In another space and time, Batman patrols the universe as apart of a team of intergalactic monster hunters. At least, he used to be! In fact, the first issue of Kyle Higgins (Radiant Black) and Matt Groom’s (Mighty Morphin) Immortal Legend Batman, begins with the hunt for Bruce Wayne. Deep in space, readers meet Wayne as a mild-mannered sheriff. However, the true nature of his character may not be so straightforward when Batman arrives to cast doubt! Let’s talk about this new Elseworld below!
Are You Calling Me A Liar?
Initially, Higgins and Groom pull a slight of hand by regarding this universe’s Bruce Wayne and Batman as separate entities. First, Batman tracks down a smuggler to a distant mine, ultimately accusing him of aiding and abetting the monster, Bruce Wayne. Later, readers meet Bruce Wayne as the sheriff of a crystal mining colony in the middle of an ongoing murder investigation. Aesthetically, the story begins to take on a frontiersman look, embracing an odd space shanty town. This is very similar to the space western settings in films like Ghosts Of Mars (2001) or Pitch Black (2000). Although, Erica D’Urso’s depiction of Bruce and Harvey Dent are closer to Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp in Tombstone (1993).
Regardless, the story centers around this universe’s Batman and Bruce Wayne accusing each other of the recent murders. Most of Batman’s dialogue is needlessly aggressive and off-putting due to his lack of evidence. In contrast, Bruce refutes the charges with the support of his peers and his reputation. Namely, Bruce nobly choosing to be a heroic officer of the law instead of a “trillionaire socialite.” Nonetheless, the exchange devolves into a violent chase and an eventual standoff between both parties. This includes one local aiding Wayne with a rover that transforms into a laser turret supposedly used for crystal mining.
Immortal Legend Lore Dump
According to this first issue, Batman and the other Immortal Legends are the only defense against creatures they call “Shadows.” Allegedly, these silent creatures of energy were born from the same nondescript dark matter fueling their intergalactic society. As the legend goes, three warriors come up with three disciplines to combat the shadows from the alternate universe, while Batman and the others are their descendants. By the way, naming the techniques “Way of the Bat, Robin, and Nightwing” is genuinely cringeworthy and beyond nonsensical. In spite of this, regular people think they’re immortal because they don’t understand that they are passing down the mantles over time. In any case, when the story begins, Bruce Wayne is either a new kind of shadow or the new Batman is out of control.
Batman in this story isn’t very appealing. The heroes don’t necessarily follow the Tokusatsu standards, apart from a passing resemblance, a Kamen Rider style finishing kick in a Big Bad Beetleborgs (1996) style panel, and a tiny single panel transformation. Instead, the immortals seem like suspicious mystics and self-righteous mercenaries. Additionally, the panels of action are fine, but most of the art has strange composition. Moreover, the pacing feels like an ineffective way to tell this story.
Recommended If…
- You’re a fan of Mighty Morphin or Radiant Black.
- Elseworlds Batman stories interest you.
- You’re curious about tokusatsu style storytelling.
Overall
Arguably, as first stories go, this isn’t the best way to introduce your brand new Batman. For one, the writers characterize this hero unfavorably through most of the story, only to soften the depiction when convenient. Secondly, the execution of the exposition dump and the inclusion of late stage implications about Batman’s past is poor. What works is the action, some of the references, and parts of the world building. Even if that means letting go of the simple but thoughtless naming conventions of the Immortal Legends. Yet, despite the stumbles, this could be a fairly fun new world with a more engaging story next issue.
Score: 5/10
DC Comics have provided advance copies of books for review.
English (US) · 