Batman Eternal: Volume 1 Review

Finished reading Batman Eternal: Volume 1, this collects the first part of DC comics first weekly series of its New 52 publishing line headed by writers Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV who are joined by a team of other writers from other Batman related series. The book opens up in with police commissioner Jim Gordon caught in a gunfight with Professor Pyg as Batman comes in with a mechsuit to stop the plane Pyg is flying. After chasing down one of Pyg's men Gordon shoots at him causing a large crash between two underground subway trains killing 123 passengers and staff with newly appointed police lieutenant Jason Bard to make the arrest. This then leads to the reappearance of former Gotham crime boss Carmine Falcone hoping to rebuild is criminal empire with a gang war between himself and the Penguin with the mayor of Gotham and newly appointed police commissioner Major Jack Forbes ignoring the gang war due to being on Falcones payroll. With Batman being occupied with the gang war sweeping across Gotham other members of Batman's supporting cast begin their own investigations as Tim Drake, Red Robin is joined by Harper Row as they discover a nanobot virus affecting a group of children that were with Gordon and Batman during the Professor Pyg incident, while Red Hood follows Batgirl to South America as she tries to find evidence to clear her father of the train accident, as back in Gotham police detective Jim Corrigan is joined by Batwing as the two come into contact with a supernatural threat underneath Arkham Asylum. Overall this was a great book as it takes advantage of the whole Bat family of characters by placing them in situations that work extremely well with how they interact with the situation and the characters they're with. The inclusion of lesser known Batman villains such as Magpie and the Ten Eyed Man is brilliant as the writers reintroduce and modernise them to fit within the New 52 universe extremely well while giving some of them a new twist to the character. While the introduction of Alfred's daughter Julia is a great addition to the cast as she helps to flesh out Alfred's back story while the reintroduction of Stephanie Brown help brings an almost civilian view to the world of Gotham with how she deals with the discovery of her father being Cluemaster. 8.5/10.