Review: Batman: Justice Buster, Vol. 1

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Batman: Justice Buster, Vol. 1 Batman: Justice Buster, Vol. 1 by Eiichi Shimizu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This title has been something I've been putting off for a while now; mostly because I wasn't sure what to expect, in a Manga version of Batman.

Once I started reading though, it was pleasantly better than I'd expected. After the first 3 chapters, I began to even wonder why it took so long to get this crossover of the Batman mythos with the black and white manga aesthetic. Which fits the mysterious gothic dark and gritty atmosphere of Gotham like a Bat glove.

The characters and their body language, especially their facial expressions would remind you of the mystery investigative manga stories, like 鴨乃橋ロンの禁断推理 Kamonohashi Ron no Kindan Suiri, which also I'm thinking to resuming after this.

It introduces the readers to the world of Gotham & Batman, presupposing that you have a generic familiarity with the mythos. It follows the canon at many places, but at times, throws you a curve ball or two. Characters change their age, motivations, sometimes their very moral alignment.

Towards the end of the first volume, you are moderately invested into where the story is heading towards.

Plus, it gives you a match made in heaven, making you wish for a dedicated Bat-mecha story. Not one where the characters are riding transformers, but Gundam style mechas, with all the bat drip for the ages. I mean, seriously, look at it.


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Weirdly, the mech designs in the story, reminded me of Mookhyang: The Dark Lady (For which Goodreads still doesn't have a listing I can find). And now I want a story dedicated to that and Batman.

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