Review of Bat-Mite (2015) #1

BAT-MITE NANANANANANANANANA BAT-MITE!!! Bat-Mite Returns to the pages of DC Comics, with this brand new 6 issue mini series.  This will be a SPOILER FREE Review!

BAT-MITE! He’s Batman’s version of Superman’s MXYZPTLK! He worships Batman, and really isn’t fan of the dark brooding Batman that DC has been doing for the last number of years. He likes Bat Lasers, and all that campy Adam West stuff! He thinks Batman is THE BEST THING EVER!!! Essentially Bat-Mite is a superfan of Batman! Even though this is only going to be a 6 issue mini series, I’m so glad DC allowed this to be a thing. Because I haven’t been too much of a fan of what they have been doing with the Bat Books lately. So I feel that I need a bit of comedy here, and Bat-Mite is just the person to be giving it to me, and the rest of the world.

On the creative team you have Dan Jurgens writing, Corin Howell on art and colors. Alongside Ms. Howell Andreas Ponce is on the inks. When I read the sneak peek DC did for this new series. I was immediately ready to embrace a full on comic book series starring BAT-MITE! I am very happy that DC Comics has said upfront that this will be a mini series. It’s not often DC tells us these things. Like in the case of Arkham Manor. That ended up only being six issues, and got the axe with this whole Convergence crap going on. Once I finished reading this, I now had a full appreciation for Dan Jurgens’s range of writing. The man is also writing the new BATMAN BEYOND comic, and that seems to be very serious. I’m glad Mr. Jurgens gets to write the funny here in Bat-Mite.

Writing: 

Dan Jurgens kicks our asses immediately with the comedy. I know I said that this was an upbeat, and BRIGHT, FUN, comic, but these judges that are sentencing Bat-Mite a couple of them are very dark humored. I thought that was hilarious. As you read how they wanna punish the little imp, you then see the look on his face. It’s not good for Bat-Mite. The basic plot as Jurgens lays it out, Bat-Mite did something and now is banished to Earth! I love the way Jurgens combines the dark and gritty seriousness of Batman, to the upbeat and fun-loving personality of Bat-Mite. There’s just so much fun to be had in this title. We see that Bat-Mite has the best intentions, but he doesn’t always get the job done in the correct manner. There’s a point in the writing where Bat-Mite realizes the situation he’s in is not funny at all. The issue is left on a cliffhanger of sorts, and it really left me wanting more. Jurgens does a wonderful job scaring the reader with the villain he introduces here. You can clearly tell that Dan Jurgens is ready to have fun, and is having so much fun writing this title. After all the Future’s End stuff, and then Convergence…. DC really needs FUN and FUNNY books for a while. Because while I love the dark and gritty writing, none of Future’s End and 95% of Convergence just wasn’t for me. However Dan Jurgens writing Bat-Mite is the best move DC has done in a long time.

Art:

Corin Howell has her debut here on Bat-Mite, and she really is bring the art to new levels of awesomeness!!! I recently read an interview with her and Dan Jurgens on COMICVINE, where she explains her influences. In this interview she says that her influences are Bruce Timm’s cartoons, and Animaniacs, as well as the classic Looney Tunes. You can clearly tell this, by staring at the book. She even throws in a “Hellooooo Nurse” joke, well I’m sure that was Jurgens on the script, but you get the point. I love how Ms. Howell  draws Bat-Mite, Batman, Gotham, and just everything about this section of the DC Universe!! I so can’t wait to see what else she comes up with in this series!!!!!

Final Thoughts:

Bat-Mite #1 was a fun romp in Gotham City. It sets up the main character’s origin very well, and gives us a super creepy plot. You can get Bat-Mite #1 at your local comic shop or digitally.