Acclaimed author Warren Ellis and artist Bryan Hitch are crafting a brand new Batman mini-series. Readers rarely see The Caped Crusader solve a crime but “The Batman’s Grave” is a 12-issue limited series focused on street-level crime outside of the context of superheroes. After wrapping up one of DC’s strongest limited series of the past few years with “The Wild Storm” and serving as the writer on Netflix’s “Castlevania” animated series, Ellis is an important comics creator. Hitch has found a surprising new level of consistency in his pencils with his recent artistic contributions to “Hawkman.” DC has assembled a strong creative team for “The Batman’s Grave” but is the series able to live up to the impossible expectations from readers? Also, will Hitch and Ellis be able to live up to their previous collaborations on books like “The Authority?”
Written by Warren Ellis
Penciled by Bryan Hitch
Inked by Kevin Nowlan
Colored by Alex Sinclair
Lettered by Richard StarkingsThe World’s Greatest Detective must try to inhabit the mind of a murder victim to solve a case-without filling the empty grave next to those of his parents. Can Batman imagine the life of a corpse with a half-eaten face without dying himself?
Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch, one of the most legendary creative partnerships of the modern age, reunite in this maxiseries about life, death and the questions most are too afraid to ask.
“The Batman’s Grave” places a strong emphasis on the character of Alfred right from the opening page. Ellis shows Alfred’s reaction to almost every important plot beat in the issue. With the series focusing on Bruce Wayne’s detective work, the emphasis on Alfred allows for the pair to keep the title focused on crime as opposed to superheroes. Ellis writes a snappy Alfred and Bruce pairing who have strong chemistry. Getting Alfred’s take on crime allows for an enriching perspective from someone other than Bruce. Seeing Alfred and Bruce exchange a conversation about investigating a killer allows Alfred to play a stronger role in the narrative.
“The Batman’s Grave” is a stripped-back Batman story and the artwork from Hitch keeps the tone of the title together. Hitch is able to bring his trademark bombast with an impressive double-page spread early on in the issue. However, the pencils aren’t weighed down with the portrayal of his ultra-realistic pencils from past works. Hitch’s art is more focused on fluid panel layouts and facial expressions as opposed to each detail of every building. Hitch is able to make his pencils more fluid in the spirit of his “Hawkman” work while still presenting a beautiful line. The artistic detail on the title page is an engrossing way to present Hitch’s artwork and introduce readers to the book.
Hitch changes up his pencils, showing a more surreal version of his style in the opening pages. Alfred’s stroll to the Gotham City graveyard is more effective with fewer details on the page. The aforementioned Batman spread evokes beauty based on just how many details and craft is actually on the page. The moments of horror that Ellis introduced into the script is also suitably creepy and brings a slightly different tone from Hitch as well. If “Hawkman” showed readers that Hitch can streamline his style for modern comics, “The Batman’s Grave” shows that Hitch has also become a more versatile creator than before.
While there is plenty to like about the chapter, the characterization of Alfred in a key scene towards the middle of the issue doesn’t quite capture the truth of the moment for me. We see Alfred taking advantage of his position as Wayne’s butler. Despite the fact that we have seen Alfred’s loyalty across decades of comics, I don’t believe he would approach the situation the way the script positions it. The chapter also toys with reality in a slightly confusing manner in the scenes following Alfred’s big moment. Crafting a level of ambiguity into the narrative is an intriguing premise but the sudden narrative shift does not come across as coherent as I would have liked. This ambiguous moment is still responsible for one of the creepiest moments in the script and an essential piece of this debut issue.
Continued below“The Batman’s Grave” #1 is slow and methodical. Ellis introduces the concept behind the narrative in the first couple of pages and weaves in the murder case for Batman to investigate. It is shocking to see Ellis write so few caption boxes in a noir story focused on Batman. Instead of going into Bruce’s head, readers see his exchanges with Alfred and the bystanders involved in the crime. The level of obfuscation and disorientation that the choice brings is a great way to draw readers into the story. The final page features a creepy, fascinating depiction of a face that pays off a slow-moving first chapter. If the previous works of Ellis set any precedent of what can be expected in this series, the best of “The Batman’s Grave” is likely going to be in future issues.
“The Batman’s Grave” carries a pitch-perfect tone, intriguing murder case, and wonderful art. Aside from an odd moment with Alfred, every scene in the issue enriched the tone and direction Ellis is looking to achieve. Inserting Batman into a crime-focused police story is hardly a unique concept, but a solid foundation for Ellis to experiment. The newfound focus from Hitch’s recent work in comics makes his art the perfect choice for the visuals behind the issue. Now that the title is so grounded, I look forward to future chapters pushing the concepts of the issue in even more unconventional directions.
Final Verdict: 7.9 – “The Batman’s Grave” #1 establishes a strong tone and murder case with an inspired visual direction.
