This is a fun Batman adventure that involves Batman going on a roadtrip with Two-Face. It's a little more light-hearted than other Batman stories, but overall, I enjoyed it. It jumps around in time a lot, which can be a little confusing.

Well, that was definitely different. (Which Scott Snyder did warn about in the intro to the TPB).

At the end, there was a little short story about the start of Duke's training and an, um, color wheel? There was also a bit of Zsasz in there too.

But, the big story in the TPB was Batman taking Two-Face on a journey so that Two-Face could be 'cured'. And it was quite the journey too. Full of lots and lots of blood, guts, and firepower, and even the KGBeast makes some appearances (as do the Black Mask, the Penguin, and others).

It was different and interesting, and I think my favorite part was Jim Gordon and the Police going into the Grandfather clock. Heh.

I got this ARC through Netgalley on behalf of DC Entertainment.

This is a volume that is a part of DC Comics’ recent “rebirth” reboot. This particular work is on Batman. I wanted to read this graphic novel largely due to the fact that Scott Synder wrote the story. Synder’s previous stories has been good and I’m especially impressed with his Court of Owls. While this particular work wasn’t as good as some of his previous works nevertheless you see the author’s creativity with how this story was told.
This work tells the story of Batman trying to help Two-Face. Apparently Two-Face has for lack of better terms a multiple personality disorder in that there is the evil side named “Two-Face” while there is on the other side the original man, Harvey Dent. Batman is taking him cross country to get the cure for him that would help him change. But this trip suddenly gets more longer as Two-Face announced to everyone that there is great incentive to try to free Two-Face by getting rid of Batman: there’s a financial reward and also if Batman is not stopped then all the deepest secrets of everyone would be released as a leak. While the story doesn’t get into specifics somehow one gets the sense that it has to do with all our information being found online. So Two-Face’s announcement thus brings all sorts of villains out of the woodwork to try to stop Batman. Some of these characters I have not heard or seen before and I thought it was neat that as each supervillain is introduced the comic does give quick information about the person and also his name. It felt that each new villain is progressively worst and tougher to handle than the earlier ones. Perhaps most shocking is the fact that regular people and ordinary citizens now also want to stop Batman as driven by the fear of Two-Face releasing their secrets. It’s an incredible twists to the story in that Batman is trying to save the very people who are now going against him. What a way to build thrill!
I thought it was interesting to see Synder goes back and forth in time as you read through the comics. At one moment is the present then the next scene would be in the past. Especially in the beginning this method of storytelling leaves us with intentional “gaps” in which we are drawn into the story wanting to find out more of what’s going on.
Overall a fun read. I do think there is more to this than just a telling of a story for the sake of the bottom line of making money. It seems this volume was an exploration of human nature. Two-Face represents the capability that humans have of doing good while also having the capability of doing much heinous evil. I also thought it was interesting that the mood of this story was dark; it was made darker when ordinary people turned out to have great hidden secrets that they didn’t wanted to have revealed. This in turn drove average citizens out to stop Batman in order to protect their private information from being leaked. You also see in this story that everyone could be corrupted; even characters that we take for granted in Batman’s stories as Batman’s allies ended up double-crossing Batman. I think Synder is hitting something spiritual here in that it is true all human beings are sinners and have dark secrets in their hearts. Upon finishing the book I thought another useful lesson from this work is how great evil by the mass can be committed by what originally at first might seem like a good intention. What a story
NOTE: This book was provided to me free by DC Comics and Net Galley without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

I haven't always been a fan of the bat in comics and graphic novels. Maybe a little too moody and self righteous for my tastes. Yet, somewhere along the line I found myself reintroduced to the cave dweller, and found a broader appreciation for the possible complexities of his story lines.

I knew I was going to want to read this when I saw Scott Snyder. I jumped at the chance when I realized it was a crazy free for all with Two Face playing a close second fiddle to Batman. Seeing the bad guys who came out of the woodwork. Learning the back history of Bruce and Harvey's bro-mance.

