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I just buzzed through this, and I can't wait for the First Wave. The only part I'm not sure of is the new Blackhawks.
Writer Brian Azzarello gets to do a little re-imagining of sorts to bring two classic characters together in a stylish tale. Doc Savage, world famous adventurer and public hero, decides to pit his legendary skills against the newest sensation in Gotham City crime headlines: The Batman. The characters are familiar but the setting is new. This is not The Batman of the DC Universe proper, this is a pistol carrying vigilante in a throwback world of crime and secrets. The newspapers are reporting Batman as a murderer and Doc Savage vows to bring him to justice. Things are obviously not always as they seem and these two men are about to learn something about themselves when they clash.
Any excuse for some fun is a good one and Brian Azzarello delivers by the very nature of this book. Doc Savage and Batman? Yes please! Phil Noto on art? Bonus! The word "pulp" seems to be picking up steam in comic books lately and it's well placed here too. The only difference is that, in this book, it's not all dark and gritty because The Man of Bronze, Doc Savage, is a character that always shines bright in the dark. He's a timeless hero of old that many modern readers might not be that familiar with, but Azzarello lets you know what he's like without wasting any time. Not being bound to the ongoing world in the DC Universe works perfectly in this premise and provides a slight twist on Batman while not straying so far as to make the character unrecognizable.
Azzarello can't help but fall into the trappings of pitting two heroes against each other. Who do you have win when both are heroes? It does read (just a bit) like the Marvel/DC team-ups of the past. Each hero has their moments against the other and then they come to terms. In all fairness though, it's done as well as it can be done here and doesn't read bad because of it.
Cover art to BATMAN/DOC SAVAGE SPECIAL by J.G. Jones
It's not perfect, and at $4.99 I wouldn't consider it a "must-read" by any means, but it's a fun book. Phil Noto's style works great with this and it gives the book a classic feel as if from decades past while still having the polish of a modern title. This is a book that a lot of readers will really want to love but, to certain extent, that may cloud judgement as to how much they actually did enjoy it. The jury is out as to whether this will stand the test of time but, as of now, it reads pretty good. I'm giving this a B- and am very interested to see more Doc Savage from DC in any form!
I just buzzed through this, and I can't wait for the First Wave. The only part I'm not sure of is the new Blackhawks.
This has me interested in the "First Wave" mini that's coming, though I did have to force myself to cough up the 4.99.