Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Batman Battle for the Cowl
DC Comics
Daniel & Florea

This is a good start to the Batman event. It’s not the most exciting comic and it has some strange quirks to it, mostly in the characterization and narration, but it’s a good setup and makes use of a very large class of characters.

The issue has someone or multiple people running around posing as Batman. This makes sense on a lot of levels because even if the larger population doesn’t realize Batman is gone some of those closest to him do know he is gone. His enemies are looking to exploit the situation in the ways they know how, which is a crime spree.

Though not really seen here, Two-Face and Penguin are having a turf war. The crime world has come down to two sides. However, Batman’s villains in Arkham are busted out and are blackmailed into joining a third team. This third team is first set up to destroy what’s left of the Batman legacy.

Dick and Tim are at odds. It seems Tim wants and needs a plan in place for either a new Batman or for Dick to stand in as one. Dick, however, has taken a path of quiet darkness. He’s not the quick-witted rocker who took over for Bruce in the Prodigal arc over a decade ago. Now, he’s acting like Bruce Wayne after Jason Todd died. Coincidence? I think not.

Damian makes an appearance here and he’s gone through a transformation. He’s seems to be less arrogant and with a much smaller ego than in previous arcs. He’s almost like a wilder, less funny Dick Grayson. However, the oddity here is that the likes of Dick and Oracle seem to willing to deal with him and almost accept him as part of the Bat family. I’m not sure when this metamorphosis happened but it sure feels a little forced in this issue in the context of him appearing in various arcs.

The issue has some strange pieces to it, like the narration. It seems to be told from Tim’s point of view for most of the story, but when it seems to shift to either Dick or someone else the font shape or color don’t change making it difficult to pick up on the switch, if it even takes place. The comic also had some weird items with Robin. For example, he actually narrates that he doesn’t have a crush on Squire. Plus his cape is conspicuously missing when he’s on his motorcycle. Minor stuff but a little noticeable.

For the most part this is an entertaining issue with some cool concepts to make the villains and heroes have equally say in what the final outcome is. When you consider this series is only three issues long it sure seems like it will have a tough time jamming through a good conclusion. However, this first issue does real well with large list of characters and setting up a cool plot.

3.5 out of 5 geek goggles