This was one heck of a wild ride, and with the artists renderings made into much more of an experience than just a read. Loved it, can't wait to dive into volume two!

Let's start with the good: The backup story at the end of this volume, a sort of "Year One" for Duke Thomas (from the We Are Robin series), is pretty good, and all the variant covers are cool. Sadly, the main story is not up to Scott Snyder's usual standards. Oftentimes, I'd place the blame on John Romita Jr., whose art I don't particularly care for. But Snyder deserves at least half the blame here. I'm not sure if he was trying to follow in Frank Miller's All Star Batman & Robin, the Boy Wonder footsteps, but this volume was replete with allusions to, threats upon, and jokes about various characters' posteriors. (Including from Batman's own mouth!) Very juvenile. And the villain-after-villain video-game-boss-battle setup has been used to greater effect in Hush, Knightfall, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe. From the not-funny attempts at humor to the PG-13 vulgarity, for whatever reason, Snyder seems to have stepped away from what has made his long run on various Batman titles so successful. Let's hope this is just a one-off that doesn't affect/infect the main Bat-series.

"I'm saying, 'embrace your inner villain, folks! Set me free, take down the Bat, and everything you've ever dreamed of will be yours.”

Bruce has found a way to help his childhood friend, Harvey Dent, lose his evil persona known as “Two-Face”. In order to do so, the two must travel 500 miles to find a cure. One problem; Two-Face has offered all of Gotham a handsome reward to take down Batman. He must face friends and foes in order to rid his friend of his Dr. Hyde side.

I was super excited when I found out Scott Snyder was releasing a new Batman comic. Even more so when I read John Romita, Jr. would he doing the artwork! This book is a blast. It had humor, action, a complex plot, and great characters. There are some really good sub-plots thrown in, a ton of our favorite villains (and some I was just introduced to), and the back-history of Duke was interesting. This was definitely made for fans of Batman!

"You think Joker is just evil, just pure black, but he's not. He attacks what he loves.”

I would highly recommend All-Star Batman, Volume 1: My Own Worst Enemy to my fellow Batman lovers! Buckle up, you're in for one hell of a ride.

From the publisher: From the #1 New York Times best-selling author of BATMAN, Scott Snyder, comes his newest Dark Knight project as a part of DC Universe Rebirth, ALL-STAR BATMAN VOL. 1: MY OWN WORST ENEMY!

Snyder is one of the most critically acclaimed authors in the comics world, with titles that include the genre-defining BATMAN VOL. 1: THE COURT OF OWLS, as well as BATMAN: BLACK MIRROR and AMERICAN VAMPIRE. But this time, he teams with Eisner Award-winning illustrator and comics legend John Romita Jr. (Avengers, THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS: THE LAST CRUSADE) and critically acclaimed artist Declan Shalvey (Moon Knight)!

In this new graphic novel, Batman finds himself trying to help old friend Harvey Dent…now known as the villainous Two-Face! The Dark Knight accompanies his foe on a cross-country trip to fix his scarred face and hopefully end the Two-Face identity forever. But when the former Gotham City D.A. sets a plan into motion to free himself, the road gets bumpy and every assassin, bounty hunter and ordinary citizen with something to hide comes out in force with one goal: kill Batman! Handcuffed together on the road to Bat-hell, this is Batman and Two-Face as you’ve never seen them before!

Following the success of COURT OF OWLS, DEATH OF THE FAMILY and ENDGAME, ALL-STAR BATMAN VOL. 1: MY OWN WORST ENEMY is the industry-shaking graphic novel for the Dark Knight, with one of the biggest creative pairings in DC Comics history sharing their take on one of the greatest heroes ever in ALL-STAR BATMAN VOL. 1! Collects issues #1-5.

