Absolute Batman #1 goes out of its way to differentiate itself from its “normal” counterpart by subverting reader expectations with twists on classic Batman tropes, emphasizing the universe's distinctive tone. The story's over-the-top approach to its violent world manages to avoid coming across as self-parody thanks to the sincerity of Scott Snyder's writing and impressive artwork by Nick Dragotta.

Absolute Batmancontinues to deliver on its promise of exciting action flavored with Scott Snyder's signature extreme style. More than that, however, it takes the time to build out its world and create a robust supporting cast, each with their own interesting twist on established formula. With its second issue, the series proves that it can keep the momentum from its dramatic debut going.

Absolute Batman #3 continues to fully embrace the absurdity in how over the top its action is. It even manages to have its cake and eat it too by making its characters point out how ridiculous things like a giant dump truck Batmobile really are, while still savoring every minute. The issue is more exposition heavy than previous ones, but a combination of exciting action and interesting world building keeps it from ever getting boring.

Absolute Batman #4 reveals the origins of this new, brutal Batman. His ingenuity, perseverance, and willingness to succeed at any cost have always been there, but they just needed time to coalesce into a formidable dark knight. The fill-in artwork does not quite live up to the standards set by the rest of the series, but still manages to capture the grit of this darker Gotham.

Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta continue to deliver a spectacularly brutal Batman that's a joy to watch. Black Mask serves as his terrifying mirror image, a symbol to the people of Gotham to give up on any semblance of order and simply revel in its destruction instead. While the series' excess might not be for everyone, it gleefully embraces its extreme melodrama.

Even in this series where everything is taken to the ridiculous extreme, Scott Snyder lets the core of the character shine through in a brilliant testament to what Batman is about. It can take many forms, and regardless of whether it's in a contemplative detective mystery or something as action packed as this, what matters is that Batman will never stop caring for those around him and will fight like Hell to protect his city. Past all the muscle and metal, Absolute Batman is a story filled with heart.

This new arc takes a slower approach to Batman, as he investigates the conspiracies surrounding a Gotham now under martial law. The mystery slowly turns to horror when the gruesome realities of what's happening to the victims of the new “Ark M” project come to light. Guest artist Marcos Martn and colorist Muntsa Vicente's vibrant yet disturbing visual style bring this unsettling atmosphere to life.

Batman #139 starts out incredibly strong with a back-to-basics approach to Batman that feels both compelling and fresh. The art and writing set the mood perfectly for its psychological noir thriller tone. However, the cracks begin to show with an overreliance on call backs to far too many other titles. This would be fine if not for the fact that it all culminates in a reveal that sinks any hope of what seemed to be a straight forward Batman story, instead turning yet again into an overly convoluted premise.

Batman #140 goes all in on the concept of Batman media references, rivaled only by the big milestone issue earlier this year. What was originally just indulgent fanservice now weighs down an already trite premise of whether Batman needs his family. Aside from those call backs, there's hardly any narrative meat here as it speeds through an arc we've seen plenty of times before. At the very least, Jimnez makes the nostalgia trip a visual treat.

Batman #141 never quite makes Zur-En-Arrh work as an antagonist, but if you're willing to ignore that and just enjoy an exciting chase sequence between Batman and a killer robot, it can be a lot of fun. As an action set piece, Jimenez' art d0es a lot of the heavy lifting to make the spectacle work, even if you never quite escape the narrative problems underlying everything going on.

What's clear from the opening of “Joker Year One” is that this is a story that has no reason to exist. Learning the details about how Joker met up with his old gang isn't interesting, and hearing his thoughts as he slowly becomes the Joker we know only takes away from the mystique of the man who went mad after one bad day. The adage about humor being like a frog rings true for Joker's past as well – dissecting it might give you more information, but it dies in the process.

The second chapter of Joker Year One is an emphatic declaration of how incredible it believes the Joker to be. It's exhausting listening to everyone's narration, both past and future, about his unrivaled and unfathomable mind. Nothing is a step too far as what was once a chaotic clown who commits crimes is elevated to narrative godhood that the world revolves around. Maybe his sales numbers justify this culmination to decades of power creep, but his seeming omnipotence only makes him less interesting and more annoying.

The final chapter of Joker Year One contains shockingly little Joker, but perhaps that's for the best. With him gone, the story shifts its focus to James Gordon as the Red Hood Gang launches its assault on GCPD headquarters. It's an exciting, if unremarkable action sequence to round out this three-part story. When Joker does appear, it reverts back to waxing poetic about how amazing he is and making you question what the point of all this was.

