I’ll be honest. I’m inclined to like any comic that has Batman in it. For years, I was one of those people who bought every single comic that Batman defied logic to appear in. Sure, some of them weren’t very good, but any Batman is awesome, and that was enough for me.

Lately, however, I’ve become a little more discerning. There’s Batman stuff out there that’s so good- Grant Morrison‘s Batman Incorporated, Scott Snyder‘s Detective Comics run – that I just feel like I’m settling when I sit down with a so-so title. And with the caliber of work Snyder’s doing on Batman now, it looks like I might be able to trim my monthly Batbooks down and feel pretty good about it.

Batman in action.

The story opens with a flashback to the 1920′s, and gives us a fascinating glimpse into the history of the Wayne family. I know Morrison played with this a lot during his time on Batman, but this is the sort of thing I never get sick of. The more we see of the Court of Owls, the more compelling they become, and even some of the more minor elements of the issue, like the gangs in the rail lines, are absolutely fascinating. Snyder takes some of the most interesting aspects of Batman, such as the way he uses superstition, and flips them on their head, deepening the character and making things a lot of fun for the reader in the process. Seeing everything tie together at the end of the story was absolutely thrilling, and the cliffhanger ending is going to make waiting for the next issue really rough.

Clearly, Batman prefers coffee.

But as good as Snyder is at crafting mysteries, where he really shines is with the book’s characters. People often think of Batman- and Bruce Wayne- as being humorless, but Snyder understands his dry, sarcastic wit perfectly. His Bruce feels brilliant, but lacks the sort of god-like competence he’s sometimes written with, and he writes Alfred perfectly. I loved the conversation between the two of them in the Bat Cave. Lincoln March has been a bit controversial among Bat fans since he was introduced, but I enjoyed the dialogue Bruce had with him as well. Even though he’d recited the same poem in the previous issue, it felt a little more chilling here, and it did a great job of building up tension.

Batman makes learning fun!

One of the many things I like most about Snyder is the way he works interesting little facts into all of his comics. Sometimes I wonder if he discovers the facts first, then finds a way to write around them, or if he’s just really great at research. This issue will definitely have me looking at owls in a new light, and while the 13th floor bit is something that I’d heard before, it feels a lot more meaningful to me know. Snyder really is masterful when it comes to prose, and he knows how to explain concepts to readers while keeping them completely engrossed. It’s not often that I come away from a superhero comic feeling smarter, but Snyder seems intent on changing that.

Capullo uses eyes in chilling ways.

Once again, I’m in awe of Greg Capullo‘s panel to panel storytelling abilities. The way in which we’re taken back to the present is both jarring and extremely effective. There are standalone panels that have such a sense of movement that I couldn’t stop staring it them. It’s almost as though I thought that if I looked away, just for a second, Batman would actually start to leap around the panel and kick some bad guy butt. The art is Batman is so good that I have to re-read the issue to really get a sense of the story. I’m often so distracted by a particularly awesome page that it throws of the pacing for the story. The focus on eyes throughout the story did a great job of setting the mood, and I loved how Capullo managed to use them in so many different ways. I knew Capullo was talented, but I completely underestimated him before began working this book. He’s an incredible talent, and DC is lucky to have him.

Batman is not the only Batman title I buy each month, but it’s the only one I really need. As much as I enjoy Damien’s snark in Batman and Robin, and as much as I love giggling over the insanity that is Batman: Odyssey, Snyder’s work on Batman is more than enough to tide me over for a month. Every issue so far has been absolutely thrilling, completely satisfying, and so darn good it’s hard for other comics to measure up. I’ve said this dozens of times by now, but if you only buy one Bat title, this should be the one. Batman doesn’t get much better than this.

You can check out my reviews of the first two issues of Batman here and here.

How did you like Batman #3?