In this review of Batman #1, Batman encounters Killer Croc like he’s never seen him before.
Batman #1 (2025) main cover by Jorge Jiménez (DC Comics)
BATMAN #1 (2025)
Written by MATT FRACTION
Art and Main Cover: JORGE JIMÉNEZ
Variant Covers: JIM LEE, MARC SILVESTRI, J. SCOTT CAMPBELL, FRANK QUITELY, GABRIELE DELL’OTTO, JULIAN TOTINO TEDESCO, ANDY KUBERT, DAVID AJA, STANLEY “ARTGERM” LAU, JORGE JIMÉNEZ
Page Count: 40 pages
Release Date: September 3, 2025
This comic book review contains spoilers
This month we get another Batman #1, something we’ve only technically gotten three other times before. Jim Gordon is back as a beat cop, sipping coffee with his partner Officer Espinoza when they see a giant creature crash into a meat truck.
Meanwhile at Arkham towers, Batman talks to Dr. Zeller about Waylon Jones AKA Killer Croc’s recent breakout. She tells him that due to recent exposure to morphotoxins, Croc is regressing into a childlike state. She doesn’t know why or how he broke out but she insists that he’s changed. Batman says that no one can really change before flying off into the night.
At Gotham City Police Headquarters, Vandal Savage holds a press conference where he announces that he will be deploying “tactical urban combat officers” aka robot police to tackle the city’s crime (including Batman himself). Batman stops the creeps gang from attacking some bystanders while catching up with a holographic version of Alfred. Batman traces Croc to the Gotham Natural History Museum.
Croc is very deformed and juvenile and he’s just sitting alone in the museum. Batman gears up to fight him but Waylon doesn’t engage so Batman removes his mask and sits down to chat with him. Holographic Alfred postulates that maybe people can change.
Dr. Zeller returns to take Waylon back to Arkham before he tells Batman that she could help him too. Batman #1 ends as Batman sets him a miniature T-Rex in his new home base before getting a call from Robin who is being held up at gunpoint.
(Image Credit: DC Comics)
Analysis
DC is back with another soft reboot of its flagship character with Batman #1, a solid Batman story. I enjoyed this nice little standalone Killer Croc tale. Did it blow my mind? No. Did it justify the book’s numerical reset? Also no. But it was enjoyable all the same. Matt Fraction does a good job reintroducing Batman’s world at this late date. We are immediately reintroduced to Gordon as a beat cop, Savage as commissioner, Alfred’s passing, and Batman’s relocation. Giving Alfred a kind of second life through an Obi-Wan/Jarvis holographic ghost is a nice touch that I think fans will really appreciate. I find the whole “people can change/no they can’t” dialectic to be pretty tired and it feels weird that Bruce and Alfred are debating it like a novel concept.
The Croc stuff is good, although as I alluded to earlier, not groundbreaking. I am grateful the climax didn’t involve a standard brawl between Bats and Croc. I was actually reminded of the Justice League Unlimited episode Epilogue, with Batman relating to the villain on an almost childlike level.
The Luthor-funded robot police that Vandal Savage is putting on streets feels overly familiar as well. How many times have we seen a robot police force or Batman vs the GCPD story at this point? I’ll withhold judgment, and the cliffhanger has potential, but I’m skeptical.
Jorge Jimenez provides the art and while I’m not the biggest fan of his style, this is a good looking issue. It’s bright and inviting (shoutout to Tomeu Morey on colors), and the new suit is clean. Probably my favorite aspect of the art would be Croc’s deformed redesign. I love how he’s both monstrous and childlike with huge obnoxious teeth and big innocent eyes.
Final Thoughts
Batman #1 is a completely enjoyable story. Even if I wanted a little more, it’s a great jumping on point for new fans. Just more Jim Gordon please.
