Title: All-Star Batman
Story arc: Ends of the Earth
Volume: 2
Stand-Alone: No
Universe: Dc Universe Rebirth
Writer(s): Scott Snyder
Illustrator(s): Jock, Tula Lotay, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Francesco Francavilla, and many more!
Publisher: DC Comics
Format: Paperback
Paperback Release Date: March 20th 2018
Pages: 144
Genre(s): Comics, Science Fiction
ISBN13: 9781401277895
Previously on Rebirth’s All-Star Batman:
My Own Worst Enemy (Vol. 1) by Scott Snyder
Scott Snyder is the man! I have yet to run into a story concocted by him and to have been utterly disappointed by what he delivered. His vision is always fresh and innovative. There’s simply little room in his mind to be redundant and inconsequential in Batman’s canonical stories. After making such a big name for himself with the New 52 Batman series and lately with the insanely huge and cataclysmic Batman-centered event, you sort of expect to be wow’ed by his writing. All-Star Batman is however his outlet to delivering not only well though-out stories, but to also explore art in ways that have not been done before.
Ends of the Earth is a four-part story that collects issues #6-9 of this series. There’s also a bonus story arc that concludes “The Cursed Wheel” that began in My Own Worst Enemy. At first this second installment seemed extremely short and scared away all expectations I could have as my brain kept on telling me that it might not have enough pages to deliver something worthwhile. Who could with just four issues, right? Good thing that Scott Snyder is a man with a particular set of skills who could turn the dullest things into the most prized possession.
The main story arc is what I would describe as poetically tragic. Each issue could be seen as a chapter that focuses on a particular villain. With the artwork being swapped around between different artists (Jock, then Tula Lotay, then Giuseppe Camuncoli and back to Jock), the style adds dramatic value to the story that Scott Snyder tells. With a lot of depth in his writing, themes of death and life, as well as passion and desire, are weaved into each villain’s core motivation. It’s not even just about exploring why they do what they do, but to see who they all do it for.
The artwork isn’t exactly something that will appeal to everyone. The drastic change from one issue to another is pretty apparent and some of them might work much better than others for fans. What I liked about this particular alternating-style is how it all blended well with the writing for each chapter; instead of looking at it as a whole. The way the final chapter also wraps things up makes it even more neat and impressive. This really isn’t a Batman story. It’s all about the villain’s, and Scott Snyder does an impeccable job in bringing into play each of these villain’s particular personality while making sure that the artwork did justice to the darkness and cruelty in everyone’s life.
The artwork in general also doesn’t follow the conventional structure you’d find in comic books. What Scott Snyder and the artists on this creative team do on that regard is really intriguing. It destroys the fixed pace so that it can have its own rhythm, and it really plays well with the poetic writing. The colours are also very distinctive from one villain to another. It’ll feel like you’re in a trance reading some of these stories. It can also be argued that some of these villains also make it inevitable to go through that very psychedelic experience.
The Cursed Wheel storyarc is probably the least important and also the least interesting part of this volume for me. It has nothing to do with the main story arc and rather continues an identity crisis story around Duke Thomas. It’s sort of like an origin story for the character and clues fans into where exactly Duke Thomas finds his suit, name and purpose in life. While it wasn’t the most captivating thing out there, it still had Scott Sndyer’s signature all over it and made it ultimately intriguing in the ideas it was trying to convey.
Aiming for something that goes full circle and ties it all together with a nice twist was really ambitious, but Scott Snyder knew how to deliver it. Ends of the Earth is a great volume that continues to prove the world why he’s one of the greatest writers DC has ever known. I’m definitely pumped to see how the next volume goes.
THANK YOU TO PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE CANADA FOR SENDING ME A COPY FOR REVIEW!
MY OVERALL RATING: ★★★★☆
Have you read it yet?
Do you plan to?
What do you think about All-Star Batman: Ends of the Earth?
Share your thoughts with me!
Till next time,
Roars and Echoes 
Dang, it’s good to see you reviewing again 😀
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Feels good to be back too hahah I appreciate the love, my friend. 😀
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It’s good to see you back 🙂 well not to mention the awesome review this is and I hope I read it ASAP .. 😉
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Thanks Priyasha! It’s definitely nice to get back to reading and sharing with all of y’all!! ❤
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This sounds amazing! I love a good, complex villain. Digging into how they ended up the way they are is always so fascinating to me. I don’t have to like a character to want to know all about them – sometimes it’s just so interesting to read about the most abhorrent people.