Batman #145 sets up the next arc where Failsafe is in control of Gotham, ruling it as an authoritarian Batman pretender. It jumps from one character's perspective to the next so that we can see how everyone responds to the crisis. Not much actually happens except laying the groundwork for this all too familiar status quo. The backup serves as an epilogue to Joker Year One, with all of the Joker-centric world building that entails.

Batman #146 is irritating to read. It opens with the same sort of Joker aggrandizement that has been happening since Joker Year One, going so far as to say that seemingly every Joker story ever written has been part of a master plan tied to this Zur-En-Arrh plot. From there, the rest of the story is a combination ofpointless fights and wild mischaracterizations in order to fuel drama between Batman's allies. No one much questions whether Batman would become an evil tyrant, which is honestly understandable given the way he's been written in this run so far.

Batman #147 is a story about how one copes with not having total control and needing to trust others. As a lead in to the upcoming Absolute Power event it makes sense and works well, but feels somewhat out of place with what the larger story has been about so far. In many ways the calm before the storm, its quiet moments allow for dramatic tension as well as reflection on what might not work with the overall narrative.

The climax to whole Failsafe/Zur-En-Arrh plot acts only to highlight all of the problems that have accumulated thus far. The nonsensical foundation for its entire premise cracks under the weight of even more retcons, contrivances, and tenuous leaps of logic. Finally, Jimnez's art is not sufficient to save a ultimate fight which relies on fake-outs that are both predictable and exasperating.

In what feels like an epilogue to Zdarsky's entire run so far, status quos are reverted and toys are put back in their boxes. Unfortunately, it's all done so haphazardly that it feels like an anticlimax. As everything is wrapped up, it's easy to ask yourself “what was the point of all this” and not come up with a satisfying answer. Hopefully whatever the future of Batman has in store will be more meaningful.

Batman #150 is a smaller scale story that focuses on a single, low level crook who gets caught up in all the events that have happened over the past couple years. The emotional impact of that narrative is hit or miss, as is its attempts to showcase all the various events from other Gotham-based titles. If nothing else, it acts as a breather as Batman transitions from one blockbuster-style storyline to another.

As a tie-in to Absolute Power, Batman #151 offers a middling heist story that acts as a detour from the main event while still keeping somewhat connected to its ongoing plot. The dynamic between Batman and Catwoman is better than it has been in the recent past, and the action is enough to keep you engaged the whole way through. It probably won't be the most memorable part of Absolute Power, but it's suitable for anyone looking to supplement it.

Batman #152 takes a setup with potential and squanders it entirely. What should have been an action-packed issue filled with excitement is instead just a series of boring non-fights that get brushed aside so that the story can wrap up its tie-in to Absolute Power. The writing is certainly not helped by its slapdash art, which is only slightly made up for by Mattia De Iulis' beautiful painting in the backup meant to promote Birds of Prey.

Batman #153 kicks off a new chapter of Chip Zdarsky's run by focusing less on the secrets of Batman's past and more on social commentary of the present. From wealthy philanthropy to violent nationalism to cryptocurrency, it seems to want to tackle as many hot topics as possible. Unfortunately, that commentary feels haphazard in its attempts to tie broader political issues into the narrative at hand. If this approach is going to work moving forward, it'll need to more deftly handle such complex subject matter.

Batman is drawn into a mystery with very familiar story beats but no clear answers, while groups of anti-charity protestors set the stage for an authoritarian “superhero” antagonist. It's still too early to definitively say much on either the detective mystery or social commentary in Batman #154, but both elements have begun establishing what the central conflicts will be, if not how they'll fit together.

Batman #155 eschews the larger than life and wild plotlines that have defined this arc so far (and arguably the run) in favor of a grounded detective story that feels like the kind of Batman comic fans have been wanting for years. Instead of sweeping societal messages and shocking twists about characters' origins, the issue keeps you invested based solely on the mystery at hand and the compelling character work that surrounds it.

Batman #156 squanders what narrative potential it had by placing everything behind a contrived and unsatisfying mastermind. Previously interesting aspects such as the murder mystery and the involvement of the Court of Owls are rendered irrelevant while the comic opts for a simplistic explanation in hurried anticipation of the story's ultimate conclusion.

