Just like “Batman and the Mad Monk,” which I finished yesterday, “Batman: Snow” follows Batman in his second year, learning crime-fighting lessons on the job. (Both books even end with an illusion to The Flying Graysons.)
This book show’s Batman’s first battle with Mister Freeze, the cold scientist. Writers Dan Curtis Johnson and J.H. Williams III warmly portray Victor Fries as a doting husband and successful scientist, with an abrupt switch to Crazy that struck me as rash.
At the same time, Batman has a spat with Detective Gordon and starts up his own crime-solving crew. Given that he later chooses to work only with Robin, his relationship with his crew ends badly.
The most distinctive thing about this book is Seth Fisher’s art. I was hoping that Williams III, the artist on Promethea and Desolation Jones, would be drawing Batman, and was sad to see Fisher’s flat style on the cover. But, the more I read, the more fun Fisher’s rough, colorful art became. There are weird moments where steam comes out of Detective Gordon’s ears, and sometimes Batman looks like an overweight guy in a sweatsuit, but his iced-up Mister Freeze is neat, and he does a good job with all the new characters in the book.
What I don’t get is why this book and “Batman and the Mad Monk,” which both were set in Batman’s second year, show Batman in different costumes. This one has Batman wearing the yellow oval, which I’ve always preferred for some reason.