Matt Fraction and Jorge Jiménez’s Batman #1 sets a new course for the caped crusader!
Relaunching a title like Batman is always going to be a big deal. The last volume of Batman started in 2016 under the stewardship of Tom King. That volume saw many different creative teams over the course of almost a decade, but it kept the numbering, ultimately making it to issue #162. It’s hard to break a 162 issue streak on a title. So why in God’s name did DC do that in late 2025 with Matt Fraction and Jorge Jiménez’s Batman #1? Well I have a few guesses. For one, it’s a sales tactic, plain and simple. Constant relaunches have diminishing returns but it is a proven fact that a new #1 moves copies. But it’s more than that isn’t it? Something about this relaunch seems to demand a full on renumbering. Let’s dig into that.
Let’s start at the beginning. The issue opens during the waning hours of the day, that beautiful orange hue before the sky gets dim. That hue is interrupted by clouds and thunder as Killer Croc jumps onto the scene in the second page. After the first two pages we get a glorious splash page of Batman in all his glory. For the first time in a long time he’s in a colorful blue and grey costume, a costume that will be his default for this run. He’s facing the reader while he’s bathed in the light of the setting sun. His first lines are “Getting pretty tired of this.” That speaks to the condition we find Batman in at the beginning of this issue. He’s pessimistic and weary, not much later he’ll go on to say “People never change. Not really.” This is a Batman with years of putting super villains behind bars only for them to escape again. This time, Killer Croc escaped from Arkham Towers, a facility that seeks a more rehabilitative method of treatment as compared to the iconic Arkham asylum. The core conflict of this issue comes to light in this scene, Batman’s dreary outlook vs the perspective of a new doctor who is treating his rogues at Arkham towers.
After a brief search, Batman confronts Killer Croc, ready for a fight. Only, Killer Croc isn’t looking to fight. He’s in a state of childlike innocence. He’s a scared little boy in a world where nobody can understand him and where he doesn’t fit in. So Batman, and here’s the really remarkable thing, removes his mask and shares a genuine man to crocodile-man moment with Killer Croc. It’s one thing to do a big two superhero issue without a fight, which on its own is quite different from the norm, it’s an entirely other thing to do that in the first issue of a new Batman ongoing. Batman, the character who iconically dangles criminals off roofs, has to face one of his rogues as a vulnerable person in crisis. One alone little boy to another. That’s what makes this issue remarkable and deserving of a relaunch. Matt Fraction and Jorge Jiménez in this issue are setting a new paradigm for this character, a truly new era.
Of course I would be remiss if I didn’t give some more focus to the art. Jiménez’s art is hyper detailed in an extraordinary way. It’s the little details really, the billboards and adverts as Batman soars above the city, all crafted with thought and care. But of course he excels at the big moments too, the big moments where we get to bask in Batman’s glory. Special mention should also go to the colorist, Tomeu Morey. He brings the opening sunset to life and despite the rest of the issue taking place at night, it never feels dark. The colors are vibrant and pop. Really it’s a breathtaking display of talent and craft on the art front.
Batman #1 is a really special issue. That’s the reason why I’m returning to it for this piece well after its initial release. It’s a comic that challenges not only Batman as a franchise but more broadly the traditional American Superhero comic tropes. It’s a new day for Batman, and damn if it isn’t looking bright.
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