Batman: Knightwatch #1 is a comic that’s releasing, in part, to celebrate Batman Day 2021. The all-ages-friendly book preserves Gotham City’s distinctive noir flavor, but with an added cartoonish flare that is less Batman: The Animated Series and more Super Friends. Batman: Knightwatch #1 is first and foremost an issue aimed at a younger comic readership. While the rather corny dialogue and strange characterizations of Bat-Family members can feel a little over the top, Knightwatch is a supremely entertaining read for its target audience.
Written by J. Torres, drawn by Erich Owens, and colored by Carrie Strachan, Batman: Knightwatch #1 contains two short stories that are connected by a singular plot point, Knightwatch. “A Cloud of Bats,” follows Batman‘s chase of Arkham escapee Clayface as Batgirl collects helpful cues from social media to aid Batman in his pursuit. “Black Ice,” follows Batman and Batgirl as they race to rescue Nightwing from Mister Freeze, who’s been stealing jewels to fuel his mysterious villainous agenda. Both stories of Knightwatch are presented in a similar visual and narrative style, which creates a cohesive final product.
Batman: Knightwatch #1 is concerned with simplifying the Batman mythos into bite-sized chapters for kids to easily grasp. This is most successful when it comes to brief summaries presented via caption, or its straightforward dialogue. However, the simplicity begins to distract from the overall product when iconic characters are boiled down into easily digestible versions of themselves. Had Knightwatch been the very first attempt to dial down Batman into a children’s book, the degree to which these characters were dumbed down might be acceptable. But, plenty of reincarnations of the Dark Knight have been aimed towards young audiences — the most successful of which have proven that Batman need not smile more often nor deliver largely clichéd speeches to succeed. While Batman: Knightwatch #1 is a colorful, entertaining book that kids will surely love, it reaches no higher than this.
With a visual style reminiscent of the ’90s, Knightwatch‘s art style lends itself to depicting recognizable characters quickly. With uncomplicated and flashy panels, the book never manages to capture the spirit of the characters so much as the settings they inhabit. But in terms of sheer clarity, there is undeniably much to be said for the style and accessibility of Knightwatch‘s pages. The book’s subject matter will win its audience over faster than anything, and the interior does an admirable job keeping Batman and his friends front and center. Kids will love the books’ easy-to-track panels and exciting illustrations, but past keeping its younger audience interested, once again, Knightwatch doesn’t aim any further.
Batman: Knightwatch #1, like plenty of youth-targeted media of our time, puts the bulk of its emphasis on the power and potency of the internet and social media. As something that kids today are constantly surrounded by and engaging with, referencing and creating a Batman-driven social media concept will likely be a familiar idea to many kids enjoying the issue. While the inclusion of a social media narrative might draw in some kids who otherwise would become disinterested in the story, the concept feels forced. This isn’t to say the idea of Knightwatch is a bad one, it simply reads as half baked.
Batman: Knightwatch #1 is recommended for young Batman fans of all ages. The book is flashy and dramatic with some fun twists and turns along the way, culminating in an issue that kids are sure to enjoy. But overall Knightwatch never manages to reach the heights of other all-ages DCAU content like Batman: The Animated Series or The Justice League. Comic fans looking for spiritual successors of that caliber should look elsewhere.
About The Author
