The Bat-Man: First Knight #1

The Bat-Man: First Knight is an instant page turner. Echoes of classic Batman serial stories alongside atmospheric comic book visuals are a dynamite concoction that is not to be missed. Read Full Review

The Bat-Man: First Knight is an engaging story which focuses on his tenacity and intelligence. Read Full Review

While the comic seems to relish showcasing Batman's roots and how different the Golden Age Batman was from his modern incarnation, Jurgens and Perkins still tell a compelling pulp tale that excites and intrigues on its own merits. Read Full Review

This is one of the best books Dan Jurgens has written in a very long time, and it's about time he made his mark on the Caped Crusader. Read Full Review

It is refreshing, dark, yet there are funny moments such as Batman hiding his face from Commissioner Gordon. I am excited to see where the mini series takes us and to explore the grotesque creatures in Gotham's underbelly. Read Full Review

For as far as Black Label Batman titles go, this was an excellent first issue to set up a hellish word surrounded by the grim and anomalies. The ending is thrilling, and quite frankly, shocking. Read Full Review

Bat-Man: First Knight #1 is certainly a must-buy for the original Batman fan. You know; the one whos read every issue and wants an updated look with a classic feel. For the hard-boiled detective fan who loves the classic monster flick, this issue is right up your alley. Plus, you get a Batman thats new, on the scene, and navigating Gotham in a more realistic manner than what we see today. However, its the cliffhanger that has me juiced for the next installment. I couldnt be more excited for this fresh, new take on the character that places Batman in his original light with better artistry and plot design. I highly recommend adding Bat-Man: First Knight #1 to your pull list. Its worth the price and you can thank me later. Read Full Review

The Bat-Man: First Knight #1 is a great start with a debut that makes me feel like I should be sitting around the radio, tuning in, and enjoying the show while drinking my Ovaltine. There's a nostalgic aspect to it that captures a tone that you just don't see much of today. It's a hell of a start that has us excited to see what comes next and already hope we get more. Read Full Review

Perkins art is sublime and beautifully detailed. The visuals create a wonderful visual representation of the city as well as the characters and I love the vintage feel of the imagery throughout the issue. Read Full Review

The Bat-Man: First Knight #1 is the bee's knees and exactly what you want out of a Black Label title. Jurgens nails the simmering tension of Gotham City at the time of global upheaval, and the art captures the gritty, crime noir atmosphere perfectly. Except for one or two minor stumbles, this issue is an excellent start. Read Full Review

Dan Jurgens makes it a game changer, with Mike Perkins' stunning art and Mike Spicer's earthy colors making Gotham look even more run down than we've ever seen it before. Some of the scenes depict Gotham out of a Blade Runner-like environment... Rainy, dark, and desperate. Read Full Review

The Bat-Man: First Knight #1 for the most part, does everything right. It's an interesting experiment in comic book writing, has a good plot, and looks good most of the time. Unfortunately, the parts where things go wrong have a strong cumulative effect. Read Full Review

Strong art and skilled writing keep the reader engaged, but the ugliness of the story isn't balanced by enough appeal to lift it out of the ordinary seedy tale. Read Full Review

Psycamorean

Mar 06, 2024

I've been a bit burnt out on Batman lately. The insistence of DC to pump out at least 10 Batman comics per month (I can't say this is an exaggeration because I truthfully think the number might actually be that high) really sticks in my craw, especially since the quality is not maintained. Even the main title is currently waffling a bit. I don't have much patience for Batman these days. However, I have always been a fan of the conceptualization of the original incarnation of the character, purple gloves and all. I've always loved the original costume, and the vibe of a grimy sort of loner Batman. At my most cynical, I see modern Batman as sort of a homogenized food-stuff version of what's ultimately a much more interesting form of the chara cter, in my opinion. All that's to say, I saw the cover to this and I knew I had to read it, in spite of my typical disdain for Mike Perkins' art, or my indifference to much of what Dan Jurgens writes these days. I'm glad I read this because it's very fucking good. It's great, even. The art matches the tone perfectly and the writing, while a bit on the nose at times, manages to generate some really great moments. We get a Batman who actually does detective work, something fans of the character are so desperate to see in today's Batman media that they'll be satisfied with the non-detecting present in The Batman film, or the slightest inkling of investigation that was quickly abandoned in recent main title arcs like Mindbomb. Here he actually does the whole dark detective thing pretty much the entire book. He even pulls out a magnifying glass at one point, that's how you know it's serious. I guess all it took was stripping him of his ridiculous fantasy technology that does all the work for him. We get a Batman with personality and jokes. He's certainly still Batman, but now he feels human for the first time in a long time. That might be the essential ingredient that modern Batman is missing the most. He needs to be interesting and fleshed out as a character instead of the writer taking for granted that the reader will care because he's in a bat costume. Clearly, a lot of work went into this comic. Not just in making sure the tone was right or that the characterizations were on point, but also in the historical placement of this story. I was frankly surprised by the political commentary in this issue; not so much with what was being said, but how deftly Jurgens parallels the late 30s with that of modern times. It never feels ham-fisted or forced, and it never takes you out of the world. It's very smartly done. I really hate to say that a comic about the earliest possible Batman shows up the multitude of comics about the modern incarnation because I feel like that's a step away from anemoia, which is bad. But.... I enjoyed this more than a lot of what I'm currently reading involving the caped crusader. I can't wait for issue two. I'm definitely getting the hardcover when it comes out. This is worth reading. more

