Right in time for spooky season is the release of Batman: Full Moon. Can you think of a better Halloween monster versus Batman than a werewolf? Add in Stevan Subic’s incredibly moody art and comics pro Rodney Barnes, and it’s a match made in heaven.
Batman: Full Moon #1 opens in a dusty factory in the Gotham industrial district. Something evil is afoot, as we soon see a man’s hand turn far bigger and hairier. It’s the transformation of a werewolf, and the scientists in lab coats all around him thought his restraints would hold. It’s a Universal Monsters-level introduction to the big bad wolf.
Once again, Subic blows me away with this opening scene. This scene slaps, from his choice of angles to somewhat hide the monster and focus on the horror on the scientist’s faces to his ability to create haunting eyes. This isn’t just a werewolf but a force of nature.
They’re screwed.
Credit: DC Comics
The story then catches us up on Batman, who is on a mission, but we soon learn he is also late for a date with Zatanna. Subic shows Batman surgically taking out bad guys, while Barnes details his somewhat rocky relationship with Zatanna as he talks to her on the phone. The job takes precedence, it seems. It’s nice to see Zatanna in this story, as the supernatural angle of the monster will likely be tapped.
As an extra-sized issue, the rest of the issue sets up key players, including the man inside the werewolf and the reason he’s in Gotham. There’s a lot Batman fans will love here, from his detective work to a battle with the werewolf, as well as ties to Man-Bat I did not see coming. The fact that this issue ends in a church should tell you all you need to know about what kind of horror story this is.
My only gripe is Batman’s arrogance when he faces the werewolf for the first time. For a guy who fights all kinds of overpowered monsters, he doesn’t take the threat seriously enough. While Barnes does hint that Batman assumes he can take him since he takes Bane–and really, this scene establishes how outmatched Batman is–it seems off that Batman wouldn’t at least take some precaution instead of rushing in.
Batman: Full Moon is an utterly macabre and darkly supernatural series, apparent immediately. From Subic’s moody and disturbing art to Barnes’ smart choices tying in Zatanna and Man-Bat, there’s a level of complexity that sets this apart from a “Batman vs.” story. This is a dark and moody tribute to horror and Batman.
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