Batman #149 wraps up just about every plot thread introduced over the course of Zdarsky's run so far. In fact, in many ways it feels like the end of a run. There's a sense of closure and looking towards the future with a brand new status quo that you often get from creators as they…

I've made no illusions about how I feel regarding this series' handling of Zur-En-Arrh as a concept. On a fundamental level, I think it misunderstands both what Grant Morrison was doing when they reintroduced the idea 15 years ago, and Batman's character as a whole. Despite that, I've tried to look past what is arguably…

It's starting to feel like the beginning of the end. This Zur-En-Arrh saga which has been going since the beginning of Zdarsky's run back in 2022 seems to be preparing for its grand finale. The stakes are building, the antagonists are preparing to make their final moves, and the core themes of what this was…

Last month I said that the backup felt like an integral part of the story rather than anything supplementary. It followed up on all the plotlines from Joker Year One, and appeared to be setting up some important developments down the road. Well this month's story opens with the direct continuation of that backup, continuing…

Joker Year One is over, and a lot has happened while Batman and Joker have been talking in their cell. With the intermission out of the way, Batman #145 spends most of its time catching the reader up on everything they've missed. Namely, the fact that Zur-En-Arrh in the body of Failsafe (who, for brevity,…

Here it is, the finale. The climax that Joker's revamped origin-that's-not-an-origin has been building towards. A story's ending can often determine the success of its overall narrative themes and goals. For Joker Year One, that means showing the reader that the Joker's rise to power and journey into insanity successfully creates a more compelling character…

There's a word that I feel perfectly encapsulates this issue's attitude towards the Joker. Unfortunately, I don't think I should use that word in this review, so I'll just say it's excessively self-indulgent and obsessed with the idea of how amazing he is. Everything from the way other characters talk about him to the framing…

The way that Chip Zdarsky has incorporated the multiversal Zur-En-Arrh concept into this story has always been problematic. While it started as a revisiting of a concept introduced by Grant Morrison in Batman R.I.P., it quickly lost the plot attempting to integrate the excessive fanservice from the big #900 anniversary issue. Suddenly, not only was…

Hello, all; I'll be taking over Batman reviews from now on. Unfortunately, Casper suffered severe psychic damage from reviewing Gotham War, and can only review good comics like Batman/Superman: World's Finest until further notice. Batman #139 steps out of Gotham War seemingly looking to start fresh and get back to the type of Batman stories…

Here we are again…I guess. Part 4 of “Gotham War,” and this hasn’t been a good arc. I’d rather not rehash the stuff that I’ve said in my previous review, but I might have to at times because the same issues keep coming up. All things considered, this is a bad story and I don’t…

Well, here’s Part 2 of “Gotham War,” the current crossover event running through the pages of Batman, Catwoman and a couple tie-ins. If you're curious about my thoughts on Part 1, you can check out the joint review that I wrote in collaboration with William—the current Catwoman reviewer—here. Those who have read that review will…

I could spend this entire opening paragraph ranting about event fatigue, and how tired I am of crossovers. But if there’s one thing that I’m even more tired of, it’s the death of the Waynes in Crime Alley, and you can count on DC deciding to use that tired trope yet again in an event…

This is such a frustrating run. Not only have the first two arcs been very disappointing in terms of quality, but it’s also been really derivative of older runs and other stories. It’s a real chore to get through these issues, and I’m afraid this one’s not any different. So to those who want a…

Issue #135 is not only the finale of Zdarsky’s second arc, but it’s also the 900th Batman issue, and it's oversized. More pages doesn’t automatically mean better quality, though, and it's not a secret that I haven’t been enjoying this run. I hope that this issue will be good, but I’m not feeling optimistic about…

I haven’t been a fan of Zdarsky’s run and, unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to get any better. The current arc so far is derivative and filled with melodrama, and the action hasn’t been particularly good, as you can see in my fight breakdown in my previous review. I always want creative teams to succeed, but…

Bruce’s adventures in an alternate universe continue. The first two issues of the current arc weren’t very strong. I remember still enjoying the first chapter, but the creative team started to lose me with chapter two. Going into #133, I’m not feeling particularly optimistic. Will the creative team be able to get things back on…

Bruce is lost in an alternate dimension, where we’re seeing variations of familiar characters, especially from the rogues gallery, including Harvey Dent and Red Mask. The previous issue was entertaining, but the concept of this alternate version of Gotham still seems uninspired to me. Can the creative team up the ante, or is it just…