Batman: The Dark Knight #1

Bruce Wayne gives a speech at an event where afterwards, he is questioned by Lieutenant Forbes. A breakout occurs at Arkham Asylum where Batman runs into the White Rabbit for the first time.  

This is the fourth Batman series out of the new 52 written by Paul Jenkins and drawn by David Finch. This series probably won't get as much attention as the other Batman titles and may go unnoticed by a lot. The series shows potential and may fly under the radar. Only time will tell.

The series starts in a very similar way that Batman #1 did, with Bruce Wayne delivering a speech. This time he was running late as he switched from his Bat-suit into his tuxedo on the rooftop as he entered the building through the window. Early in the beginning we are introduced to Lieutenant Forbes and a woman named Jaina Hudson. Forbes claims Bruce Wayne is funding the vigilante Batman. I think we can expect Forbes to continue to be a thorn in Bruce Wayne's side as this series progresses. I'm not sure what to make of the woman named Jaina at this point. It wouldn't surprise me if she turns out to be the White Rabbit, a new character we get our first brief look at towards the end of the issue. 

The rest of the issue takes place at Arkham Asylum where a mass breakout is happening. We get a nice shot of some inmates. I don't even recognize all of them. Some of them may possibly be new characters. The issue ends as Batman comes face to face with Two-Face. I didn't really like the ending. Two-Face was "Hulked-out" which seemed weird. No explanation was given at this point but I'm sure next issue the reasons will be revealed for his odd appearance.

David Finch's art is stellar. I'm used to seeing him only on covers so it was nice to see him on the interior art of a series. I love the way he draws Batman. Finch and colorist Alex Sinclair make a dynamic art team. I look forward to more of their work on this series.

This was a pretty solid issue. It's nowhere near as deep as a lot of the Batman stories we've gotten in recent years but it's still a fun read. A lot of people may prefer Scott Snyder's Batman series over this and I wouldn't blame them for it. Regardless I think this series has potential and may end up surprising a lot of people.