There’s a new game in town, the Minotaur, a mysterious figure claiming to be the bank and willing to bankroll Gotham City’s biggest criminal organizations. Batman is hot on his heels but, it may already be too late for the detective and Gotham.
Creative Team: Matt Fraction (WRITER), Jorge Jimenez (ART and COVER), Tomeu Morey (COLORS), Clayton Cowles with Jorge Jimenez (LETTERS).
This comic is reviewed by both Megan from the Vigilante Vibes Podcast and Matt from the Hops “Geek” News podcast!
The Story:
Matt: Anytime you introduce the big villain of a story arc, their introduction needs to land and build their aura up, especially if they are going after Batman. I love how Fraction slowly builds to his reveal throughout the issue as Batman is getting closer and closer to finding out who and what is behind Gotham’s underworld. Having The Minotaur reveal himself with a “bang” is a big way to get our attention and it works extremely well building excitement!
Megan: Matt Fraction pulled out all the stops to ensure the build up to The Minotaur hit as hard as possible. With a small look at him in the beginning, The Minotaur made his presence very known just by his reputation to Batman and to all of Gotham. By the end of the comic, The Minotaur makes himself appear larger than life with what power he has over the crime organizaton and all of Gotham. With Batman’s detective skills, it’s a wonder how this evil villain was able to stay under his radar, but now that Bruce knows, you can bet things are going to heat up even more so.
The Art and Letters:
Matt: Jorge and Tomeu match the energy with the mysterious Minotaur as their art reveals power and something menacing with the design of his mask. The sleek and black design that doesn’t show any facial features, combined with a suit, shows off his money and still keeps the air of mystery. I am loving Batman’s design, and whenever he uses a gadget, there is a blurb about the gadget with details. It’s the little things, such as this, which stand out and make this comic run so magnificent.
Megan: The artists really soared high when they created Batman #4, using a stellar amount of details with the vibrant colors setting the tones. I really enjoyed that The Minotaur’s panels were the complete opposite of Batman’s with the warmer tones signifying just how vastly different he is to The Dark Knight. Speaking of the tones, there’s quite a few in the comic and the artists really nailed illustrating them. With the cruelty of The Minotaur, the feeling of intimidation and fear shines very brightly in the artwork. Or with Batman during his detective activities, you could feel the confusion and desperation to find the truth in the pages of Batman #4.
Final Thoughts:
Matt: 9.5/10. Batman #4 slowly builds and reveals the powerful mastermind that seeks to rule Gotham’s crime, weaving sinister details in the art and story. The team continues to dive into the detective side of Batman, making this a must-read!
Megan: 9.1/10. Batman #4 has a perfect build up to this dark and fearsome villain, with Batman learning on the way throughout the story. Excellent job to the creative team!
Overall Grade – 9.3/10
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