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| via Comic Book DB |
artist: Greg Capullo
This is the ninth issue in Scott Snyder's "Zero Year" arc (it ends with #33 in July for a total of twelve issues). Basically it's the classic origin narrative (previously made iconic by Frank Miller in his "Year One" arc that remains a perennial bestseller as a graphic novel, among others).
I have a somewhat difficult relationship with Snyder. I think he's kind of vastly overhyped. When he entered the scene back in 2010 I was one of the many people who saw a great amount of potential in him. In my opinion, I think he's let his massive success since then go to his head. Tellingly, DC has been slow to let him expand his brand beyond Batman and American Vampire. Yeah, it could be Snyder's own choice, but I think a case could definitely be made for my interpretation: the dude is still working on his craft, and even DC knows it.
I've had a crazy idea or two about what Snyder ultimately has in mind for Batman, which I assumed might be the payoff to the "Zero Year" arc. Unless there's a massive swerve in the final issue, that's not likely to be the case, and anyway, he will probably be on the title for a bit longer anyway (as opposed to a few years on Swamp Thing or six issues of Superman Unchained), so there's really no rush. Just me and my ideas.
You want to know what's in this issue, why I checked in? Because I saw it on the shelf at the comic book store with the words "final act" on the cover, and because I wasn't really paying close enough attention to the publishing schedule for "Zero Year" at the time, kind of assumed this was the conclusion. Seemed innocent enough.
But it's not, obviously. This ends up being my first actual look at the arc, is all. Technically this is a Riddler story, but the circumstances seem taken straight from the Bane/Talia story from The Dark Knight Rises. Jim Carrey Riddler this is not, by the way. Snyder actually approaches it pretty well. While it's questionable to have set a major villain up before there was really a Batman to confront them, I like how Riddler presents himself all the same. He's less a goon with a gimmick and more a man with a cause, which is a refreshing change of pace. He's Snyder's answer to what's happening in the real world with everyone and their roommate talking about the consequences of climate change (although: Waterworld, which to my mind sounds like a lot of fun).
To wit: "And right now, at this moment, we're in desperate need of some outthinking. Rising tides. Dwindling resources. Overpopulation. Pan-global conflict. The world's largest economies running on fumes..."
This is an argument, methinks, for Snyder to tackle something more akin to DMZ than what for all I can tell he's done in American Vampire or The Wake. It could be interesting. Also, why do I keep giving ideas to the guy when he will never in a million years even care?
Riddler, by the way, has bested Batman a few times. Batman isn't really Batman yet. Hence "Zero Year." So that makes the end of the issue kind of cool, when Batman shows up again. Good moment. I'm not about to join Team Snyder, but things like this remind me why I liked him to begin with.
This is the ninth issue in Scott Snyder's "Zero Year" arc (it ends with #33 in July for a total of twelve issues). Basically it's the classic origin narrative (previously made iconic by Frank Miller in his "Year One" arc that remains a perennial bestseller as a graphic novel, among others).
I have a somewhat difficult relationship with Snyder. I think he's kind of vastly overhyped. When he entered the scene back in 2010 I was one of the many people who saw a great amount of potential in him. In my opinion, I think he's let his massive success since then go to his head. Tellingly, DC has been slow to let him expand his brand beyond Batman and American Vampire. Yeah, it could be Snyder's own choice, but I think a case could definitely be made for my interpretation: the dude is still working on his craft, and even DC knows it.
I've had a crazy idea or two about what Snyder ultimately has in mind for Batman, which I assumed might be the payoff to the "Zero Year" arc. Unless there's a massive swerve in the final issue, that's not likely to be the case, and anyway, he will probably be on the title for a bit longer anyway (as opposed to a few years on Swamp Thing or six issues of Superman Unchained), so there's really no rush. Just me and my ideas.
You want to know what's in this issue, why I checked in? Because I saw it on the shelf at the comic book store with the words "final act" on the cover, and because I wasn't really paying close enough attention to the publishing schedule for "Zero Year" at the time, kind of assumed this was the conclusion. Seemed innocent enough.
But it's not, obviously. This ends up being my first actual look at the arc, is all. Technically this is a Riddler story, but the circumstances seem taken straight from the Bane/Talia story from The Dark Knight Rises. Jim Carrey Riddler this is not, by the way. Snyder actually approaches it pretty well. While it's questionable to have set a major villain up before there was really a Batman to confront them, I like how Riddler presents himself all the same. He's less a goon with a gimmick and more a man with a cause, which is a refreshing change of pace. He's Snyder's answer to what's happening in the real world with everyone and their roommate talking about the consequences of climate change (although: Waterworld, which to my mind sounds like a lot of fun).
To wit: "And right now, at this moment, we're in desperate need of some outthinking. Rising tides. Dwindling resources. Overpopulation. Pan-global conflict. The world's largest economies running on fumes..."
This is an argument, methinks, for Snyder to tackle something more akin to DMZ than what for all I can tell he's done in American Vampire or The Wake. It could be interesting. Also, why do I keep giving ideas to the guy when he will never in a million years even care?
Riddler, by the way, has bested Batman a few times. Batman isn't really Batman yet. Hence "Zero Year." So that makes the end of the issue kind of cool, when Batman shows up again. Good moment. I'm not about to join Team Snyder, but things like this remind me why I liked him to begin with.
I can see that being a good scene only because seeing what makes Batman Batman is tricky. There's no real way to realistically show a man becoming a costumed superhero, but it sounds like Snyder has some good ideas. Stay classy Dude.
ReplyDeleteThere's a lot more Batman costume in "Zero Year" than I would have gone with. Technically, as this issue explains, the title is a reference to Riddler's ideas. But it's still clearly Snyder's "Year One"...before "Year One." The logistics...Oy, comic book logic! You've bamboozled me again!
DeleteI wonder if any of this will make it's way into that "Gotham" TV show, aka "Smallville--With Batman Instead of Superman"? Anyway, I haven't paid much attention to this as I'm sick of Batman origins. We get it already, his parents died and he dressed up like a bat! Yeesh, find something else to do with the character.
ReplyDeleteTechnically I dont think "Zero year" covered any of the traditional origin material. Just a lot of what Bruce Wayne was doing in the transition to becoming Batman.
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