Batman #1 (2025) Review

A new Batman #1 is always the sign of a changing tide. Part of it lies in the fact that – at any given time – either it or Detective Comics ends up being the most artistically driven book for a character or mythos that is as popular as the Caped Crusader, but also because, depending on how well it does, it sets the bar.

At least it does for me, someone who is only reading comics actively today because of a new Batman relaunch I read over a decade ago – the New 52 run. 

Since then, of course, I’ve read so much Batman, some might say even too much, but it’s given me an intimate view of the character, his world, how stories are riffing or building off of each other. A clear marker of that is the fact that, since Frank Miller’s monumental takes on the character in Dark Knight Returns (with Klaus Janson and Lynn Varley) and Year One (with David Mazzuchelli, Richmond Lewis and Todd Klein), almost every take on the character has operated under its shadow, has tried to either riff off it or build off it. Even series artist and colour artist Jorge Jimenez and Tomeu Morey’s renditions of the Dark Knight have been playing on stories that are there in this regard.

And then came the new run, written by Matt Fraction, illustrated by Jorge Jimenez, coloured by Tomeu Morey and lettered by Clayton Cowles.

Fraction takes a bold maneuver from this. Of course there’s Miller-isms in there, on the preview pages you can look at the talking heads on TV, but what makes this take so charming is its more like a Pre-Crisis (on Infinite Earths) take on the character crossed with The Batman (2004).

Here, Batman is cynical, but he’s not as much of an immovable rock as he thinks he is. He doesn’t necessarily operate in the night all the time, sometimes he goes out during the day to do the job. But he still has a dry sense of humor, and still believes, underneath that rough exterior, in a better world, in the idea that people can be better, and it’s beautiful.

All of that works because of the creative team, however. Fraction said in an interview that he tries to incorporate a new style into all of his work, and reading the first two issues makes me believe it. There’s some Hawkeye in there, but the presentation, the talking heads, all of that is fresh and it weaves itself into the narrative beautifully. 

Jimenez and Morey though, wow. Some might doubt if they have anything more to give to the Caped Crusader, but if these first two issues are any indicator, of course they do. One of the beautiful parts of seeing an era of Batman mostly defined by an art team (Jimenez and Morey have been on Batman together since Joker War, written by James Tynion IV) is seeing how those artists evolve, and they really have. From JTIV, to Chip Zdarsky, to now Fraction, they bring a new energy to the runs every time, a new visual style, and I find it beautiful. Jimenez is genuinely one of the finest artists in the game, and he continues to prove it by upping his game every single time.

Cowles also brings in a different style to the look. The way time and location are displayed, the little caption boxes for the gadgets, all of it looks gorgeous and it’s cool to see him still do new things on Batman.

Structurally, the best part about these first two issues is how self contained they are. Until the very last moments of both issues, they both read like one and done issues, completed stories that you’ll be left satisfied with. Even #2, whose start is right before the ending moments of #1, feels like a complete story by itself, but you are rewarded more as a reader if you had read #1 previously to see the trajectory that’s going forward.

I’d be remiss to not talk about the new costume. It looks phenomenal. I love the logo, I love the silhouette, I love how Jimenez and Morey portray it. More importantly than that though, I love how toyetic this Batman is. He’s constantly using gadgets, which is indicated by the panelling and lettering highlighting it, and it’s awesome to see all of that on full display. Even within that cynic-ness, you can tell that Bruce actually enjoys being Batman with how many tools he has at his disposal.

Of course, since this is an early review, it’s hard to get into specifics, but honestly, at least give #1 a chance. I have that same feeling pumping through my veins that I did when I read Ram V and Rafael Albuquerque’s first issue of Detective Comics – that we have a banger of a run on our hands. Let Matt, Jorge, Tomeu and Clayton do this book for as long as they want.