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It was special! All four main villains were given that layer of complexity throughout the story and it ended being really awesome as a final product. And yes! Humans are fascinating. Good or evil! 😏 Thank you so much for reading Lydia!! I’m always so happy to hear from you.
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Your presence is always missed my friend! Wonderful to see you review in my inbox 🖤 Always awesome to find GNs writers who we love and can count on as well. Sounds like Snyder is where it is at for you! I would be curious to see more of the artwork. I am not sure I have ever encountered any sequential arts where the style changes throughout. Great review!
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Thank you so much Danielle hahahah I see why y’all always want to apologize and are saddened when you have to take a hiatus now 😂 We just got to stay AFK or at least away from blogging if we want to remain sane 😁 Yeh, the art style changes significantly from one issue to the other. I tried to show one picture per issue to highlight it in the slideshow but couldn’t go for more without including spoilers hahah Still a pretty awesome series so far!
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Haha Lashaan I do not foresee either of us remaining AFK 😂 looks like sanity just is not in the cards my friend.
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I really liked Ends of the Earth. It was an intriguing story, Snyder always manages to come up with innovate ways to tell a story with Batman. Great review 🙂
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Yes! I’m glad to hear you agree. I’m definitely a fan of his work for that very reason. He’s like the new Grant Morrison of our time. Thanks for reading, Paul! I really appreciate it.
P.S. I so need to drop by your blog soon! Saw that you got around to playing GoW!!! How are you loving that masterpiece so far? 😏👌🏾
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Indeed, I’ve enjoyed nearly all of Snyder work, especially his creator owned stuff, as well as his great run on Batman. You’re welcome, always enjoy reading your articles and reviews. Yes, I’ve been really enjoying God of War PS4, what an epic game! 🙂
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Great stuff mate, it’s always infectious to read a review of something that’s so positive and thoughtful and this definitely sounds like quite an inventive arc for All-Star Batman. Rotating artists on a series is always a negative for me but it’s good to hear that it’s something that’s utilised to creative advantage in this volume.
Did you ever read Scott Snyder’s pre-New 52 Batman work on Detective Comics (collected as “The Black Mirror”)? I actually think it’s his best Batman stuff and well worth checking out!
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Thanks man, and it really is. I totally understand what you mean about the rotating artists in just one story arc. I hate that too. This one however proved that it can still be done. The artwork goes well with each villain’s powers and personality. I do have to say that some artist have weaker strokes than others though. And artwork appreciation is very subjective too after all.
Bruh. The Black Mirror was one of the first stories I read when I got into the comic book world. It’s how I discovered Scott Snyder too. It is due for a reread though!
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Likewise, I haven’t read it in a while myself!
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Lashaan returned and conquered! I swear this review just knocked all the reviews of ever out of the park! 🙂 I love your appreciation for Snyder’s work and honestly- to me you’re like the connoisseur or comics so I will take your word on the greatness of this GN without a shadow of a doubt 🙂
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Hahahah you’re too kind Liz! I am honoured that you think of me like that even if I have yet to have read everything and become the know-it-all of the business (I do aim for it cause art is awesome, but stories with art is even better). 😀 While I know a bunch of peepz out here aren’t huge on comic books and anything graphic, I still hope that someday everyone will give any comic book (even non-superhero ones) a shot and understand that the medium has something to offer! I know I’ll probably never stop posting my thoughts about them! 😀 Thanks for the visit Liz! 😉
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Batman is back!
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It will be a sad day if he wasn’t! 😉
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The Batz!!!💖💖💖 Awesome Review, Lashaan.😍 I’m so glad you’re back!😎
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Thanks Dani! I appreciate the kind words! You’re awesome! 😀
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You’re welcome and I appreciate your support as well, my friend!💙💜💙
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Really sounds like Snyder did a fantastic job- awesome review!
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He sure did! He’d have to try really hard to fail me at this point! 😀 Thanks for reading! ❤
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Scott Snyder Has impressed me as a man who can’t do anything the typical way, lol. In a way that’s really spot on as stories are recycling right now and so writers are being more clever (or oh so stereotypical). I like the art I see in your pictures. Though the idea of the art changing seems a cheap way to get out of paying one artist, though it could certainly be the opposite and we get something from a bunch of badass artists. 😁
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Hahah that is perfect then. He is a man with many ideas and who isn’t scared to try them out. I can’t tell if it’s really about money, buy I was glad that the alternating artwork (with multiple artists) worked well for here, for once. 😂 I’m usually not a fan of it.
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