By Owen Quinn the author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues
When I saw the original promo material for this new Batman I was so excited. I immediately contacted my comic book shop spurred on by the cover to place the order. Even lockdown didn’t stop me but I had to wait a few days as comics could only be sent out via post.
Imagine my disappointment when I finally got a copy in my hands. To say I was/am disappointed would be an understatement. Firstly the cover sucks. That initial image of Tim Fox as the new Batman that drew me in was nowhere to be seen. I am delighted to see a black Batman because it’s about time. We have seen ethnic diversity becoming more prevalent on the movies and television shows so it’s a fantastic move. The art for me was not great and worst of all, instead of a complete stunning original story for the new Batman we get an anthology. We get three stories this issue with the Outsiders and Arkham Knights. Sorry DC but his is a big miscalculation on your part. The focus of this four parter heralding Tim Fox’s era as the Batman should be all about Tim in a story that would cement him into the minds of the readers as the new generation. Sadly this is not the case and it feels more like a showcase for the Future State concept. The best Batman stories have always been about threats to both worlds of whoever wears the mantle. The impact of being Batman is a constant bane to the man behind the mask. The use of Bane masks for the criminals is a nice throwback like the ghost of evil past still haunts Tim’s reign.
For me the thinking behind this launch has been mishandled. Like Jodie Whittaker’s era of Doctor Who, the thinking of how to market it is all wrong. While Tim is a great addition to the mythos it really should have been a showcase which should have left readers going ‘Bruce who?’
The Time Warriors and Beyond 