Comics! Batman Annual #1

Batman Annual #1

Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV: writers
Jason Fabok: Art & Cover

The Solicitation
• MR. FREEZE is introduced to The New 52!• What is Mr. Freeze's relationship to the COURT OF OWLS? Is he an ally – or do they want him dead?• "NIGHT OF THE OWLS" continues here!

Preview

The Comic
Let's meet Mr. Freeze.

One thing that has ticked me off a little has been how the timeline for the Night of the Owls has been a little wonky. Seriously, the books were published completely out of order and I am sure that I will come up with some sort of correct reading order once I put together a post for all the issues that I bought.

Anyhow, let's focus on this issue. This is the origin story of Mr. Freeze in this new 52 universe. And for ridiculous reasons, we show Freeze as a kid and his mother falling into some icy waters. If there is one thing I hate, it is showing that some trauma as a child is what defines you as an adult. It is a very overused story device and one that I find most surprising that Snyder is using.

I have some problems with the character design of Freeze, specifically with the bare arms. After reading through the comic, there isn't a written reason why he has to wear the suit. None is given. You have to assume that it helps to regulate his body temperature. But then why have the bare arms? Is this some sort of look that all cold characters have to have? (See Captain Cold's sleeveless look over in Flash).

Let's look at Freeze's crux as a villain - his love for his wife. That is what drove him in the old DC, in this one he has a love for someone that he insanely thinks is his wife, but is someone he never met. It is actually Nora, one of the first people to undergo a cryogenic freeze. Freeze's obsession with all things cold and ice is what makes him think that they are meant for each other. He has been trying to find a way to thaw her out while working with Wayne Industries and when he was successful, he sold the formula to the Court of the Owls thus allowing them to bring back the Talons.

That's just weak.

I'm not a fan of Mr. Freeze, I always thought he was a gimmicky villain at best. I think that the Batman animated series had one of the better interpretations of the character back in the day. But this is just careless, and something that I didn't expect at all from Snyder.

Remember how Nightwing was supposed to be all bruised up from some injuries to the face and costume that he had going on in his own book? Those are all magically healed here, even though this is supposed to take place after those events. And how the events in this book are supposed to go with the events in Red Hood is anyone's guess.

The Art
You know, we had some pretty good art in this book. Nice framing, smooth technique. In flipping through the book I'm able to follow along with what is happening without reflecting over the words too much. I just hope that the artist wasn't the one who designed the new look for Freeze, because that is something I am definitely not a fan of.

The Cover
Not a bad cover at all. We get who the main characters are, and having Freeze's head in the background with those glasses really makes the cover pop. Me likes greatly.

Grades
Words: 5/10
Pictures: 7/10
Recommend: This is a surprisingly skippable issue of a Snyder-penned Batman comic. No need to stop by for anything here.
Buy Next Issue: I will, but this is just a very surprising outing for this Bat-book.

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