Batman 2022 Annual #1
- Writer
- Ed Brisson
- Artist
- John Timms
- Letterer
- Clayton Cowles
- Cover Artist
- Mikel Janin
- Publisher
- DC
- Price
- $5.99
- Release Date
- 2022-05-31
- Colorist
- Rex Lokus
Rounding up another year of Batman adventures with a bang, Batman Annual 2022 #1 tells a standalone story that weaves seamlessly into the current Batman (2016) line and the upcoming Batman Inc. run (slated for Fall 2022 release). Penned by Ed Brisson of Murder Book fame and lettered by industry staple Clayton Cowles, with art and colors by DC veterans John Timms (Harley Quinn, Superman: Son of Kal-El, Young Justice) and Rex Lokus (Injustice, Deus Ex), respectively, Batman Annual 2022 #1 delivers an impressive, standalone story.
Following the events of Batman #118, Batman Annual 2022 #1 shows Batman continues to try and forge his international superhero "franchise" of Batman Inc. into a functional outfit. As a one-shot story, "Under New Management" depicts the first independent, non-Batman leader of Batman Inc., with the first nomination being Ghost-Maker (alias of Minhkhoa "Khoa" Khan, longtime friend and occasional rival of Batman), much to the rest of the group's chagrin. However, Ghost-Maker's flippant attitude and questionable leadership style are trumped in urgency by a mystery befouling a small and isolated town. Now Batman Inc. must put their trust in their new and controversial boss if any of them are to survive.
Brisson's talent as a crime/thriller writer is fully engaged for this comic, setting up layers of narrative to reveal and subvert as Batman Inc. get to the bottom of their first mission under Ghost-Maker. Batman Annual 2022 #1 fits seamlessly into the current continuity, tying into the redemption of Batman Inc. and the loose threads left dangling by Lex Luthor. These choices feel impressively organic and enmeshed to any dedicated Batman readers, and yet for anybody out of synch with the ongoing 2016 run are self-explanatory enough to give the world of the comic an extra spark of animation and gravity. As a one-shot story, the pacing is terrific, with a plot that escalates constantly but also allows each progressive stage of the narrative time to breathe so that nothing feels rushed or glossed over. Brisson also does a fantastic job of balancing stakes and levity, with some brilliantly on-the-money comedic beats alongside a taut and interesting story filled with threat and danger.
Timms' art is characteristically rugged and stylized, sacrificing naturalism in the interest of packing an even more concentrated artistic punch. His blunt and sometimes minimalist line work amplifies the tone of Batman Annual 2022 #1, helping it straddle the line between black op and full-on caper in a way that allows both sides of the spectrum to shine without undercutting each other. The panel arrangement is brilliant and demonstrates an incredible understanding and mastery of the form, drawing out the maximum impact of chaotic action sequences and including some cool perspective work and full-page panel reveals.
Lokus' colors do a huge amount to set the deliberately cold and uninviting, almost imperiously professional mood of Batman Annual 2022 #1. In the present day, from high-tech to tundra, cool tones dominate the comic, offering a striking contrast to the warm, mostly orange-tinted opening flashback. The strong color choices intensify the foreboding atmosphere of various present-day settings and echo Ghost-Maker's icy color scheme. Cowles' letters are terrific, honing Brisson's wit to make the dialogue as punchy as possible. The use of alternate letters and colors for Icon is a nice touch that gives the A.I. a distinctly non-human voice, and the striking decision to exclusively use red sound effects offers great contrast to the blue tones in the art. The subtitles that signpost the different sections of the story are exceptionally well-done and integrate into the rest of the illustration fantastically.
Elegantly finishing the story arc that the Batman 2021 Annual #1 began, Ghost-Maker has come full circle from vigilante to leader and is shaping up to be an increasingly major player in the Batman universe. Batman fans might be a touch frustrated that, for the second year in a row, their Batman Annual contains relatively little of the titular character himself, but the spirit of Batman comics is alive and kicking within these pages nonetheless. This annual is an impressively strong standalone story that may well convert some relatively casual readers into Batman Inc. fans, just in time for their return in Fall this year.
