Retroactive Batman 80's #1

Are you looking for a Batman adventure to hold you over until September’s slew of new Batman titles gets released? Than look no further than Batman Retroactive 1980s. This double feature of ‘Revenge of the Reaper’ and ‘Batman Year Two’ by Mike Barr and Jerry Bingham is just what the doctor ordered for those readers who are looking for a stopgap between the current Batman titles and the upcoming reboot.

The stories themselves are classic Batman mystery stories that allow the reader to become the world’s greatest detective. Perhaps the best part of the book is the way Robin is written, which is surprising. Barr wrote Robin very traditionally but for some reason his character felt fresh and each time Robin made an appearance it enhanced the reading experience. The mob-centered story lines are some of my favorite in the Batman universe and these two books did not disappoint. The art, drawn by Jerry Bingham, was dark enough to have a very Batman feel, but it had just the right amount of “Pows”, “Whumps” and “Whooshs” to feel like it came straight out of the 80s.

With a very economical two stories for one issue price Batman Retroactive 1980s is easy on the wallet as well as a solid book. It doesn’t have the impact that the upcoming September titles will have, but sometimes that’s a good thing. This book was fun, a nice pick and read issue. It is the perfect book for those of you looking to read some new Batman right before everything gets rebooted. A solid book 6.5 out of 10.

Review By: Alex Ralston