“The Bat That Flies the Stars”
Writer: Jason Aaron
Artists: Doug Mahnke, Jaime Mendoza
Color Artist: David Baron
Letterer: Troy Peteri
Review By Eric Lee
Minor Spoilers Ahead!
Batman: Off-World #6 ends the audacious adventure in a beat-em-up manner that feels boring as it is contrived.
The final chapter of the mini-series showcases all writer Jason Aaron’s tropes wrapped up in one issue. There is a generically bad-ass hero defeating these insanely powerful villains with vague power levels. Over the series, Aaron built up the Blakksuns to be the ultimate, unbeatable evil in the galaxy. However, the way they were dispatched is highly underwhelming. It seems like that Aaron was not very interested in making a credible threat or complex villains. Instead they are mere storytelling tools to show how hardcore Batman is.
Structurally, the issue is strange too. We open with Batman seemingly betrayed by Ione. Then only two pages later, we reveal that it is all a part of the plan. Why not keep the suspense of Ione’s shifting allegiances going a little longer? There is no emotional twist. The speed of the reveal occurs so fast, it feels more clumsy than shocking. Later on, we get a resolution to an Earth bound plot line. But since there are very few scenes related to the Earth subplot, it feels empty and tack-on.
Shallow Characters
Inconsistent plotting can be forgiven if there are strong character beats to follow. Unfortunately, there are no deep characterizations anywhere to latch onto. Not Batman, not the Blakksuns, not Ione, and not Punch Bot. They have mini-character arcs, but since they were thinly defined to begin with, the endpoints feel unearned. By the end of this series, readers realize that all of these characters are just props to make Batman look good. Batman himself has virtually no arc. Unless the arc goes from “highly competent crimefighter of Gotham to highly competent crimefighter of the galaxy”. It is strange to see a Batman who is still early in his career already be at the top of his game and have zero self-doubts.
Speaking of which, the story’s ending is also highly questionable. Batman is not nearly this effective in his mainstream comic as he in ‘Off-World’. The fact that Batman achieved so much, so early in his career, and then comes back to Gotham City feels like a major step backwards for him.
Not to say this series is a waste of time. Aaron is still really good at building up to bad-ass moments. While the characters are vapid, the plot is definitely exciting if you love seeing Batman in space action. And- or course- Doug Manhke’s art never gets old. He is a perfect blend of sci-fi elements and the gritty realism of Batman. I just wish it wasn’t wasted on such an uninspired series.
Conclusion
Batman: Off-World #6 is a book full of awesome art, wild action scenes, but ultimately a very pedestrian plot and paper-thin characters. If you like stories of Batman being super-cool, then this story has plenty to offer. However, readers may tire of this ultra-competent Batman who has no internal struggles continuously kicking aliens in the face.
All images are courtesy of DC Entertainment.