Batman's inclusion in this title seems like something of an afterthought, as he shows up in an inconsequential first page and, of course, on the cover. No, this is not Sam Kieth on Batman, it is Sam Kieth telling the somewhat odd story of a teenage werewolf who falls in with a group of freaks and finds himself facing a monster on their behalf. It is somewhat odd, especially in terms of the appearance of the characters, but it seems a little too grounded and normal when compared to Kieth's surreal masterpieces like Zero Girl and The Maxx, which means it isn't as effective a read for longtime Kieth fans like myself. However, for those who have never encountered Kieth's infectious brand of benign weirdness, Scratch might be a good way to dip your toe into the pool of this idiosyncratic and very talented artist.
I've come to expect a certain level of "What the hell?!" when reading Sam Kieth, so I was surprised and a little disappointed at how straightforward Scratch #1 is. Kieth explains everything right off the bat, from the origin of Sage and her freakish children to the truth behind the kidnapping of a young girl to the nature of Scratch himself, and while that's great from an accessibility standpoint, it doesn't do a lot to draw me in. It's all so normal and routine, and everything from the townspeople's reactions to freaks to the burgeoning relationship between Scratch and Sage (if only in his own mind) is the kind of thing I've seen before. That's not a complaint I've ever had with Kieth before, and so I'm left feeling like Scratch is Sam Kieth lite, toned down to appeal to the wider DC crowd.
However, while this doesn't have the weird concepts and fun of something like Zero Girl or The Maxx, Scratch still does have a touch of the trademark Kieth imagination, and that makes it worth a read, at least. The group of freaks that Scratch (or Zack) finds himself in with are likable and interesting characters, not just visually but in terms of their believable childlike personalities, and Zack himself has a gentleness to him that makes for an excellent contrast with his bestial nature. We don't see much of that bestial nature, actually, so his Scratch incarnation comes across less as a character and more as a deformity, which is an interesting take on lycanthropy.
The big selling point of the book of course is the artwork. Again, on Scratch, Kieth's work seems somewhat more restrained, less imaginative and wild than his creator-owned work, but that doesn't mean the art here is disappointing. His designs for Scratch, and for the strange beast that he faces at the end of the book, are exceptional works of physical power and bestial danger. Probably the most impressive visual, though, is the simple one for Sage Perkins, who has a beauty about her despite her obvious unusual appearance. Kieth's talent for making the unusual attractive and weird-looking is one of his greatest talents.
Scratch is, as I said earlier, something of a Sam Kieth primer. It dips its toe into weirdness, but is something of a straightforward tale of a young boy with unusual powers. How he will interact Batman, and where his story is going from here, is unknown, although not unknown to such a degree that it leaves me with a great deal of suspense. Fans of Sam Kieth may find this all a little tame in comparison to previous works, but those who check the book out because Batman is on the cover may find themselves exposed to a talent that they never would have found otherwise, which is a good thing.
