Batman #1 (2025) Review : A Bold but Uneven Start for the Dark Knight’s New Era
The brand new Batman #1 promised a fresh start for the Dark Knight, a chance to usher in a new era of Gotham storytelling. And while the ambition is clearly there, the execution doesn’t quite deliver the knockout debut readers were hoping for.
Instead, what we get is a curious, moody introduction that plays more like setup than a statement piece.
When you crack open a new Batman #1, you expect that gut punch of excitement, the kind of story that immediately reminds you why Batman is one of the greatest characters in comic book history.
Unfortunately, this issue doesn’t quite do that. There’s intrigue, yes, with breadcrumbs dropped along the way that hint at bigger conflicts to come, but the pacing feels hesitant, almost like it’s holding back.
And for a debut issue, it should have grabbed the reader by the collar and demanded attention, but instead it feels like a cautious jog when it should have been a sprint.
Killer Croc makes his appearance as the first major villain in this run, and while that’s an interesting choice, his presence doesn’t land the way it should. Croc has always worked best when he’s depicted as a raw force of nature… equal parts tragic and terrifying.
Here, though, the redesign takes away from that menace, leaving him looking more awkward than threatening. For an opening antagonist meant to set the tone of the series, that’s a misstep, and it weakens the tension right out of the gate.
The saving grace of the issue is the artwork, which does the heavy lifting throughout. Gotham has rarely looked this alive, dripping with grit, style, and atmosphere. The creative team clearly understands the visual identity of Batman’s world, capturing both the menace and allure that makes Gotham such a compelling backdrop. Every panel feels meticulously crafted to draw you into the city’s shadows, and in many ways, the art raises the bar higher than the script manages to reach.
Still though, despite the uneven start, I truly believe there’s reason to stick around.
You can feel the potential lurking beneath the surface, as if the creative team is building toward something greater that just hasn’t fully revealed itself yet. The tone is there, the aesthetic is strong, and the promise of larger arcs to come makes it worth giving this series a few more issues to find its footing.
In the end, Batman #1 (2025) isn’t a bad comic at all…. it’s stylish, intriguing, and clearly laying the groundwork for the future.
But as a debut issue meant to reintroduce one of comics’ most iconic characters, it doesn’t quite have the claws it needs to hook new readers like Last year’s ABSOLUTE BATMAN did.
Longtime fans will likely stick around to see where it goes, but for anyone fresh to Gotham, this first chapter might not yet be enough to convince them to fully invest.
