I keep having mixed feelings about this Batman run. On the one hand, I think it’s safe to say that Zdarsky and Jiminez are having a lot of fun as I sense enthusiasm and synergy in these issues. On the other hand, I’m not feeling some of the narrative choices that the creative team is making. So, let’s not waste any more time and have a look!

First things first, I’m not entirely on board with the Zur-En-Arrh stuff. For one thing, the scene where Zur explains himself to Tim is pretty clunky. It reads like Zdarsky is trying to explain to his readers what Zur-En-Arrh is, which makes the dialogue between Zur and Tim sound rather inorganic. Furthermore, I don’t really see why Zur even needs to be in this story. Unless Zur will turn out to be absolutely vital to the plot later, it all feels like unnecessary fan service to me. Another thing is that it’s going to invite comparisons with Morrison’s run, and I don’t think that that is going to work in Zdarsky’s favor. I’d rather a new writer establishes their own style and tone for the book than immediately leaning hard into what a legendary creator did before them, and either save callbacks like these for much later or leave them out altogether. The bottom line is that, for me, Zur-En-Arrh’s appearance feels forced rather than earned, and I’m not sure if I agree that this story couldn’t work without this character.

But here’s why I’m having mixed feelings: despite my criticisms, I do have to admit that seeing this character running around and saying his quirky lines is fun! I like how Jiminez draws him—he still looks like Batman (the bright colors notwithstanding), but there are subtle differences in the way that he moves and holds himself. I also like how overly confident he is, to a point that he almost has no regard for the well-being of the body that he inhabits. This recklessness is what makes him a force to be reckoned with.

Unfortunately, that does lead into another critique. Failsafe is definitely an intimidating villain, who, in his own right, is a force to be reckoned with as well. The other Bat Family members are afraid of him, and with good reason, seeing as he totally wiped the floor with them last issue! Zur-En-Arrh, though, does not give a damn about Failsafe, and that is precisely what makes me wonder why I should still give a damn. I liked the story better when it wasn’t Zur, but Bruce himself, who had to try to fight off this unstoppable foe that he himself created while still being at least somewhat afraid, because that gives me a greater sense that there’s something at stake here. I get that thematically Zur is a “failsafe” as well, albeit of a different kind than the villain of this arc, but the connection feels more forced than organically integrated into the narrative.

Yet, the action continues to be incredible! Even though I’m not getting as much enjoyment out of the writing as I had hoped, I do really like that, so far, this run has been non-stop action from cover to cover. Jiminez is a master of sequential fight choreography and I love how he seamlessly changes the perspectives and angles and layouts for dynamic visual storytelling. Morey’s colors add a pretty sheen and polish to Jiminez’s impressively consistent pencils and inking. At times I find myself thinking that perhaps Morey’s colors are a bit too bright and vibrant for a Batman book, but it seems clear to me that Zdarsky is not only writing to Jiminez’s strengths, but to Morey’s as well. When you have a colorist that can pull off vibrancy while still maintaining a sense of grit, it makes sense to include lights and lasers and explosions and a Batman in a brightly colored costume. Whether or not you’re a fan of the story, it’s undeniable that these guys really understand their own craft and enhance each other’s.

Before we move on to my commentary on the backup, there is one more thing that I want to address, and that is the fact that the inner monologue continues to be way too edgy for me. There’s an entire passage where we see Batman lying on the ground, and Bruce starts thinking about how his current situation might lead to a good death. While I think this theme of a “good death” works for a book like The Dark Knight Returns, because it is used way differently there, I do not think it works at all in a story like this, set in the main continuity. I don’t want my Batman to give up, or even so much as consider giving up, but that is how the scene in this issue comes across to me. In general, I wish Zdarsky would reign in the hard-boiled, edgy narration, otherwise his story will start to read like self-parody to me, and in this case that is not a good thing.

As it turns out, this month’s backup is supposed to be the finale of “Two Birds, One Throne,” but it doesn’t feel like a finale at all. The story tries to resolve the plot, but to me it feels like things are just cut short and rushed, resulting in a story that doesn’t really go anywhere.

Overall, the artwork looks decent, except that I still think that the colors look too shiny, which almost makes the visuals look like they’re made of plastic. But what’s even more baffling to me is that Penguin appears in this comic in disguise, and we know it’s Penguin because he’s being addressed as Oswald, but his entire facial structure does not resemble Penguin at all. Speaking of which, I don’t agree with Penguin’s characterization here. I don’t mind that he wants out of the crime business, but his voice sounds off and I don’t like how he talks about Batman being like an addiction to him. To me, Penguin has always been a crime boss that doesn’t actually want anything to do with Batman. It’s the other villains that are obsessed with Bats, whereas Penguin’s just obsessed with money and power.

Either way, I don’t like how this backup ends, and so I end up disliking the story as a whole. I recommend skipping this, because there really isn’t much to see here.

Recommended if…

• All you need is Zur-En-Arrh!
• You’re looking for a comic with non-stop action, the whole way through.
• Hard-boiled narration is your jam.

Overall: Some of the things that I enjoy in the main story are also things that I end up criticizing, hence I’m having mixed feelings. This issue is well-drawn and technically well-executed, but I think Zur-En-Arrh is introduced way too early and some of the inner monologue is overcooked. As for the backup, well, it just ain’t it, chief. As such, I can only recommend this issue for the main story, because at least there’s still fun to be had there.

Score: 6.5/10

Disclaimer: DC Comics provided Batman News with a copy of this comic for the purpose of this review.