Batman: Alien #5 – Jason Aaron, writer; Doug Mahnke, penciler; Jaime Mendoza, inker; David Baron, colorist
Beam – 9/10
Beam: DC has had a serious problem with books going way off schedule lately, and rather than using replacement artists, they just let the books come out at their own pace. It’s frustrating, but it also probably results in a better product – because standalone books like this badass sci-fi take on Batman will likely make excellent graphic novels when they’re finished. It’s been several months since we left Batman in space, as he decided not to return to Earth after completing his first mission and instead ventured deeper into space to take on the Blakksun twins’ empire. He lost the bounty hunter Ione, who he began to fall in love with as she couldn’t stand his obsessive fixation on an impossible mission, and now wanders the galaxy alone with only a robot as a companion – just in time for Thanagarian warriors working for Blakksun to target his ship.
The battle with the mission’s main enforcer is the most Batman-esque this title has had in a long time, with Bruce using a combination of cunning and brute force to take on much more powerful enemies. But as the game progresses, the story takes a sharp turn towards horror as we meet the main villains of the whole affair and see just how much damage they can do if defied. This story reminds me quite a bit of Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s masterful Warworld Saga, as it shows just how intense the scale of these tyrants and the damage they can do outside of Earth’s orbit can be – something the Justice League heroes are completely unprepared for. Another massive betrayal followed by a confrontation with the main villains sets up a huge conflict for the final issue, with plenty left to explore. Aaron’s first Batman story may be strange, but it’s strongly executed and beautifully drawn, with just the right amount of bite.
Reviews of all DC issues can be found under “DC This Week”.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
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