This is my favorite issue of Rebirth so far.  It's also one of my favorite issues period and one of the best payoffs to an arc that I've ever read.  It's that good...trust me!  Highly Recommended. Read Full Review

Batman #5 is typical Tom King which, as previously stated, is nothing short of spectacular. There is no awkward set-up for The Monster Men or sluggish pacing. Instead, there is remarkable character work, gloomy foreshadowing, and a beautiful statement on the relationship between Batman and Gotham. It took King a few issues but he has truly achieved excellence here. I have not been this optimistic for the future of Batman in quite some time. Read Full Review

I haven't felt this way reading a Batman story in years. The power, the drama, the definition of what Batman is, the visuals…They all are outstanding. DC, this Rebirth has been more than successful. Read Full Review

Overall, the plot of this book gives us a satisfying conclusion to Gotham's arc. It is action-packed, explosive, and filled with great jaw-dropping moments. There's some fantastic character development of Alfred, Batman, Duke, and Gotham Girl. Of course, as always, the art is spectacular, helping make this a gorgeous and fun read. If you haven't read issues 1-4, you totally should, but you'll have a lot of fun reading #5 even if you haven't. Read Full Review

King's Batman is proving to be the most exciting slow burn story ever. What I mean is, you'll finish the issue feeling excited, think about what happened and realized not a lot actually occurred, but that's okay — because you can't help but crave the next piece of the story. Read Full Review

Tom King crafts a powerful climax to his first arc in Batman #5. Gotham and Gotham Girl took some time getting used to, but have grown into relatable characters that manage to shed light on Batman's influence on the city he protects. As their battle comes to an eventful end the only thing lacking is motivation. Dr. Strange and Psycho-Pirate set our heroes on this path, and yet still remain absent from the story. Regardless, this does little to take away from the poetic tale of Batman and the Gothams. An emotionally gripping start to King's reign on Batman. Read Full Review

This is an excellent finale to what has been the beginning of the era of Tom King on Batman. King is an incredibly talented writer but at the start of this arc, I knew his biggest hurdle was going to be not falling victim to the shadow cast by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo. Now, at the end of his first arc, I feel comfortable saying that King has laid the framework for an iconic run of his own on the Batman title. David Finch's art has been consistently praiseworthy and I definitely hope to see him return for a future run but I understand the need for a change due to twice-monthly shipping. Bottom line is that this is an exceptional issue of Batman that I highly recommend getting your hands on. Read Full Review

Though the first arc displayed some growing pains, Batman #5 is every inch the blockbuster that this title deserves to be. Read Full Review

The art is more of the same. Finch is probably the best hes been in a long time, and Jordies colors are on point. The roughness of the issue is fully on display, bringing a touch of Capullos much lauded style to the pages. The Gotham presented here at the end is easily distinguished from the Gotham from the beginning of the story back in June. His visual arc has been as interesting as his character arc, and in comics, isnt that what were looking for? Read Full Review

The first arc of Batman wraps up on a high note as Tom King and David Finch chronicle the violent clash between the Dark Knight and the fallen hero known as Gotham. This issue looks great, and it also delivers an effective blend of humorous moments and darker drama. If you weren't sold on the new series and its status quo before, this issue might just change your mind. Read Full Review

All in all, the writers do a great job of tying up this story with Batman #5, whilst simultaneously leaving it open to further expansion. We can't wait to see what they do next. Read Full Review

Here we find ourselves at the end of the first arc of King's run on Batman, a slow build to the big finish. As usual with King he builds the world and story in the first few issues and then drives it home fast and hard in the following issues. This is no different, the first four issues gives the ensuing fight the weight it truly deserves and circles back around to the I am Gotham moniker. Read Full Review

We finally learn the weakness and full origin of the mysterious new heroes through some feel-good Duke Thomas moments and it pays off because it looks like we're going to get another main character added to the Bat-ranks. Read Full Review

Batman #5 is strong conclusion to an arc that has certainly had its problems, but none big enough to hamper one's enjoyment of the story "including within this issue " but we're getting a different version of Batman than we have in the last few years,which when combined with the moments of brilliance within the series so far more than compensates for the odd crack in the wall. Read Full Review