For all its faults, Zdarsky's run did have a largely planned out story with narratives that took the ideas set up in the very beginning through to the very end. However, that story ended with Batman #149. This final, bonus arc keeps the dubious understanding of its central characters but replaces the concluded Failsafe/Joker plotlines with an incoherent political message that fails to say anything meaningful.

The opening chapter of H2SH is almost a direct continuation of the visuals, storytelling, and tone of the original Hush over twenty years ago, for better or worse. From the cavalcade of character introductions to the mystery plot stringing them all together, fans of the original should feel right at home, while critics might not find enough has changed to win them over. So far there is little information as to what Hush's new plan might be, but the story goes to great lengths to try and (re)establish him as a credible threat.

Batman #159 is a rehash of every argument Batman and Jason have had over the past twenty years in the worst way. It would be exhausting enough if it were just the same conflict as always, but this is actually a major regression of their relationship to recreate its status quo from when Jason was first resurrected. In order to get to that point, it requires everyone involved to act in absurd ways so that every ounce of melodrama can be squeezed from them. What results is a story that will only upset fans of the characters.

Bereft of any creativity or joy, Batman: FaZe Clan #1 just a hollow corporate shell of a product designed to promote brand awareness. I'm sure you'll be happy to learn that the FaZe/Batman-branded merch that is prominently displayed throughout the comic is available for purchase, but aside from that there is little to be gained here. The plot is a paper thin excuse to showcase how cool FaZe Clan is supposed to be, but just comes off as aggressively insistent. This is an advertisement through and through, but if they were going to charge money for it then they should have at least made it an enjoyable one.

The debut of Batman and Superman's most iconic villains in what is usually one of the best DC titles is sadly a bit of a disappointment. With Superman and Batman largely absent, the story relies on Joker and Lex to carry it, but they're given very little to do as they follow a treasure map from one scene to the next. There are moments where their personalities shine through, but they are too few and aren't what drive the story. The backup offers an exciting glimpse of the upcoming arc, which hopefully looks to be a return to form for the series.

Just as you'd expect from a story like this, it's full of over the top exciting action and ridiculous powers, giving Mora and Bonvillain's art a chance to shine. The “I can do whatever I want” aspect of their abilities can make identifying the stakes or rules of the conflict a bit hard to parse out, but if you move past that and just enjoy the spectacle, it's a lot of fun.

Batman/Superman: World's Finest #27 is a continuation of the previous issue in almost every way. It keeps the same frantic energy and bombastic, over the top action that made the last one so entertaining to read. The individual fights don't always feel important to the story and it can get bogged down at times with the exposition, but the gorgeous artwork and self-aware silliness make those small complaints for anyone interested in some wacky adventures.

Batman/Superman: World's Finest #28 is able to weave emotion and introspection into what was already an exciting and bombastic story. The cartoonish action continues just as before, but now with an added level of character-driven drama. Once again World's Finest is able to stand above its peers as one of the best series coming out of DC right now.

Batman/Superman: World's Finest #29 is a beautifully drawn finale to the “Impossible” arc that narratively feels more like a wrap-up than a climax. Its obligatory big fight against the bad guy is filled with all the spectacle Dan Mora consistently delivers, but the resolution to that conflict ironically feels too mundane, despite the half-a-dozen or so magic users involved. Nonetheless, it's still the fun time one would expect from the title.

Batman/Superman: World's Finest #30 is a wonderful telling of the DC trinity's first time teaming up together. Its single-issue length is filled with mystery and action as Gleb Melnikov's art brings the story to life. The addition of Wonder Woman makes for a thrilling adventure on the fantastical island of Themyscira, and shows why the three have earned their status as the pillars of DC Comics.

This newest arc of Batman/Superman: World's Finest gets off to a fun start, if one that's bit too predictable. In a series where harkening back to a simpler time in comics is often its strength, it arguably loses sight of the storytelling techniques that add needed complexity. That being said, it still looks to be the sort of colorful superhero adventure that fans have come to expect.

The overall appeal of the series still remains, but rushed and poorly executed plot elements make it difficult to hold it in the same exceptional regard as in the past. Too often the endearing character moments and fun action is overshadowed by diversions that don't go anywhere or underdeveloped resolutions.

While these intermission issues can often be fun romps that stand out as highlights for the series, Batman/Superman: World's Finest #34 unfortunately ends up being rather boring. The plot itself is almost glossed over, which would be fine as a framing device, but there is little interesting comedy or character moments to fill in the gaps.

