83. Batman vol 1 #608 ... DC ... Jim Lee

So we are 83 reviews in and finally I reached the big bad daddy of comicdom - Batman! Yup! Why did it take me so long to review this title? Aside from the fact that I loved the movies but not the comics, there is just waaaaaay tooooo maaaany Batman takes for me to enjoy. However, once in a while, I would read a decent run on Batman

And this run is great! Sure when it first came out, people were eagerly awaiting for it and there were a fair share of negative reviews but you know what? F-them all! You want comics to enjoy, right? If it gives you something to think about, great. If not, it's still meant to be a medium of joy and this particular run, starting at a normal number of #608 is fantastic because it combines Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee

As a writer, Jeph is good at giving you stories that almost can be read as standalone, filled with action and yet somehow, moves the plot along. You will read it fast because that's how good the story is. You will come to the end and wondered what the heck?!?!?! But still it is a guilty pleasure sort of read. After this series, other highlights for me would be the Wolverine run in vol 3 if I am not mistaken and the Red Hulk series

And as for Jim ... well he proves to everyone here he can do a monthly and do it well. In the story, there is a flashback sequence to Bat's childhood and here Jim and team showed 2 different techniques in the artwork

Okay

That's enough about the creators. As for the story, it is a whodunit sort of tale but with lots of guest stars and villains and action. For this, the first chapter, we have Killer Croc kidnapping a boy and Batman coming to the rescue except Bats didn't understand why Killer Croc is kidnapping for money. Money for??? And while he is trying to figure that out, someone is going out of their way to sabotage Bats and then disappearing and leaving him to wonder who the F can it be? Has there been a leak in his team? Because whoever this mystery chap is, he knows a lot more about the Bat family than most people would

And there you have it! The first issue in a nutshell

Ratings: 9/10