The popular digital-first series finally comes to print and it’s a must-have for kids!
Issue #1 collects the first and second digital installments that I reviewed several months ago when they were originally released online at comixology. If you already bought these for a dollar a piece for your electronic device then I still recommend you pick it up because of the Chris Burnham variant cover alone. Just look at that thing! It’s the image that accompanied this article and it’s fantastic.
Now I won’t go into too much detail since I have written about each of these stories before so I’ll just get to the point and then link you to the reviews that went up a few months ago.
Li’l Gotham is a fun, all-ages series that for the first few issues is all about Gotham around the holidays. Each holiday a new Li’l Gotham would go online but the comic grew so popular that DC commissioned 2 issues per month rather than leave it holiday special-only. Every comic in the series is written and illustrated by Dustin Nguyen with Derek Fridolfs servings as co-author. The stories are lighthearted and silly and the artwork, made up of vibrant watercolors, is absolutely gorgeous. The painted pictures are, for many, worth the price of admission alone.
The first story is all about Halloween and it’s also the very best Li’l Gotham to be released so far. In fact, many might even call it an instant classic because when next Halloween rolls around this will be one of the very first Batman stories that comes to mind, guaranteed. It’s also one of the best Damian Wayne tales and let’s face it, we won’t be getting many more of those. Not for a while anyway. LI’L GOTHAM #1 REVIEW
After Halloween, of course, comes Thanksgiving. And while this is still a marvelously drawn and colored comic, it’s not all that memorable. Whereas there are several laugh-out loud moments and memorable images in the Halloween special, Thanksgiving’s battle against the Penguin falls way short. Not bad, but nothing you’ll get the itch to revisit when it’s time to carve the turkey next year. LI’L GOTHAM #2 REVIEW
It’s fun, it’s funny, it’s appropriate for fans of all ages, and it’ s something TOTALLY different from any other bat-title currently hitting the shelves. Yes, you’re paying a dollar more than you would have it you downloaded the digital version, but I think that the Halloween segment is so good that it’s worth the $2.99 all by itself. I’ve read it about 3 times since it was first released and it makes me smile every time. If you’re up for taking a break from the grit and gloom of regular Batman comics and have some fun then this is a must-buy. It’s also a fantastic way to introduce your children to the mythology that you know by heart.
SCORE: 9/10
