First Wave - Batman/Doc Savage

First Wave: Batman/Doc Savage Special #1 Review

DC, $4.99
Story: Brian Azzarello
Art:
Phil Noto

This one-off special is the first in Brian Azzerello’s First Wave imprint, a universe that harks back to the increasingly popular era of pulp heroes, such as Doc Savage, and an impulsive rookie Batman who isn’t afraid to pack a firearm. When Batman is framed for the murder of a public figure, celebrity explorer Savage publicly announces that he will rid Gotham of the winged menace.

First Wave - Batman/Doc Savage

First Wave - Batman/Doc Savage

Azzerello’s writing is as sharp as ever, and Phil Noto’s illustrations suits the art-deco landscape perfectly, but the issue ultimately left me feeling a little underwhelmed. As is often a way with these team-ups, so much time is spent bringing Bats and Savage together that there’s little time to either explore the universe itself. Nevertheless, as a succinct introduction to the First Wave world, it more than does its job, and the “behind the scenes” notebook section at the back of the book is certainly tantalising.

7/10

Carl Doherty has written about movies, video games, comic books and literature for almost a decade, forging ill-informed critiques for numerous websites, blogs and publications that no one has ever heard of. His debut novel, the epic fantasy comedy Welcome to The Fold, is available now on Kindle here (UK) and here (US).

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