Writer: Scott Snyder
Pencils: Greg Capullo
Inks: Jonathan Glapion
Colors: FCO Plascencia
Letters: Tom Napolitano
I’ve been a fan of comic books my whole life. The first comic book I remember reading was The Death of Superman. My father had bought the issue for my older brother, and I just remember being amazed by it. But as I got older, I started to have an on again off again relationship with comic books. I would check in every now and then, but never stick around too long for anything. In the middle of 2013, I checked back in and found out about the New 52 by DC. I thought nothing of it at first, but then decided to give it try because it was something new. Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo had just started the Year One storyline and just like that, I was hooked again. I found that joy in reading comics that I had when I was a kid. I started to seek out back issues from their Batman run and by the time they wrapped up, I collected every issue they had written together from the New 52. Their storytelling just pulled me in like nothing had before and you know what, it still does. Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion, and FCO Plascencia have one more story about the Dark Knight and the debut issue of the Last Knight on Earth is looking like it may be another great epic by this incredible team.
In this prestige format, team Batman has the space to tell a compelling story. Usually single issues are 20 to 22 pages long, filled with ads, and are very formulaic at times. All that is out the window with this issue and even has the space to breakdown the title in four different parts. This works to the book’s advantage and makes it more accessible as the reader explores this new world Batman is all of a sudden thrown into. This world Batman begins to explore is unlike anything he’s ever seen before and catches him off guard. The Joker, his partner for this adventure, is even surprised to see how unprepared he is for this world. After making his way out into this dystopia of a world, Batman finds that he has allies, but they are far different from what he remembers.
Capullo and company brought their “A” game to this title and it shows. In this first issue alone, it seemed like Capullo had the opportunity to touch every corner of the DC universe. There is the cosmic part of the DC universe, which is represented by some crazy Green Lantern babies. Of course, gritty Batman and Gotham City open the book, and his depiction of Wonder Woman’s explanation of why the world is in ruins is spot on. But all of it is brought to life by Jonathan Glapion’s inks and the colors of FCO Planscencia. This team knows this may be the last story they tell together for a while, and they are not holding anything back.
My expectations were high for this book, as they should be, and it didn’t disappoint. I feel every Bat story this team has told has been something different. From the Court of Owls to Endgame, this team brings something different to the table every time. The Last Knight on Earth is a Bat story I have never seen before, and I can’t wait to explore this world with Batman.
10/10
Comic Book Corps 