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Review of Batman: Arkham Knight Chapter One

Batman: Arkham Knight #1

Batman Arkham Knight #1

Arkham City is Closed, and the Joker is dead….? Batman: Arkham Knight is a new digital and print comic series that will be a companion and parallel to the new Rocksteady game! This will be a slightly SPOILER FILLED Review!

Batman Arkham Knight #1 Title Page

Death of a Rival Part 1 of 3

So I’ve never actually played the current Batman games. I want to, but just never have. I have seen playthroughs of Arkham Asylum and City though. Plus I read Paul Dini’s tie into City and reviewed it back in 2013. You can read that review HERE! In an interview over on ComicVine, Tomasi stated that “The series picks up right after the last game but eventually will run parallel to the new game and continue building on the mythology that Rocksteady has so brilliantly constructed.” I’m not sure if I’ll be stickin with the series, but I’m giving it an honest try. The creative team here alongside Tomasi are the following…. Viktor Bogdanovic on pencils, Art Thibert on inks, and John Rauch on colors. Dan Panosian is the cover artist, Travis Lanham is on letters, and Alex Antone is the editor. I love Panosian’s cover for this issue.

Batman Arkham Knight #1 Page 1

Writing: 

I need to give a bit of background here. I’ve only read Peter J. Tomasi’s work in Batman & Robin for about 5 issues. I have nothing against Tomasi’s writing style on that book, but at the time the series was boring me to death. Plus I might be the most anti Damian Wayne fan I know. So this is the first time I’ve read Tomasi’s work since Batman & Robin issue #23 … I think? Anyways… I digress. Obviously I can hold Tomasi’s writing on the other series against him here. I am truly interested in seeing what story he crafts to go along with the new game. The book opens with Arkham City being closed by Batman, and the Joker is dead….? Lets face it folks the Joker never dies……! I do love the way Peter Tomasi has set this up…… You do not have to have played the game to get it. That’s a good thing, that they are catering to the gamers and comic fans alike. I love how Tomasi sets up what I assume will eventually be the Arkham Knight character. It’s mysterious and leaves us wondering who he is!

Batman Arkham Knight #1 Page 2

Art:

The art is what excels in this series. Viktor Bogdanovic on pencils, Art Thibert on inks, and John Rauch on colors really give us a great look to Gotham. They give us Capullo esque Batman designs, and the teaser of the Arkham Knight was very well done. I will say about the art… I wish it wasn’t so Greg Capullo esque in look, by this I mean the Joker and Batman are very much new 52 designed. Not that I dislike Capullo’s art… he’s amazing. But I was hoping to see non new 52 designs for these characters…. Since this exists outside of the New 52….! The colors are wonderfully done. The effects and action shots are shocking as you go panel by panel. I read the comics on Comixology’s guided view. This is a great way to experience comics. Arkham Knight shows well when viewing it in this way. Bogdanovic’s style is interesting to me, but feels like I’ve seen it before. The only character we see in this first chapter that I thought was a new design was Alfred.

Batman Arkham Knight #1 Page 3

Final Thoughts:

NEVER touch anything the Joker leaves behind!!!!! The first Chapter of Batman Arkham Knight sets up the story very well. However as I was reading it the art began to bug the hell outta me. I will recommend this comic if you are going to be getting the new Rocksteady Game. However I’m not sure I can recommend it for general comics fans. You can get this first Chapter on the DC Comics App, Comixology, or at your local comic shop.

Batman Arkham Knight #1 Page 4

Review Overview

Final Score

Arkham City is Closed let the Knight begin!

Arkham Knight Chapter 1 is a interesting start to the events of the upcoming game. I enjoyed reading Tomasi's narrative here, and it does intrigue me to read more. However I think I'll wait for the trade.

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TFG1Mike

TFG1Mike is a geek with many interests. He has been podcasting for over a decade, and sees no stopping point in sight. From Transformers, He-Man, Batman, Comics, movies, video games, cartoons, and so much more, Mike has a zeal for the things he loves, and he will bring the hammer down on the things that he has a disdain for. He's generally a postive person, but negativity can creep in there. Mike is all about the innuendos and innuendon'ts too. You'll hear him on many of The GCRN podcasts!

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