BY CHRIS TRESSON
Another month, another issue of All-Star Batman to chew over. It’s the second part of this new arc, and we’re focusing on Poison Ivy this issue. Scott Snyder is joined by artist Tula Lotay for this part, continuing a good choice of artists. The last issue was pretty good, so let’s hope this one continues to impress.

I was a bit skeptical about this one before I read it and I’ve kind of been putting off reading it and writing about it up until now. I’m reading it now (it’s Tuesday night) because I have to review it… It wasn’t a bad issue in all honesty. The series scares me a bit because of that first arc because I’m waiting for it to all go tits. It didn’t this time around, and Although Poison Ivy isn’t one of my favorite Batman villains, and she’s featured quite heavily in this, I liked the issue.

This is more like it. The Batman which has been presented by Scott Snyder in this arc so far is what I usually like to see in my Batman comics. He’s serious here, he’s focused on the mission and in this issue, he has one of those moments where his humanity breaks through the bat persona he’s been building for years to remind us he’s still a man under the suit. I like the Batman when he breaks character when he feels he needs to, and I prefer when Snyder writes him like this. For me, it’s hard to put this arc side by side with the last one and tell you the same guy wrote them. This arc’s a lot better already and I would happily continue to read it.

Tula Lotay’s art is great in this issue. I really like her interior art and I wish she would do more. I think the last thing I read where she did the interior art was Scarlet Witch and that was fantastic. I think she was a good choice for the Poison Ivy issue because she draws women really well and this issue solidifies that. Poison Ivy looks lovely here and the fact that Lotay does all her own coloring makes the artwork all the more impressive. She’s a cracking artist and her coloring is bang on, too. Hard to imagine someone else tackling this issue after seeing the art. Good job. You’ve done t’North proud.

As I explained last time I reviewed this series, I missed the last few issues of the first arc which meant I missed some parts of the back-up yadda yadda yadda… What I’m trying to say is I didn’t read the back-up story in this issue but again, Francesco Francavilla’s art is pretty damn nice in it. I’m sure the back-up story is great and I’m sure you’ll all let me know if it isn’t.

Overall, probably my favorite issue of this series so far, though if you take the first arc into consideration there isn’t that much to beat… We’re seven in and it seems to be improving with each issue but it has a long ways to go until I can truly say that this is Batman at an All-Star level. Despite that, I’m gonna score it as thus…