Writer: Joshua Williamson

Art: Viktor Bogdanovic, Daniel Henriques, Mike Spicer, Troy Peteri, and Jonboy Meyers

Publisher: DC Comics

Price:$5.99

Release Date: March 29th, 2022

When Ra’s Al Ghul becomes assassinated, Talia Al Ghul dictates retribution and dispatches her League of Shadows to bring down the person/s responsible! Nevertheless, BATMAN and ROBIN must team up to track down the culprit and bring them to justice before the League of Shadows does first. Still, things aren’t exactly as they seem. Let’s dive into SHADOW WAR ALPHA #1 by Joshua Williamson and Viktor Bogdanovic as this crossover event begins to develop a critical impasse for the DC COMIC universe moving forward!

If you’re interested in this comic, series, related trades, or any of the others mentioned, then simply click on the title/link to snag a copy through Amazon as you read Shadow War Alpha #1 Review.

THE DISPATCH

Williamson begins with a slow build-up but does so to get everyone up to speed, as well as to introduce the characters to anyone wishing to see what this SHADOW WAR has to offer. It’s not a bad strategy and it’s reasonably informative to those on the fence about whether or not they should buy-in on this event.

But if I may spoil a bit, what I liked the best from SHADOW WAR ALPHA #1 was that it definitely zigged where it was supposed to zag. The premise seemed straightforward… until the curveball at the end of the issue which opens up a huge can of worms. Plus, the anticipated disposition of the story is what drew me into the narrative causing this reviewer to be wildly intrigued to follow through with this event.

Now, I jumped into SHADOW WAR ALPHA #1 mainly because of Williamson’s latest BATMAN run, which started with such promise yet didn’t really stick the landing. Nevertheless, the series was fantastic until BATMAN #121. So, I dove into SHADOW WAR ALPHA #1 excited for what Williamson had in store and I’d have to say I’m still quite intrigued to see where this multi-comic tie-in goes.

QUESTIONS

Yet, I did have a few questions. I needed a bit more on Ra’s Al Ghul’s drastic belief transformation. I get what Williamson was playing at but it just wasn’t enough to sell this reviewer on his motivation, which leads me to believe there are more twists and turns on the horizon. Furthermore, how do BATMAN, ROBIN, and Oracle miss the shooter? One could argue that BATMAN was sidetracked by Damian’s return. However, I’d have to read between the lines a bit too much to make that leap which really bothers me. I hate filling in gaps to make connections that the writer should be able to connect for you. It’s a plot hole that could have easily been filled in with a simple line from Oracle stating “BATMAN, focus on the mission and talk to Damian later!”

ART

Is it just me or does Viktor Bogdanovic’s art really resemble Greg Capullo’s style? I think it’s the way he draws faces making it look very similar in tone and depth. It’s almost as if Bogdanovic has this expression of style that’s blended with a cartoonish feel that adds the perfect depth with an animated feel. Moreover, the facial expressions of his characters capture their emotions so well making each page come to life in such a convincing way. Additionally, the inks are sharp, the linework is crisp, and the color choices were spot on to add the perfect brightness and definition to SHADOW WAR ALPHA #1.

FINAL THOUGHTS

SHADOW WAR ALPHA #1 is a pretty good start that quickly pushes the story beats forward and carries so much weight across multiple titles. It was well balanced with action and dialogue while also complimenting the narrative with just enough background information to entice DC COMIC fans to hop on board. Truthfully, Williamson creates a story that almost anyone with any reasonable knowledge of the current DC COMICS landscape could jump right in. However, with the incredibly minor plot holes and character beats, as well as Williamson’s recent BATMAN #121 issue not quite sticking the landing, I enter SHADOW WAR cautiously optimistic. Let me know what you think, have a great week, and God Bless!

8.2/10