After years of feeling burnt out by the endless cycle of crossover events that dominate the Big Two publishers, I almost abandoned comic book reviewing. The Batman franchise has been no stranger to these crossovers – Joker War, Knight Terrors, Gotham War – and some have been downright frustrating. However, “Bad Seeds” ultimately makes a compelling case for itself in its opening chapter.
A Fresh Take on the Bat-Verse
DC has several advantages with “Bad Seeds.” This event comic centers around Matt Fraction’s Batman and G. Willow Wilson’s Poison Ivy, two of the best ongoing titles currently available. The story organically flows from the pages of Wilson’s “Poison Ivy,” where Pamela Isley is nearing the end of her tenure as mayor of Gotham City. Faced with an armed insurrection led by Commissioner Vandal Savage, Ivy initiates a contingency plan that threatens to transform the city back into a primal jungle. Predictably, the extended Bat-family has concerns about this.
Given the focus on Fraction’s Batman and Wilson’s Poison Ivy, it’s fitting that the two writers collaborate on this opening chapter. They manage to craft a largely cohesive and stylistically coherent script. By the end of the issue, we have a clear sense of the scope and stakes involved in this crossover. What’s most impressive is how efficiently “Bad Seeds: Sunset #1” introduces the massive cast of characters and their respective roles within the story. There are many moving parts, but the issue never feels overly convoluted.
While “Sunset #1” juggles the large ensemble cast effectively, it doesn’t necessarily convince readers to delve into the numerous tie-in books. These characters seem to be playing familiar roles in these Bat-crossovers, dealing with the general chaos unfolding across the city while Batman battles his way to the root of the conflict.
The scenes involving Batman’s friends and sidekicks are adequate but largely secondary to the core story threads involving Ivy and Batman. The Ivy scenes carry much of the dramatic weight, as we see a woman trapped by circumstances, struggling to outmaneuver her enemies. For Batman, the book taps into one of the elements that has made Fraction’s run so enjoyable: the deep compassion Bruce shows to both his enemies and those he’s sworn to protect. His run continues to evoke the spirit of Batman: The Animated Series.
Giuseppe Camuncoli and Cliff Rathburn (with Camuncoli handling layouts and Rathburn the finished artwork) maintain cohesion between Wilson and Fraction’s writing. The result doesn’t quite reach the heights of Camuncoli’s solo work, as there’s a certain angularity to his figures that is softened by Rathburn’s finishes. Nevertheless, the book is cleanly rendered and dynamic, and the artists contribute to making “Bad Seeds: Sunset” an accessible and entertaining introduction to a much larger story.
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight Deluxe Edition – Mayhem Collection Trailer | gamescom 2026
Source: IGN
Comments
Be the first to comment.