All-Star Batman #7Comic Review by Paul Fiander
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Art by: Tula Lotay
Cover by: Tula Lotay Variant cover by: Francesco Francavilla, Tula Lotay Written by: Scott Snyder |
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One of the true joys of Batman is his Rogues Gallery, the collection of villains at times borders on the insane and at other times seemingly leaves the sane line stupidly far behind. Poison Ivy though manages to cross the line of sanity but at the same time her motives have an internal logic that is hard to argue with. Her desire to look after the planet is admirable but hey homicidal tendencies not so much.
In this issue we find Batman on the hunt for a cure let loose by Ivy’s fellow PhD receiver Mr Freeze. It sets up an interaction of Batman’s mind rather than his fists as he needs Ivy’s cooperation. This is one of the great themes of Snyder's work, his desire to show the man under the cowl as well as his battling fists. Which is on show in the highest light in this issue. Thankfully to date the All Star Batman run has had a freshness of storytelling that some were worried could be missing considering Snyder's long run on the main Bat book. This has a lot to do with him but also his desire to work with a number of wonderful artists in this case Tula Lotay. The Supreme: Blue Rose artist takes on the full mantle of artistic duties in pencils, inks and colours. Helping to give the art a cohesive feels that can lack when more than penciller especially is involved in an issue. It's a small thing sometimes but you always want to see the story shown in the best light and here it really is. The colours of the desert setting give Lotay the chance to add some lovely blurring to some of her panels but for the most part the images are clear and crisp and full of vitality. It's s joy at the moment for Batman fans as we are getting some wonderful runs from the rebirth teams. Obviously chief among these is the main title from Tom King and David Finch but All Star is proving to be in many ways it's equal. Both books feel different but most importantly each feels like it has something to say and I for one am glad to listen. There is also a continuing story with art by the fantastic Francesco Francavilla at the end of the issue. Which is worth reading just for the art alone let alone the story, again helping to make this a must buy. |
