Hugh J. O'Donnell

All-Star Batman Vol 1: My Own Worst Enemy
Written by Scott Snyder
Penciled by John Romita Jr.
Colors by Dean White
Published by DC Comics

The Skinny: Batman and Two-Face take a road trip in search of a cure for his condition, with horde of bounty-hunting assassins on their trail.

I’ve often heard it said that one of Batman’s greatest strengths as a character is his versatility. Batman, the theory goes, can be effectively put in any story and work. With respect to Mr. Chris Sims, the internet’s leading Batmanologist, I’m not sure I fully agree with that notion. While Batman can fit into a variety of roles, he’s still Batman, and including him changes the story. I’d posit the reverse is true. Batman doesn’t just fit into any story. Batman can make any story he’s in into a batman story.
But Snyder and Romita Jr. do bring something different to the formula with All-Star Batman Vol. 1. Taking Batman out of his environment is sometimes a dice proposition, but the creative Team pulls it off well. Harvey, the good half of Two-Face claims to have found a cure for his condition. But his evil personality isn’t going to go quietly. He has a secret data network, and if Batman reaches their destination, he’ll release every dirty secret he has on Gotham’s citizens. He’s going to prove to the world that everyone, deep down, is just as monstrous as he is. But he’s not going to stop there. He’s also pulled a lot of financial info, and if someone should kill Batman on the way, they’ll pocket the cash, too. Now it’s a race against a rogues gallery of assassins, bounty hunters, amateur criminals, and Two-Face himself.
The premise is mostly just set dressing for one big over-the-top fight after another, and it works, as a batman story. He faces an endless stream of B and C level rogues. We get to see a lot of these fights, and Snyder and Romita Jr. are clearly having a ball bringing back the likes of Firefly and Copperhead for cameos. Batman mentions a few of the battles that he had off page as well. And while the big reveal of a revamped KGBeast was a lot of fun, I’m a bit disappointed we never got to see Orca and her Death Cycle.
The trip is well-paced and has a nice, over the top conclusion of the sort you only get in superhero comics. While Romita Jr’s art style usually isn’t my cup of tea, he’s doing good work here, and the flashback sequences, to a time when Bruce and Harvey met at a children’s home look great, given a watercolor style from Dean White’s colors.
All-Star Batman Vol. 1 is a lot of fun, and it’s nice to see Batman a bit out of his element and on a deadly road trip. This is one of those comics that rewards long-time fans with a basket of easter eggs while still being accessible for new readers. If you’re looking to jump onto reading Batman in the modern era, this is a great place to start.
You can find All-Star Batman Vol. 1 at your local comics shop, or buy it digitally at Comixology!

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