Battle for the Cowl # 1

Who is going to wear the cowl? Who's going to try and take the mantle of the Bat? Can Gotham survive the transition? After reading this issue the answers are clear
I don't know. I don't know. And Probably.
I will say that I haven't read much of Mr. Daniels work before, but I found this issue to be filled with all the Batmany fun a fan could ask for. We have Gotham in chaos, Arkham in shambles, criminals all manipulating one another to be the high man on the totem pole.
What I found interesting though, is this story follows Tim more so than it does Dick. Perhaps a bit of misdirection or maybe each issue will be focusing on different characters. Regardless, The story really shines in two areas.
The first being Gotham in ruins and the effects it has. Almost every street level hero in and around Gotham you can think of makes a brief appearance. Black Mask rounds up a treasure trove of Arkham inmates and forces them to work for him. He seems to have an overwhelming desire to see Gotham burn.
The second shinning light of this issue, is the conflict between Dick and Tim on how to handle The Mantle of the Bat. Tim adopts the "We need a Batman to protect Gotham" approach while Dick goes for the "There is only one Batman and that's Bruce Wayne" approach. What I find interesting is how their conversation echoes a lot of fan debates over the issue of Batman's legacy. It's clear there will be a new Batman in June, but there are those who think like Dick in saying that only Bruce Wayne can be Batman while others would love to see the idea of a legacy being carried out by Bruce's children.
We also get to see the development of Damian as a character and his relationship with the rest of the Bat-World. We kind of see Dick taking an older brother/father role to him for a few pages near the end. It is interesting to see Damian as something more than a ruthless, spoiled child and as a vulnerable, terrified little kid.
Of course the issue isn't without it's fair share of problems. We are all forced to suspend our disbelief that none of the other heroes would show up to help Gotham out. I believe in this time setting, Superman and Wonder Woman are gone, but where's Green Lantern? Where's the Justice Society (all of them)? Where's the Flash? I know they all have their own things to deal with as far as stories go, but it is just hard to swallow that NONE of Bruce's old teammates would show up to help. Luckily, if you can suspend your disbelief over that issue, the story itself is rather well constructed.
Some of the art is spotty in some places. Most of his long distance and splash pages are a little rough, but Tony does a great Job on several key scenes (like Dick in the Bat Cave looking at the Bat Suit like a child) to really bring the emotion in them.
All in all, it was a great opening issue to kick this big time event off. I highly encourage everyone to go pick it up. Oh and if the review isn't enough, there are two Batmen in this story
8.5/10
See you in a few weeks for Army of One