Batman

Infinite Frontier is well into its seventh month of storytelling. The big Batman event Fear State is just beginning, and now is the perfect time for DC to release its first Infinite Frontier trade, Batman Vol. 4: A Cowardly Lot. This story, which collects parts of Infinite Frontier #0 and Batman #106-111, sets the stage for Fear State. But by focusing on setup, the trade lacks a clear narrative with which to drive the plot and as such is left feeling dense and empty at the same time. While a main plot thread feels absent from the volume, the individual moments, characterization, and world building are very compelling and still lead to a very enjoyable albeit unsatisfying read.

Written by James Tynion IV

Pencils by Jorge Jimenez

Colors by Tomeu Morey

Collects: Part of Infinite Frontier #0 and Batman #106-111

Batman Vol. 4: The Cowardly Lot [Read more…] about Infinite Frontier: Batman Vol. 4 – The Cowardly Lot Review!

When DC’s Future State began, one of the biggest storylines was John Ridley’s Next Batman. It showed that when everything fell apart in Gotham, Jace Fox, formerly known as Tim Fox, took on Batman’s mantle. Future State: The Next Batman was a good book focused on establishing the status quo of Gotham, and showing what kind of Batman Jace was. But Ridley didn’t make us care much about him. What Future State: The Next Batman was missing was character work on Jace himself.

That’s where Second Son comes in. The book focuses on Jace Fox and the rest of the Fox family as they figure out their place in a post-Joker War city. Bruce Wayne is no longer the wealthiest man in Gotham, as the Fox family has gained all his assets. Now Gotham’s first family, the Foxes have to contend with their new status in the city. While fleshing out the Fox family and focusing on their dynamics, the story finds a lot of interesting conflict. [Read more…] about Infinite Frontier: The Next Batman – Second Son Review!

With Infinite Frontier in full swing, there is a new era at DC Comics, and no group of comics has seen its benefits more than the Batman line of stories. Each book has taken characters we’ve always loved in bold directions and put them in new places. From Nightwing’s new sister in Nightwing #81 to Jim Gordan’s “solo” comic in Joker, the Bat-Family is creating a bright, distinct new era of Batman.

Infinite Frontier has challenged the way Bat-Family stories work together. New 52 and Rebirth were periods that captured how Batman used to be. Both eras tried out variations on what had been done before. Characters maintained (or slowly returned to) the status quo without much character growth to show for it. For example, the most significant thing to happen to Bruce in his last story was that he still didn’t marry Catwoman. Fundamentally, the Gotham at the beginning of New 52 is the same Gotham that exists throughout Rebirth. Similarly, the Bat-Family failed to expand or change in any noticeable way, with the only major additions being Duke Thomas and Harper Row, two characters who only appear once in a blue moon. Compare that lack of expansion to Infinite Frontier, where the Bat-Family has already added Ghostmaker, Clownhunter, and the Gardener to the list of “heroic” characters. [Read more…] about Batman’s Infinite Frontier: The Bold New World of Gotham