages taken seriously; treating the character and reader with respect.
With the Court of Owls, Snyder and Capullo were able to create something new and truly terrifying, before following on with “Death of the Family”, where the return of the Joker saw Batman and his extended Bat-family torn apart by the madman. While the events of Death of the Family had consequences which played out in “Batman Eternal”, readers of the main Batman line had the foundation laid beneath them for Snyder and Capullo’s Gotham with “Zero Year”. Zero Year was an effort to redefine Batman's origin, with the story starting six years prior to Court of Owls and Death of the Family, and taking us through Bruce Wayne's return to Gotham and his early days as a vigilante.
This now brings us to what could be the best Batman story so far. Part 1 of “Endgame”, set after the events of Batman Eternal, begins with the physical and psychological wounds still very present on the city and it’s guardian. The story in a single issue is not usually anything to write about, but without spoiling much, Batman is pitted against the members of the Justice League as they come at him from all sides. It’s not until the last pages that the true enemy is revealed.
I don’t normally get this excited about a single issue, but the partnership of Capullo's perfectly drawn frames and Snyder’s original story, the pacing of Batman #35 left my heart racing. I’m excited for the next 5 issues, and can’t wait to see what this team can do.