Review: Batman vs Ra’s al Ghul #1 (of 6)
Another week and yes, we have another Batman number one. This week it’s the first issues of a six issue min series by a creator who is perceived as many to be the quintessential Batman artist, Neal Adams. As with the Deadman mini from last year, this series is written, drawn and colored by Adams himself giving the book a kind of flashback style regardless of the lazy, almost non-existent respect for continuity.
Gotham city is under siege….again. Terrorist’s, under the control of an inhuman monster are laying waste to the great city. Batman is determined to stop them and save the day. Boston Brand is on hand to try and help; but it is he eco-terrorist Ra’s al Ghul with an army at his disposal that could be the only thing to stand between a nuclear threat and the good people of Gotham. Of course, Ra’s being Ra’s you just know that there is more going on than meets the eye, and could Bruce Wayne actually be helping him?
Previously, Adams was know more for his art than his writing. Having worked with Denny O’Neil, he helped revitalise both Green Arrow and Green Lantern, before bringing the darkness back to the dark knight detective. Their run was perfect, capturing the dread, almost Gothic feel of Batman. The problem is that no matter how good the artist is, it doesn’t mean that they are good writers. Take Jack Kirby for example; considered the king of comic book art, his written work for DC was often seen as heavy handed and plodding. I guess not artist can be John Byrne or Frank Miller. As such, this book is a hard read, with stilted dialogue and over dramatisation. It doesn’t help that the lack of continuity makes it hard to place this story into any context. With that said, if you are picking up this book, it probably isn’t for the story.
So the art; strangely enough my first comic featuring Adams art wasn’t Batman, Brave and the Bold, Green Arrow or Green Lantern. It was X-Men. In the UK, Marvel were reprinting old stories and making them annuals, the hardback kind you get at Christmas. This annual featured the original group going up against the Living Monolith and Sentinels. The art was mature and breathtaking. Now, looking at this book, I see that time has not been kind. Sure, some of the poses are familiar, the figures have a leanness to them. But unfortunately, this time, they just don’t past muster. There is a heaviness to the inks that overshadows, rather than adding smoothness to the pencil lines. At times, the pencils look a bit scrappy in places, which I have to admit came as a bit of a surprise. Adams may feel that he doesn’t need either a writer or inker or colorist; this book therefore could be seen as an example of someones reach exceeding their grasp.  Letterer Clem Robins uses a font that screams 70’s to add that nostalgic feel.
Back in the day, when it came to Batman, Neal Adams wasn’t my favourite artist. That honour belongs to Jim Aparo. Other artists would include Irv Novick, Don Newton and down the line, Alan Davis. Its ironic that all three could be seen as second even third generation Adams clones. This series is aimed at the nostalgia market. However in the wise words of Billy Joel “The good old days weren’t always good”. If you want to see this book done well, you should buy the Batman #232 facsimile that hit the racks a couple of weeks ago.
Writing – 2 .5 Stars
Art – 2.5 Stars
[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]
Written by; Neal Adams
Art & Colors by; Neal Adams
Letters by; Clem Robins
Published by; DC Comics
Author Profile
- I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow
Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network
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