Batman #11

This was a really enjoyable read, and once again Scott Snyder has delivered a solid Batman story. This issue is filled with so much action that you will be on the edge of your seat to find out what happens next. Lincoln March is a very interesting villain, and I honestly can’t wait to see him back. There is so much territory to be explored around the character, and Snyder has only given us a small glimpse of what he is capable of. It is so impressive that Lincoln March has embedded himself so deep into the Batman mythos in such a short time, and hopefully we will get to see more.

There’s a reason I called this review “Villainous Monologues” though, and that is because that’s just what happens for two thirds of this issue. Lincoln has a monologue while he fights Batman. To me Scott Snyder has always been real wordy with his dialogue. Sometimes it works well other times you’re saying to yourself “For the love of God would you shut up already!” To be honest, I had a short laugh at one point when in one panel Batman says "Finally" after Lincoln hits the ending line of his monologue.

Despite that one minor nitpick I have about this book. It’s something you don’t want to miss out on. The ending is a little predictable, and Scott Snyder leaves us asking a bunch of questions, but there are no real plot holes, just one big gigantic cliffhanger. Oh I almost forgot about the backup story. If you’ve been following the last three issues you’ll notice follow-up stories about Alfred Pennyworth’s father Jarvis Pennyworth. The conclusion is sad, but nevertheless a great read. Between Jarvis words to his son Alfred, his care for the Waynes, and the emotional toll of his final moments it will be a story that I remember for a while, and probably will think of it for some time each time I see Alfred in a Batman story.

As I stress with a lot of issues though, this comic is not a standalone story. If you go out and start with this one, you will be completely lost and not get the full effect. Before reading this one, you should read the two previous issues to have a decent understand of events that led up to the events in this issue.