There are a few spoilers for the issue below!
I'm just going to start of the review by saying that this story isn't anything to do with Zero Year despite what the cover says, and even though this was a completely different type of story to what was expected, I loved this issue.
I have to say, Scott Snyder and Marguerite Bennet make one hell of a writing team. I was really impressed by this story, and it had me hooked from the start. The main premise of the issue goes like this, Batman is brought in to test in a new wing of Arkham Asylum, when the Asylum's oldest inmate, the Anchoress breaks out of her cell to attack him. I don't want to say much else and I really don't want to spoil the Anchoress' backstory, because I feel like the motive it provides is interesting and not you're average villain's sort of motivation.
The scene set inside the Mind of Batman is the real highlight in the issue, though. It brings up a character that I've been wanting to see more of, even if it is just a cameo and in the form of a vision. And the next character that shows up in this scene really hits at your emotions, I won't say much about it because I don't want to take away from the impact of it.
The art, now. Honestly, at the start of the issue I wasn't a fan of the art, I felt like the faces that Wes Craig had drawn looked a bit off. However, as the issue got further and further in, it kept growing on me and by the end of the issue, I was really enjoying the art. One thing I do have to say though is that from the beggining, the one aspect of the art that was good and stayed good was Batman, and I guess he's the most important part of the issue. God, Wes Craig draws a good Batman.
I think this issue struck at the heart of what an annual should be, in my opinion: An extra, oversized, self contained and exciting dose of one of your favourite comic book characters. That was definitely achieved here.
Overall, a great, well written issue with a really interesting villain. The premise was brilliant and the art developed the more you saw of it.
Rating: 10/10
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