"I Am Gotham Part 5" is an amazing read! Here we get great action and also a great story! King does a great job with the pacing of the book which gives you action and emotion on virtually every page. Finch multiplies the awesomeness further by giving us great artwork with it! Each panel from explosions, to confrontations, to the smallest emotional moment is done with painstaking effort. I've enjoyed Finch's work on this book so far and can't wait to see more of it. My only hope is that next issue we finally see Batman catch up to either Psycho Pirate and Strange"and don't forget that the government and Amanda Waller are still involved too! Definitely check out Batman #5, it's worth the read!!! Read Full Review

Tom King has some rather unfortunate obsessions. They are understandable, considering his background. But they are clear, nevertheless. PreviousBatman author Scott Snyder was fascinated by the idea of Gotham as a living, evil entity, almost a spiritual power in the tradition of Stephen King's dark musings about Derry, Maine. King explicitly disavows the idea of the city as a living, thinking thing, dismissing it as a collection of glass and brick and concrete incapable of taking action against anyone, including the grieving hero Gotham who is determined to take out his pain on the metropolis he wanted to save. Instead, King layers his own interpretation on the Batman mythos, a filter of tragedy and frustration in which well meant, ignorant action only makes things worse for everyone, including the would be saviors. It is consistent with his previous work inOmega Men andSheriff of Baghdad, although not his stories forGrayson, which figured a hero ill-suited to such themes. Read Full Review

The issue ends as if to suggest the end of the I Am Gotham storyline yet the perpetrators are still on the loose. It'll be interesting to see how King resolves the story. With some major developments and a tragic conclusion, I Am Gotham part 5 ended strongly. Hopefully King and Finch can keep the momentum rolling with the next story arc. Read Full Review

Of all the Rebirth/relaunch books that I've been checking out and going forward with, Batman is the one that I'm feeling the weakest on. It's also the only bi-weekly book that I've been reading as well, so I have more material to work with. I like aspects of what King does here with the story and I love Finch's layouts and all the work with the art team in giving it power and impact, but the overall first arc just feels weak and without enough of a strong hook. The ending stinger here is enough to get me to come back to see what the next arc is like after the epilogue issue the next time around but this is a book that has to still earn the subscription button from me at this point. I have plenty of faith in Tom King based on his other works but there comes a point where you want to invest only so far and part of me wonders if I'm just not able to connect with the main Batman books anymore as well. Read Full Review

Yet by the last page of this issue, it's clear that King has other plans " and that just as Batman (and his readers) are finally getting steady and comfortable, he's going to pull the rug out from underneath everyone soon enough. Of course, the problem with serialized comics is that you can't just tease the future " the here and now has to also feel engaging and exciting. In that regard, Batman #5 succeeds with some caveats, as King and Finch raise the stakes by pitting the Caped Crusader against a foe that is way out of his weight class. There are still some rough edges that could stand to be smoothed out, but this is certainly the best issue of this run yet. Read Full Review

Still, the nature of Batman stories requires that they can't have a Justice League solution, so no, Gotham isn't defeated by a well-placed Superman punch, impossible as it sounds. King goes for something much more clever than that, and it works. Read Full Review

This brings us back to Tom King's story which is, now that all is said and done, an interesting, if underdeveloped opening arc. I love the involvement of the Justice League (an obvious option almost every Batman writer ignores) even if it amounts to little beyond a cameo in the long run. In all honesty, I was such a fan of King's work to begin with that when I started reviewing Batman, I wanted desperately to like it. Unfortunately I didn't, but now, with one arc finished, the book has a chance to redefine itself as something worthwhile. Here's hoping it can pull it off. Read Full Review

Even without the presence of a big villain, 'I Am Gotham' managed to deliver when it counted. It's not quite the end of the Gotham twin story, as is evident by the reveals of Batman #5, so let's see where King and co take us next. Read Full Review

