Batman #4

Slowly catching up on the DC backlog. Today I start the #4's.

Title: Batman
Issue: 4
Date: February 2012
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Scott Snyder
Penciler: Greg Capullo
Inker: Jonathan Glapion
Colorist: FCO
Letterer: Richard Starkings, Comicraft's Jimmy Betancourt
Editor: Katie Kubert, Harvey Richards, Mike Marts
Cover: Greg Capullo, FCO

Dick Grayson visits the Batcave, concerned that the Batman has been pushing himself too hard on the Court of Owls case. Interestingly, Bruce is the skeptical one. He is not convinced that the Court is real, even after finding evidence that they have been active for centuries. Dick and Jim Gordon are open to the possibility.

Why is Bruce unconvinced? Well, the answer is revealed in an incident from Bruce's childhood, right after the deaths of his parents. It might be considered his first attempt at detective work and it turned into a hard lesson and one that the boy who would become the Batman never forgot.

The flashback seemed a bit contrived, but it still held my interest as most additions to the origin story do. It's interesting how writers always seem to come up with gaps in the Batman's past that are in need of stories.

Other than the flashback scene, this issue was mostly transitional, bridging the gap between the closing peril of last issue and some new imperilment to end this one. The interaction between Bruce and Dick seemed a little bit forced. And the action consisted mainly of the Court being one step ahead of the Batman in the way that ancient and powerful conspiracies often are.

Rating: 6/10