In his introduction to All Star Batman Vol. 1: My Own Worst Enemy, Scott Snyder mentions that after he finished his iconic run on the Batman title, he still had stories he wanted to tell. However, he wanted to take Batman out of Gotham and use new artists to tell each story. Well, mission accomplished with this first volume.

My Own Worst Enemy is a Batman road trip reminiscent of Midnight Run or The Book of Eli. In short, Batman is taking Harvey Dent/Two-Face to a secret location in order to provide him with a "cure" for getting rid of his Two-Face personality forever. To defend himself, Two-Face has promised to release every bit of compromising information on the citizens of Gotham unless they stop Batman. To add to the chaos, Two-Face has promised the combined fortune of Gotham's top three crime bosses to anyone who frees him and stops Batman. Let the madness ensue.

This was a very entertaining story. The road trip aspect allowed the setting to be constantly changing. Also, it allowed for a large number of B list (and C and D, etc.) villains to take their crack at Batman, with often amusing results. Ordinary people were put in difficult positions, and Penguin and his cohorts (the top 2 crime bosses) were desperate, as well. On top of all this, James Gordon and the Gotham police force find themselves compromised as well, due to some information Two-Face has on them.

There were two things I particularly enjoyed about My Own Worst Enemy. The first was the relationship between Batman and Two-Face. Snyder reveals a rather poignant encounter from their childhood, and I found that it added depth to both Bruce and Harvey. (Snyder has become a master at adding background to Batman's past and making it feel very natural, like the reader knew about it all along). I also enjoyed the focus on Duke, Batman's new non-Robin partner. He plays a pivotal role in the story, and his relationship with Batman is just different enough from the Robins of the past/present to add an interesting perspective (Duke also gets a back-up story that adds depth to him as well).

If this first volume of All Star Batman is any indication, Scott Snyder has again got a hit on his hands. If he hasn't already, he is well on his way to establishing himself as one of the top Batman writers ever. I highly recommend All Star Batman Vol. 1: My Own Worst Enemy. It will thrill long-time readers and is a fine starting place for new readers.

I received a preview copy of this book from DC Comics and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Batman has the opportunity to erase Two-Face’s Hyde persona leaving only the “good” Jekyll part of him, Harvey Dent. They have 500 miles to travel to get the cure. Only problem is Two-Face has placed a massive bounty on the Dark Knight’s head and all the rats have crawled out of the woodwork and are gunning for him en route! Will they make it - and will the cure work?

Fucking FINALLY! I knew there was another Rebirth title out there that wasn’t terrible and I found it with All-Star Batman! That said, it’s not a great book. Scott Snyder crams in too much for a five-issue storyline and a lot of it is utter bullshit – this title should really be called All-Star Contrivance!

Two-Face was made too powerful here. Snyder tends to do this whenever he puts a villain in the spotlight - Riddler in Zero Year for example was an insanely OTT characterisation! I could buy that Two-Face has tons of dirt on everyone who’s anyone in Gotham - fine. But in addition he also has access to the top three mob bosses’ finances and can somehow guarantee whoever kills Batman that fortune?? No, I don’t buy that. I mean, how? And that’s not all: he can somehow control the weather and is threatening Gotham with acid rain to burn everyone’s faces to be like his! CONTROL THE WEATHER??? That’s too much, Snyder.

The premise is flimsy at best. Batman just takes Two-Face at his word (already unbelievable) that he has a cure - how did he come up with a cure in the first place, why did he not take the cure when he had the chance and why did he hide it 500 miles away in some remote house on the coast that’s remained abandoned for decades?! It’s such a contrived setup designed purely to make Batman and Two-Face go on a road trip there, conveniently allowing Snyder to write what’s essentially a book-length action scene.

And then there’s all the threats being thrown at Batman because of the impossible bounty placed on him by Two-Face - why does everybody take the word of a lunatic who bases his decisions on a coin toss!? Ordinary people assume if they shoot Batman, he’ll just happily hand them over scads of cash - the rogues too! Why is Two-Face suddenly the embodiment of integrity when he’s done nothing to earn it?? Because there’s no story without this detail.

