REVIEW: ‘Batman’ Issue 13

Batman Issue 13 is published by DC Comics. Written by Matt Fraction, art by Matteo Scalera, colors by Tomeu Morey, and letters by Clayton Cowles.

This is Part One of Week Two of the Bad Seeds event. Batman breaks into a Gotham Police precinct, and has to fight his way to Vandal Savage.

The next part of the Bad Seeds crossover is instantly moving at a breakneck pace. From the moment Batman breaks into the precinct, Batman Issue 13 strikes a frenetic pace. The comic has a Raid-style approach, with the Caped Crusader trying to get from the bottom of the police station to the top. But between him and Savage are a few dozen riot soldiers.

There is a streamlined concept to Batman Issue 13, solely focused on Batman’s destination. The action is wicked, changing with each situation even though the locations remain similar. It’s purely action-led, and the results are phenomenal.

The stakes are always stacked against Bruce who is outnumbered in every room. And with each encounter, there are actual consequences to his body. The fatigue is setting in and the injuries stacking up. It’s a journey for Batman, and the worrying fact is that one of the most dangerous villains in Gotham is waiting for him at the top.

Batman Issue 13 isn’t a dialogue-heavy comic, but that doesn’t mean it’s devoid of character development. The relationship between Batman and the cops is a key facet, as is the hierarchy within th. Batman has no qualms with the regular beat cops inside, and they are actually very glad to see him. It’s the task force and SWAT that are trying to stop him.

There is a distinct gap between the regular police and the heavily armored army. Matt Fraction has explored Batman as many things in his run so far. As a father, as a detective, as a date. But this is a really intriguing glimpse into Batman as an out-and-out fighter. It’s always a great reminder, and the fight highlights his tenacity, intelligence and aggression. And, in the end, even a little bit of his compassion.

The art is simply a glorious display of action. The number of bodies is daunting to anyone other than the Dark Knight. Scalera does an excellent job of stacking the odds as stacked against Batman. For many of these fights, Bruce enters at the bottom of a stairwell, with every step lined with heavily armed and armored cops. And it doesn’t matter.

The speed in which he moves in the first flurries is fantastic. It highlights Batman’s athleticism and precision. He uses objects around him and the weight of his own body to get past, with effective aggression. He protects bystanders, using his cloak as a shield.

And several items are brought into the mix, changing up the battlefield many times and allowing the bat to clear rooms fast. In the later stages, the fight turns more into a slugfest, with more punches and a scrappier set of moves. Batman starts bleeding and taking hits.

Putting all the cops in armor turns them into faceless soldiers, a seemingly endless swathe of bodies. It also makes them look more authoritarian, a far cry from the smartly dressed beat cops who show their faces.

The colors are terrific throughout Batman Issue 13, using extremes on both ends of the light spectrum. Batman thrives in the dark, and the stairwells in particular have entire sections encased in just solid black shadows. Even though Morey puts Batman in his blue costume, he’s still very capable of disappearing into the shadows.

When Batman uses his flashbangs, the panel explodes into intense, blinding light. Changing between these two keeps the energy flowing in an already rapid comic. The lettering is very clear and easy to read, with an excellent use of sound effects. The captions used to explain the various gadgets Batman uses also return, which is a nice touch.

Batman Issue 13 is pure, visceral action. It’s jaw-dropping how phenomenal the fight scenes are within this chapter, taking up 90% of the story. The physicality and the velocity make it impossible not to be exhilarated while reading. It’s hard to make readers breathless from a comic page, and the creative team manages that by just endlessly ramping up the momentum and the pressure. The corridor fight scenes from Daredevil are the best example of what to expect, and it’s incredible to see that style translated into the comic format.

Batman Issue 13 is available where comics are sold.