Batman: Volume 6: Graveyard Shift [The New 52] by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo (graphic novel review).
The opening announcement at the beginning of this sixth volume, which states that the stories within are from different times in Batman’s career and cross-connect with his other titles released as graphic novels, seems a bit disorganized to me. I understand that the primary purpose of graphic novel releases is to consolidate title runs, but it’s likely that by now, someone has considered linking stories as a timeline and marketing them in this manner, in addition to the traditional approach.
The Batman stories this time come from Batman # 18-20, 28-34, and Annual # 2 over a three-year period. How much to say becomes awkward. All of this information is dropped in along the way, including the lives of those who would become the three Robins and a mention of Bruce’s son, Damon, although we don’t actually see him. The knowledge that Wayne Enterprises is financing and providing Batman with equipment certainly raises questions. I mean, if that happened in our reality, aiding and abetting a vigilante would be a criminal offence. Then again, Commissioner Jim Gordon seems to be turning a blind eye to that simply by going by the results. I was taken aback by Superman’s visit to Gotham City and his subsequent assistance on a mission. Batman still exhibits some of his foolishness by not stopping to rest, which makes him reckless and a danger to himself.
‘The Meek’ is the most disturbing story, as Batman searches for a mass murderer who targets a single doctor, burying the newly deceased bodies in an old graveyard. Matteo Scalera’s work is raw but effective.
The final story serves as an opener for a ‘Batman Eternal’ story, but considering the abundance of graphic novels and their cost, I may decide to pass on it.
I’m going to look really old saying this, but in the past, cross-overs were a special occasion, not a regular thing like they are now. With the lower prices, it wasn’t difficult to keep up with the entire Marvel or DC Universe, of course. Now it’s expensive and manic, especially if you’re just tracking specific characters amongst their own titles, and, for the New 52, I’m not even sure how many Batman titles there are, but far more than two. Yes, the creative teams need to be paid, but the readership will continue to decline unless there is a stronger connection to them before they discover the super-hero films, or if they discover them first and disregard their origin. Superhero films continue to draw inspiration from the creativity of comic books and serve as a testing ground for various experiments, despite their ongoing modifications for each generation.
GF Willmetts
June 2024
(pub: DC Comics, 2014. page graphic novel softcover. Price: varies. ISBN: 978-1-4012-5753-8)
check out website: www.dc.com