And STILL the contrived nonsense doesn’t stop there! Great White, Black Mask and Penguin hire KGBeast to kill Batman - ok, he’s actually a viable threat to Batman; except they can’t afford him. You’d think an assassin of KGBeast’s calibre would find a way of checking if they had his astronomical fee, right? Maybe even ask for it completely up front given who he is? But no, he takes the job on the word of a trio of insane crooks. Stupid!

So why am I calling this a decent comic after making so many criticisms? Well, lots of little things. I liked that this was a Batman adventure outside of Gotham so we get to see Batman outside his comfort zone. The set pieces were strong: chainsaw Batman in the cornfield was an awesome visual and the train fight against the likes of Killer Croc was very cool. Bruce’s hunchback mechanic from waaaay back in the day, Harold, makes a surprise cameo and the Bat-knuckles were fun in a silly way. Not all the new gadgets were as good though - the echo-location pecs were ridiculous as was the giant Batarang he’s holding on the cover.

I didn’t love these scenes but I’ll give Snyder that Bruce and Harvey were momentary childhood friends even though, once again, it feels like a contrived detail in an already heavily contrived story. The Gordon/GCPD storming Wayne Manor storyline while Bruce was away was similarly trite - just another facet of Harvey’s sudden absurd reach - but was somewhat tense and the resolution was delightfully daffy. And I really enjoyed John Romita Jr’s art especially when complemented by Dean White’s joyous colours.

The backup story was complete rubbish. Batman and Duke, Zsasz, and Duke’s parents - I have no idea what that was all about, honestly. It was instantly forgettable gibberish. Declan Shalvey’s art was great though, I hope he gets to draw more Batman in the future.

And that’s All-Star Batman, Volume 1: My Own Worst Enemy: deeply flawed but fairly readable and with enough fun nuggets scattered throughout to be entertaining enough. It’s slightly better than the last couple Snyder/Batman books - Endgame and Bloom - but it’s definitely not up there with the best of his New 52 Batman storylines like Death of the Family and Zero Year. It’s still worth a read for Batman fans but don’t expect much either - it continues to feel like Snyder’s running on fumes at this point and doesn’t have any more solid Batman stories left to tell. Unfortunately it wasn’t the all-star read I was hoping it might’ve been.

I really *really* wanted to love this, but got bogged down with the repetitiveness of the plot (Bats & Harvey escape...Bats & Harvey get stopped by another enemy) and the constant double-dealing and 'twists'.

There's a gamut of Batman titles within Rebirth, and unfortunately, this isn't one of the 'must-buys'.

All-Star Batman Vol. 1: My Own Worst Enemy is a welcome return to Scott Snyder, horror writer. In the traditional of Frank Miller's All-Star Batman, this is a Batman mouthier than we're used to and with little patience for his enemies. But despite all of this, My Own Worst Enemy's themes are hopeful ones; those who follow Snyder to All-Star after his pantheon of "Gotham Is" Batman stories will certainly find those themes continued.

This is one of the best Batman titles I've r ad recently. There is so much action and emotion between the covers of this volume. It's also one of the bloodiest storylines from the Bat series. Definitely not for the kids.

I am not sure if this was intentional
or not but the "All Star" of the tittle for
me refers to the creative team.
Scott Snyder who is my favorite Batman author in recent years
and John Romita jr. one of the best illustrators
in comics. Ever.
A fantastic story about Two Face,
who was once Bruce Wayne's oldest friend Harvey Dent ,
Seeking an end to his tormented existence
Dent contacts Batman
telling him a cure is located at the house they spent a
summer at as boys.
Batman fights to get Two Face there
with every villain and ordinary person
in the way seeking to cash in on the bounty Two Face placed
on freeing him.
Batman has to fight across hundreds of miles
through a brutal gauntlet of villains
to try to save his friend's life.
The story is a breathtaking
and stunning tribute to the
artistry of Snyder and Romita.

