Storyline: Death Mask (part 1 of 4)
Date: April 9, 2008
Price: $2.99 US
Writer: Yoshinori Natsume
Artist: Yoshinori Natsume

Synopsis: Acclaimed artist Yoshinori Natsume (Toguri) makes his American comics debut with this Prestige Format miniseries that presents an original Batman manga tale! There’s a new serial killer in Gotham, and he may have ties to the training Bruce Wayne acquired as a young man in Japan. Does the murderer know Bruce Wayne is the Batman?

Opinion: Natsume puts several of today’s artists and writers to shame by covering the artwork and writing on a limited series all by himself.  Batman: Death Mask is a treat and should not be passed up.  Read my full review after the jump.

This comic made me happy to part with my money.  The artwork was great, a very elegant style with just hints of anime in it and never seems rushed.  The backgrounds Natsume draws are chock full of detail and  the action scenes are fairly comprehensive.

In case you hadn’t heard or seen yet, this book is in the Japanese format of right to left.  This was a joy to experience and didn’t interrupt my reading one bit.  I could tell I was really getting into the story when I was getting ready to turn the page - and realized I was about to go the wrong way!

Speaking of the story, Natsume is setting up a very rich and interesting plot here, something outside of what’s normal.  He does an excellent job of summarizing who and what Batman is just enough to keep the story moving along.  It does seem a bit unnecessary but overall does not intrude.

Please do not pass this book up, even if you’re not a Batman fan.  This is good stuff and Natsume is extremely talented!

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