With exciting action and a straightforward yet dramatic plot, Batman/Superman: World's Finest #35 feels like a return to form for the series. The battle under the sea between the warring factions of Atlantis is small enough to keep the stakes personal, while still grandiose enough to make for a theatrically engaging story. All of this with excellent artwork by Adrin Gutirrez and Tamra Bonvillain that makes the most of the underwater setting.

The three storylines of this issue each go off on their own, but for the most part manage to stay individually engaging. The Floronic Man fight keeps the reader's attention while the political and romantic subplots simmer along in preparation for next issue when presumably they'll boil over.

All of the storylines for this arc get wrapped up in nice little bows, but perhaps they could have used more time to feel fully fleshed out. There are a lot of big, high level concepts for a comic to cover in only three issues, and in order to finish on time many conflicts are resolved within a few pages, if not a single conversation. That being said, the overall adventure is still fun as the comic often is, especially the primary plot of the battle against Professor Woodrue.

So long as people aren't expecting to actually see the opening chapter of "We Are Yesterday, this comic provides a decent one-shot of the World's Finest teaming up with Flash to fight some gorillas. The story and art can feel a bit rushed at times, but it's a fun enough adventure.

Akash: Part 3 of "We Are Yesterday reminds us how fun villain team-ups can be with all these different antagonistic personalities clashing against one another while working together. Grodd continues to be a compelling villain as the plot is fleshed out further. As for the John Stewart backup, I doubt I'll remember what happened in it by the time this review is a day old.

Batman Beyond: Neo-Gothic #1follows up on Batman Beyond: Neo-Year by hitting all of the shortcomings of its predecessor. Its bright visuals can't distract from clumsily handled social commentary and overly ambitious attempts at profound writing. The problems of old are compounded with the questionable addition of a half-human, half-cat sidekick who spends too much of his presence making cat puns.

Batman Beyond: Neo-Gothic #2 manages to pivot towards an approach to its story that resonates on a personal level. Still too much time is given to pontificating monologues, but when it's able to let the characters be characters, it succeeds. Its intriguing journey and exciting action sequences are only somewhat dampened by an ever more ill-suited anthropomorphic sidekick.

Batman Beyond: Neo-Gothic #3has plenty of interesting ideas with ultimately uninteresting execution. The focus is put on all the wrong aspects of the story instead of what could make a truly compelling tale. There's plenty of flashy, well drawn fights and villains, but beneath the surface there's simply nothing of any depth to give it the meaning it purports to have.

Batman Beyond: Neo-Gothic #5is a bad comic. What once was a series that relied on spectacle over substance doesn't even have spectacle to rely on anymore. The plot beats are a mix of disposable afterthoughts and bewilderingly bad narrative decisions. Anyone who is a fan of the classic DC characters featured in this issue will walk away either disappointed or angry at their mishandling. The saving grace is knowing that the story is almost over.

Batman Beyond: Neo-Gothic‘s finale ends as frustrating and pointless as the rest of the series. Batman's story is relegated to an irrelevant brawl between swaths of nameless action figures that accomplish nothing. The focus, instead, is given to the relationship between Kyle the Catboi and a John Constantine whose motivations are both hackneyed and unrecognizable to the character you know and love. The best part of this story is that it's over.

Batman Beyond: Neo-Year #2 struggles due to not giving enough focus to any of the ideas that it puts forth. Either a high concept science fiction story about an antagonist with a shared consciousness, or a gritty detective story of Terry working in the shadows while the city itself is out to get him could have been really interesting. However, since neither of those premises are given enough space to fully develop, what's left is a story that feels inconsequential.

You can tell the kind of story that Lanzing and Kelly are trying to tell, but they're struggling with the execution. They want to say something meaningful about about how the rich abuse their power for personal gain, but they're written as such caricatures that it loses much of its bite. They want to write a detective story where Terry investigates how to track down the Gotham AI, but he hardly does any investigating and is so passive that plot events need to happen to him. The book is not bad, but it can be frustrating to clearly see the writers' lofty ambitions while failing to live up to them.

This is a well done fight issue that's tense and exciting. It's fun to read a story where it feels like the hero is constantly has their back up against the wall and can barely keep going. The attempt to tie that fight to something deeper is commendable. However, that connection is often tenuous and doesn't always work the way the story wants it to when you step back and think about it.

Batman Beyond: Neo-Year #5 is the best issue of the series yet. It takes the time to slow down from all the action and look at how everyone has been affected by everything that's happened. These moments of introspection allow Terry to grow as a character in meaningful ways, which can be a rarity in a lot of comics. The dark, cramped artwork work alongside the narrative to create an atmosphere that brings emotions to their lowest point in preparation for the big finale.

