Hey guys, Darius here, bringing to you my review of  BATMAN ETERNAL issue #10! Yes, it has indeed been ten weeks and BATMAN ETERNAL is still putting up with a strong performance! With Snyder, Tynion IV, and Layman’s direction, and Guillem March’s beautiful art, this team continues to craft what is looking to be one of my favorite comics in the last decade or so. Anyways, in BATMAN ETERNAL #10, Batman and Catwoman team up again! Also Professor Pyg makes an appearance since he killed Mr. Rhodes in issue #7, and we get answers in regards to Falcone’s past and his motivation for coming back to Gotham. Let’s get the ball rolling with the Positives and Negatives of this issue!
Positives
- I liked how the very next page after the cover is Catwoman clawing Falcone’s face and leaving the scar that we see him have throughout the BATMAN ETERNAL story. The whole scene was a flashback, but, not only do we know that scratch left a physical mark to Falcone’s face, but, also a psychological mark to Falcone’s ego. You’re never supposed to hurt a dangerous man’s ego. Give credit to Guillem March’s artwork, he captured Falcone’s emotions perfectly. From the time he first got scratched by Catwoman in the flashback, to when he begins explaining his motives, you can tell everything that has happened has affected him and you can feel his pain almost.
- Thanks to the wonderful writing of Scott Snyder,James Tynion IV, and John Layman, Falcone’s explanation as to why he captured Catwoman and why he came back to Gotham was perfect. He says to Catwoman: “Gotham needs a protector. Someone to step in and keep it sane. Someone to save Gotham from itself. Because left unchecked…Gotham becomes a city of freaks. A city of animals. A city of madness and murder.” Â To me, this makes Falcone’s agenda has more good intentions than just him being a bad guy. If this is the case, then moving forward, his and Batman’s roles can be reversed in the eyes of the public in later issues. This could be interesting!
- As everyone assumed, Stephanie Brown was the target of the photo booth drive-by. Cluemaster organized it of course. However, now Stephanie is angry, meaning one thing, she wants revenge. And she is playing it smart  by writing articles on him and posting it to the internet, building awareness. I can’t wait to see what she does next in the coming issues!
- Who is the person that Falcone was alluding to? It can’t be The Joker…or can it?
Negatives
- The whole ordeal with Professor Pyg was a weak point in this issue. If anybody who I thought could have carried this scene much better, that person would be Penguin. I know, Professor Pyg has his reasons for redemption for his lab exploding in issue#7, but his main plan was to turn Falcone into a Falcon-human hybrid…*yawn*. I thought Penguin would have carried this scene a lot better.
- Even though I liked where the Stephanie Brown and Cluemaster story is going, I thought the scene did not fit into what was happening overall. It was a bit random and unnecessary. It also felt forced, as if Snyder and Co. was forcing us to remember what is happening with her. We did not forget, we just want to focus on what is happening with Falcone. No need to force anything into the overall plot of this issue.
Verdict
This was a good issue. The action was good. The writing was great, especially with Falcone’s explanation, you just felt like you understood what he wanted to do and the way he expressed his thoughts, he can convince the reader that what he is doing is justified. The artwork by Guillem March is always great, he always encompasses you into the action and how each individual character is feeling with his drawings. Overall, this issue is a good read and if you want some understanding of why Falcone is back in Gotham, and what it foreshadows in the BATMAN ETERNAL story, then this is a must have!
Rating
Rating