A thrilling reintroduction to the Bat. Loaded with action and one of Batman's more prominent villains/friends Harvey Dent, this comic endeavoured to strike at the heart of Batman's emotional core and it did it successfully! This was possibly one of the best batman comics I've read purely because Scott did an excellent job at making him human and not just Batman.

This was very, very confusing. Not only did it jump around in time in a way more disorienting than usual for Snyder's writing (which is typically pretty rough to follow in that respect), but even when it was done I really couldn't tell you what was going on.
I've long been pretty happy with Snyder writing for Batman, but this was definitely a low point.

It was a great graphic novel, the illustrations were a little different but amazing.

I'm not normally a DC guy but Batman is a special case when it's done right and, boy, does Snyder do it right here. Gritty, inventive, and kind of heartbreaking, this graphic novel was great.

Scott Snyder brings Batmans struggles vividly to life ably aided by the fantastic John Romita Jnr. A weary battle worn Batman must leave the dark streets of Gotham in a race against time to try to save Two Faces better half, Harvey Dent. Between the covers, all manner of DC regulars turn up to thwart our hero. Will he save the day? Will he survive dastardly plots and esape with his life. Read this excellent graphic novel and find out.

The story keeps moving quite quickly with the arch between Batman and Harvey creating the right amount of tension to keep you wondering where this was going. It’s better if you have background with these characters and previous story lines because it doesn’t lend itself well to those new to the comic world. At the same time it’s light on exposition and background while it focuses on action so you could read this just for an entertainment value so it’s the equivalent of an action movie. I’ve been reading a lot of Rebirth lately and this doesn’t completely mesh with the others so if you are expecting perfect continuity you need to change your headspace going in.

The only big complaint I have is with the artwork. It’s not bad, in fact it’s incredibly detailed, gritty and conveys more information and action in one panel than you’d think possible. But it’s also doing all of this at the extreme end of the spectrum and doesn’t really fit with the story arch. Some of the characters don’t even look like themselves, they’re too dark and unflinching. Then there are panels so full of action it makes it difficult to understand everything without staring at until your eyes go cross because it was all crammed into a tiny space when it needed a bigger one. This is a huge conflict for me because I still can’t get over the talent it took to create this art, it’s just staggering. I think trying to coalesce it with the story is giving me problems because Romita is a genius.

Glad to see Snyder continue on Batman in one form or another. The main story here is a several-issue story regarding Batman and Two-Face, with Batman tasked with taking the villain to a location where a cure for his condition has been stored. Unfortunately, Two-Face has his own plot underway--if Batman isn't stopped, Gotham's villains will have their darkest secrets outed to the police. This was a lot of fun, not nearly as dark as some of Snyder's run on Batman, but with its own moments. With a new Robin in the form of ward Duke on hand, this is a fast-paced and exciting adventure. About the only drawback for me was the John Romita, Jr. artwork, which kept reminding me of Kick-Ass. Romita definitely has his own style, but I've associated it with cartoonish, over-the-top nonsense for too long now and it hampers this story somewhat. The rest of this volume is given over to an introspective story featuring Duke and his parents, poisoned by the Joker during one of his recent crime sprees, and a crime that features the handiwork of Victor Szasz. This worked a little better for me, with more restrained artwork from Declan Shalvey. Curious to see what Snyder and co. have in store for us next.

One thing for sure, Scott Snyder is very good at writing expansive plots that seem to never end. This one is no different: Batman has to take Two-Face several hundred miles to a secret location in which Harvey Dent has planted... something. Through this trek, they face a wide range of bad guys as well as "normal" people after a bounty.

This wasn't bad, but it seemed like I've read this one before. Batman and Dent are accosted nonstop, but nothing stops them, or even slow them down. It actually got kind of tedious, unfortunately.