As King closes out his first arc, he presented some interesting ideas, examinations of the characters and intriguing hints for the future, but a bit more time could have been devoted to fleshing out Gotham and his state of mind. Still, King and Finch depicted a great fight between Batman and Gotham and how much danger a young, reckless man could do with such power. Read Full Review

The ending, while appearing conclusive, doesn't feel satisfying or, well, even like an ending. This is Batman's comic, but he's just standing to the side, an afterthought in a panel that should be more fraught with emotion, especially given the rollercoaster ride that “I Am Gotham” has taken us all on. Read Full Review

I would never use the word "bad" to describe the contents of this particular issue, but I was definitely left feeling a little confused and unfulfilled. Read Full Review

Although it may not be fair to compare a five-issue arc to one that spanned eleven, this sure didn't leave me reeling like The Court of Owls/City of Owls did. I hope King rebounds with upcoming issues because he really is a good writer. But perhaps when his grand plan is laid bare in a year, we will look back more fondly on this in retrospect. For now, I have mixed feelings. Read Full Review

Five issues in and Tom King' and David Finch's Batman series reads very much like a highly skilled athlete who just can't seem to put it together in the Olympics. The book is a good looking one, with plenty of great ideas, but the execution and questionable characterization turn it from a potentially great book into a missed opportunity. Read Full Review

Overall, King's fifth issue stands as a symbol of his first arc overall. It's inconsistent, with glimmers of both excellence and mediocrity, and mostly rests in the middle somewhere. I'm looking forward to more from the new series, but even if you don't unfairly compare it to his predecessor Snyder's brilliant debut run, it's hard to argue he will be running uphill for a while until he can get Batman back on track. Read Full Review

Tom King tries to set up an epic showdown between Batman and Gotham, but I don't feel like he's laid down near enough groundwork or character work to make this issue work. Batman #5 is disjointed and disappointing. Read Full Review

Up to this point in the series, I've been enjoying King's writing and Finch's fantastic art. But with this issue, I've truly become a fan. The philosophical musings of King are pretty apparently with the death of a certain character and the climactic fight over who or what Gotham really is. I'm in for the long hall now.

Great comics happening here. This arc has had my favorite art from Finch and the art fit the story tone perfectly. The end to "I am Gotham" was tragic, deep and dark. I'm not usually the biggest Batman fan, I tend to be a bigger fan of the quality of writing and art he gets out of creators, but here Batman's unflinchingly selfless heroism, to stand up for the possibilities of a better Gotham and to shoulder burden without being broken by it is a true inspiration. Loved this issue. My favorite single issue of a DC comic since Rebirth started.

King finishes strong. Could've fleshed out the story, I guess. I really enjoyed this arc!

This conclusion was exactly what I wanted. Tom King shows once again why Batman is truly the greatest hero ever and his insanity and David Finch's art is, as always, breathtaking. For me, Tom King is a perfect author for this series and it promises even better stories for the future. And Alfred as Batman is one of the most funny situations I've ever read in comics!

If anyone was going to be Scott Snyder's successor on Batman, Tom King had to be on a lot of people's short lists. The former CIA operative turned comic book writer has a handle of good comic book action, as well as an intriguing story. This issue marks the conclusion of the first story arc, and it ends on such a great note. The idea of Gotham's powers is brilliant, and the heights he goes to in his battle are amazing. Batman's voice is fantastic, it fits King like a glove. The final resolution to this arc is also great, really casting Gotham in a sympathetic light, and showing how far Batman will go to save his city. Also, he hits Gotham with the Batplane - that's just objectively awesome. The one flaw of this arc has been the lack of characterization for Gotham Girl. She gets a bit more panel time in this issue, but it doesn't make up for four issues of not knowing much about her. Hopefully there's more to learn. David Finch deserves credit for drawing every single issue of this arc, as the biweekly schedule has to be a bear to meet. His art is great, much better than his work on Wonder Woman from the New 52. more