Far from the crescendo that the series was building up to in recent issues, Batman Beyond: Neo-Year #6 highlights all of the problems the series has had up until now. What interesting ideas were suggested up until this point turn out to be damp squibs as they're resolved hastily at the last minute. The writing frequently attempts to punch above its weight class but fails; it has all of these deep ideas that it wants to tackle like corporate greed, emergent AI, and systemic corruption, but none of it is explored in more than a superficial manner. It's flashy, but no matter how hard it wants to be something more, beneath all the spectacle there is not much there.

Batman: Legends of Gotham #1 is an adventure where Red Hood infiltrates a criminal lair. It's a fun premise that mostly works, but is brought down by long-winded dialog/exposition, some questionable narrative logic, and an unsatisfying ending that seems to be meant to tie into some other unnamed story. Pick it up if you want more Red Hood stories, but this doesn't do much to set itself apart for a character in need of a clear direction.

Instead of exploring the character on a deeper level like the series' namesake, Batman: One Bad Day: Clayface #1 falls back on tired clichs, and in the process actually flattens what depth Clayface already had. The fact that Basil Karlo was an actor becomes his sole character trait to the point where nothing else about him matters. Some truly impressive art is not enough to elevate this middling story to anything that will define the character.

Batman: One Bad Day: Ra's al Ghul #1focuses less on exploring the character of Ra's al Ghul, and more on using him as a soapbox to oversimplify important global issues. Doing so requires that Ra's' character and motivations be altered, and the world itself bend over backwards to fit that rhetorical goal. It's a comic that wants you to come away thinking “wow, maybe Ra's was correct” but can only accomplish that by creating the perfect scenario where he would be, regardless of whether it makes sense.

This first issue of Batman: The Adventures Continue Season 3 is a marked improvement on the first two seasons. It tells a focused, self-contained story that's both engaging and dramatic. Muscle is elevated from a generic thug to a three dimensional character who struggles with how to handle being betrayed by his employers. The art is moody and is able to make every page feel alive with emotion and movement. Seeing a one-shot like this that uses the drama of minor characters to flesh out the world of Gotham is a real return to form of what made Dini's original comics so great.

Batman: The Adventures Continue Season 3 #2 is a team-up story between Batman and Harley Quinn that can never quite figure out how to meaningfully include them both. The addition of a new character tied to both of their pasts feels contrived, and forces retcons which are hard to buy. A mix of messy artwork and muddled story results in a disappointing second issue after such a strong debut.

Batman: The Adventures Continue Season 3 #3 is an interesting first chapter that manages to introduce a lot story elements, but it's unclear how well it will follow through. It leans into the story's mysteries which provide an interesting angle to explore the new characters, and allows their pasts to shape the conflict. The success of the rest of the story hinges on how compelling of a character Straightman will turn out to be.

Batman: The Adventures Continue Season 3 #4 is a bit of an awkward read. There are plenty of story beats thrown in, but you're jerked from one to the next so suddenly that it feels disjointed. Taken on their own, the individual scenes vary in quality from stiff to engaging. However, the overall story never comes together into a satisfying narrative.

After a shaky first couple of issues, Batman: The Adventures Continue Season 3 #5 manages to deliver a solid finale to the Straightman story. It's an exciting climax while still being genuinely funny, which is critically important when writing the Joker. The pacing can at times still feel hectic as it jumps from one scene to the next, but it still remains engaging all the way to the end.

Batman: The Adventures Continue Season 3 #6 sets the pieces for the series' final arc with just enough intrigue to make you want to know what will happen next. Ra's and Talia are as scheming as ever as they draw you in for one last story. The logic for how everything comes together doesn't always make the most sense, but it's never so egregious so as to spoil the narrative.

While not all of the plot threads are fully realized, the story still feels satisfying as an ultimate finale. From Joker's wacky hijinks earlier in the season to Ra's' grandiose master plan here, there's enough of an exciting climax to make the ending feel worthwhile. With a smile and nod to camera, Batman and Robin's drive off into the sunset moonset lets you know that, yes, the adventures will always continue.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold #1 is a mostly really solid collection of distinct stories, ranging from suspenseful thriller to action packed team-up. Not all of them work, but for the ones that do it's a wide array of first chapters that show a lot of potential.

it's a story that I'm very split on. It showcases some of King's best and worst tendencies as a writer. It takes an existing concept and adds layers of depth and complexity, but at the same time feels the need to press that perceived maturity to the point where it loses sight of what makes the story work.

