Review by Ian Keogh

Considering Brian Michael Bendis broke into comics with urban crime stories, and his major breakthrough came via the successful infusion of Daredevil into similar material, you’d have thought introducing him to Batman and Gotham was only natural. Well, that’s not the path Bendis takes. Sure, there are some recognisable Bendis quirks such as frequent smart remote conversations with Alfred, and a page of people being interrogated by the police. However, what this resembles more than anything else is the type of inventive mystery Bob Haney constructed for Batman in 1970s team-up tales where he could end up anywhere with anyone and wasn’t restricted to Gotham in the dark.

Universe opens with Batman on his way to tackle the Riddler, whose latest riddle is uncharacteristically poor, and then becomes a tour of the wonders the DC universe has to offer, with Gotham only the starting point. It’s Bendis, then new to DC, taking his own tour and providing short stopovers connected by a maguffin.

Artist Nick Derington seems to take as much joy in Universe as Bendis. Even though the template has broadened slightly, Derington’s still not the type of artist you’ll find drawing Batman regularly. He’s a commanding presence over multiple locations, but there’s a looseness to his art, and how often do you see Batman with stubble? Has Derington ever drawn Judge Dredd? He should.

Bendis throws everything in here. There are gorillas, dinosaurs, ninjas, cowboys, Green Lanterns, the Justice League, … It’s like a kid’s idea of the best Batman adventure ever, and it pays off in the end as well. Is it a passionate plea for what Batman could be if not constantly restricted to the same milieu? Probably not, but it’s fun while it lasts.