Frank61

Mar 12, 2024

Loved it!

Aussie Dad

May 04, 2024

Great art and gripping story. Interesting how relevant the story is today some 85 years later

Toonstrack

Mar 07, 2024

This book had already caught my attention with its cover and premise and the fact Mike Perkins was drawing it. But it ended up being surprisingly great all the same living up to these high review scores. It doesn't rely on memberberries or winks and nudges to have appeal, its pure old fashioned noir storytelling with characters skme unfamiliar some not in a setting based on the world Batman was originally born in. This is far from the first noir Bat story and God willing it won't be the last but it feels fresh because of the presentation and setting, juxtaposed to the high tech modern Bruce Wayne we obviously see a lot today. This Bruce is young, scrappy, not entirely put together, but determined to do the right thing. Theres some bac kdrop elements focusing on surprisingly relevant topics as facism was on the rise in the thirties too. The art is just incredible, Mike perkins is who you go to when you want insanely depthful, detailed, human depictions of these characters. The characters feel grounded and vulnerable, the environments grimy, dark and mysterious. His figure work shines brilliantly as does his inking techniques on things like the wrinkles in Bruces cape. It all comes together to make a sequence that feels grandiose and high art, no less so with the premium large size of the black label line. We get too many bat books, but this one has earned its keep as a mini. more

AmericanHealthcare

Mar 25, 2024

Taking the literal trappings of 1939 Batman and playing it straight with modern storytelling sensibilities is a fun and worthy take. Very enjoyable with good art and enough content to take the sting off the 7 dollar price tag.

Simon DelMonte

Apr 10, 2024

Best thing Jurgens has written in ages. Incredible art. Not entirely sure where Batman and the rabbi came from, but in a time of antisemitism, it's very welcome. And this feels adult, not in terms of the language but in its sensibilities.

daspidaboy

May 26, 2024

I was definitely pleasantly surprised by this. While I'm glad that Batman has been getting back to his roots in actually being a detective (especially Robert Pattinson's Batman movie) and to an extent Chip Zdarsky's Batman run, this was a noir story on how Batman is trying to solve a murder. It's pretty standard, but the sharp dialogue, Bruce Wayne making actual jokes, and the fantastic art has me hooked.

Avanvolk

Nov 09, 2024

The art here is the main draw. Mike Perkins is quickly becoming one of my favourite artists, and he continues to impress here. The story was okay and the writing was fine. I gotta say though, this is one fine looking book. I only read trades, not single issues, so I purchased the hardcover when it came out, and my goodness is it ever beautiful. I don't like to judge books by their covers, but at the same time, I'm a sucker for a gorgeous looking book on my shelf. Hopefully the story ends up being one that will make me want to keep it on my shelf and not just sell it when I'm done.

myconius

Mar 09, 2024

There is NO WAY this comic was worth the $7 price tag! I honestly cannot remember the last time I was this bored reading a Batman comic. The beginning starts with a ton of exposition, by the time the headless victim shows up I had already checked out. The story meanders a bit more until Batman finally shows up in one of the most wonky, awkward, unsatisfying splash pages I've ever seen. Not helped by the fact that Batman's cowl is drawn overly bulky. The cowl is also inconsistently drawn from panel to panel, making for a very jarring reading experience. If there is no clear distinct vision of the story's main character, then please don't bother trying to tell a story about them. The art, while polished is quite dull. Characters look ver y posed and stiff. Much of the backgrounds look like traced photos, and at times looked rushed and very sloppy. The color is really nice at parts, but they cannot seem to make up their mind to go all dull and gritty, or overly vibrant. But most important is the fact that this comic is just not worth the price of admission. It's a rip off. After this dull first issue, I'm not even sure this comic will even be worth trade waiting. more