The best part of the arc so far; the conclusion brings a shocking conclusion and more exciting revelations to a previously slow-moving arc which leaves us in lots of suspense about what is coming next. The artwork and colours were really great - particularly in the larger panels - and actually fairly unique in style compared to the other books on the market; another reason to love this series. If there was one flaw to this issue, it was the choice to include the Justice League in it for a few panels- this really wasn't necessary whatsoever (other than to illustrate quite how powerful Gotham is) and detracted a little from the story I feel. That said, the dialogue was well-written, seeing Alfred as Batman was fun; and I'm liking where the story is going. So overall, Tom King's run is shaping up nicely... and this was a great issue for me. more

I'm finally all caught up on Batman. This issue brings the I am Gotham arc to an end. With appearances from the Justice League. The art is very well done once again and the dialogue is as good as any other issue in this series so far. The ending is a bit of a shocker and it looks like this series is about to go in a completely different direction now.

Really good story, but very dark themes as well. Tom King is doing Batman incredibly, with this issue setting up what will appear to be major stories in the future. Would read and recommend to any comic fan.

After a seemingly sluggish start to King's series, Part-5 was a welcomed, well-written ending that promises a hopeful future for the Batman series. King delivers a strong story that adds considerable (and needed) depth to Batman's character. Notably, King showcased the dynamic relationship between the Dark Knight and his beloved city. King managed to capture what Gotham, an endless, bottomless pit of vice and criminality, needs: a hero willing to save it no matter the cost. Over the past year, depictions of Batman in the film industry have shied from away from Batman's true character and his relationship with Gotham. Now, King has given us depth to this character as a hero willing to fix a hopeless, broken city despite the impossibilities surrounding this crusade. There is something incredibly heroic and tremendously depressing about King's Batman (and I am hooked). Give this a read if you can. more

One of the best issues so far by King. The initially slow, confusing pace has come to an end and the showdown is here. I like how King implements a lot of characters in this issue, showing how Batman is not "alone" in his journey at all, although external help comes sometimes with a little too precision at the convenient moment. There's an interesting use of lines, that refer to the actual story, but also to a sort of meta-story: Batman's relationship with Gotham (the city this time); problem is, in this issue Batman does very little of relevance to actually be the ACTIVE protagonist of his show, as he just stands there waiting for someone to come and help: this may become a pivotal theme in the future, but for now it just depowers our hero.
Finch is in his natural element here, with so many chances to draw powerful, violent images of Gotham going berserk and Batman with his friends doing the same to stop him.

The teasing ending was unexpected, but as serialized comics teach us we'll have to wait and see what those mysterious and ominous words really mean: for now, the series is working, although it could be refined under some aspects. more

We finally get an exceptional issue out of Tom King, this is easily the best issue in his run thus far, the Alfred moment alone is worth the price of admission. The climax went by a little too fast though, blink once and it's over.

Strong and emotional conclusion to the first arc, although its cliffhanger get is awkwardly integrated.

It's good. Just not Tom King good

Good ending, killed by crummy scripting.

She's apparently a villain, as revealed in issue 50. Sorry. Spoiler.

comics were meant to be fun . . . . . . . . . . but you DO need some level of Suspension of Disbelief! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . this series from the VERY first issue has thrown that Suspension of Disbelief right in the garbage!!!! . . . . . . . . . . . . . Batman riding an ejector seat up to an airplane, or Gotham Boy & Gotham Girl running off and magically buying themselves Super Powers, or Batman being omniscient to figure out Gotham Boy had an itch took off his mask and a soldier saw his identity and killed his parents, these are just so silly they take anyone with a grain of common sense right out of the story!!! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . now we have Gotham Boy (still with no real explanation of how he's become empowered) take down the ENTIRE Justice League!!!!! . . . . . . . . . . Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, the WHOLE gang!!!! . . . . . . . . . . but somehow Batman is STILL standing!!! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . this IS NOT good comic writing!!!!! . . . . . . . . . . NOT . . . AT . . . ALL ! ! ! ! ! ! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i will say at least there was a funny moment with Alfred, but it just isn't enough to outweigh the cons of the story!!!! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David Finch draws his usual beautiful artwork! . . . it's always great to see him draw the members of the Justice League. . . . it's just too bad the JLA got taken out in this story like a bunch of punks for a BAD punch-line!!! more

DC has been treating the Justice League very poorly.