Batman/Dylan Dog #1 – Roberto Recchioni, Writer; Gigi Cavenago, Werther Dell’Edera, Artists; Giovanna Niro, Colorist
Ray – 8/10
Ray: This is one of the most unusual books to come out of DC recently, a crossover between Batman and a popular Italian character with a very long-running comic across the pond. Dylan Dog is a paranormal investigator who takes on everything from frauds to demons, and this crossover is actually an Italian comic being brought over and translated for the first time. Despite that, it actually feels fairly familiar—maybe partially because it’s set in the UK, not Italy. It establishes a past bond between Joker and Dylan Dog’s nemesis Dr. Abraxas, a mad scientist. Batman is on the trail of the mad clown, and discovers that he’s taken an invitation from his fellow villain to start a new venture there. He seeks out the help of Dylan Dog to investigate, but there’s just one problem—neither can stand the other. Batman doesn’t trust supernatural con artists, and Dog hates the idle rich.
If this dynamic sounds familiar, there’s a reason for this and it’s impossible to avoid—Dylan Dog is a LOT like John Constantine, in almost every way except hair color. He has the same smug, chaotic energy that drives Batman nuts, except he prefers to use a gun rather than magic. He has a relatively small supporting cast—his reluctant police ally Inspector Bloch, and his assistant Groucho (who looks and acts exactly like Groucho Marx). The cast is filled out with Catwoman, who has a past relationship with Dog, and Killer Croc, who is working with Joker. This story is around 80 pages for a first chapter, which is a bit of a surprise, and it lets us get a good vibe for the characters and their dynamic right away. It doesn’t break any new ground, but this issue has some interesting twists and creepy visuals that make it worth picking up as more than just a curiosity of an international crossover comic.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