Aside from the first one, every story in this collection manages to successfully do what it sets out to. Stormwatch continues its action filled missions, Superman explores the importance of memory, and Batman fights a vampire lord in a gothic Gotham. Batman: Brave and the Bold #3 continues the series' pattern of offering up a satisfactory collection of tales.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold #4 is a rougher entry than the first three. A combination of obligatory tie-ins and questionably paced beginnings leaves little to highlight. Nothing is so notably bad that you won't be able to enjoy at least some of it, but still an overall forgettable entry in this anthology series.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold #5is ultimately a passable collection of stories. Most of them are fine, but there aren't really any standouts like in previous issues. All but the black and white short story at the end are middle chapters of ongoing narratives, so unless you're already invested in those there isn't much here to recommend.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold #6 is a collection of mostly good stories that would work better in another format. They're often either the opening to what is clearly meant to be an ongoing, or a story broken up into too small of chunks to flow properly. The highlight is easily the final short story by Sean Lewis and Javier Fernandez.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold #7 is a varied collection of mostly new stories. Each of them offer something different that still manage to entertain in their own way, whether that be a lampooning superhero satire, a pulpy underwater sci-fi, or an atmospheric supernatural detective story. There should be at least something here for everyone.

, “Pygmalion” is a story that does a great job exploring the character and motivation of what it means to be Batman, but struggles to find a well structured plot to attach those observations to.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold #9 wraps up multiple stories, including Tom King's Joker story which debuted in the very first issue. The quality of the stories themselves ends up being inconsistent. The best is Wild Dog's, which manages to get you to genuinely care about a character initially presented as a riff on superhero tropes. However, both of the actual Batman stories are dragged down by focusing on meta-analyses of the character that don't quite work.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold #10 offers a new start for all of its stories, and they mostly deliver well enough. Nothing here particularly stands out above the rest, but there should at least be something for everyone. Returning to Gotham Academy is fun, and Watters' humorous take on Batman's obsession with perfection makes for a good way to close out the collection.

What's here is fun and exciting, but feels like a step down from the previous issues due to its lack of novelty. The characters continue to be well written and the art shines in both big action scenes and conveying the subtlety of characters' emotions. I'm invested in seeing where Bruce's journey will take him next. However I hope that this doesn't become just an extended version of the same globetrotting training montage we've already seen so many times before.

Bruce learning the spy game is interesting and at times thrilling; it could just use more space to really flesh out the concept.

Batman: The Knight #6 gives the series a much needed break in the story's pacing to focus on character development, but it's unfortunately cut short to focus on Anton's story. The time spent examining what the "no kill code means for people from different circumstances is the kind of introspective story that I want to see from this series. It's a shame that less than half the issue gets to be about that, while the narrative focuses on a character that often feels like they don't belong.

Batman: The Knight #7 is a great look into Bruce's first exposure to the world of magic, and his relationship with Zatanna. The book uses magic as a way of examining Bruce's perspective on the world, and how it has left him intractable to anything that he can't control. This is the kind of story that I've been wanting from this series: a character study framed in the context of learning something new about Bruce's life. Aside from a somewhat repetitive tone and art in some parts, this is an excellent origin story.

Batman: The Knight #8 gets far too distracted by all of the disparate plot elements it wants to introduce, causing it to lose focus on Bruce's character development which is what the story was supposed to be about. Anton's return feels like an intrusion as Bruce is forced to constantly think about what he's doing. The story is as well illustrated as always and the brief moments we get to see Bruce grow into Batman are well done, but that is quickly derailed by the introduction of a series main villain that feels unnecessary.

Batman: The Knight #9 delivers a new spin on the first time Bruce and Ra's al Ghul met, moving it back to before he even became Batman. Some of the changes offer a refreshing new modernization to the fateful encounter, while others feel unnecessary or even detrimental to the dynamic it's meant to be establishing. It's no small task to try and rewrite such a famous Batman story, fitting it into a new Batman origin no less, and Zdarsky responds to the challenge with mixed results.

This final issue is fast-paced and action-packed, but fails to satisfyingly justify the overall premise of the series as a whole. Transforming Bruce's entire pre-Batman training into one continuous story is restrictive more than anything else, and having Ra's as his final challenge does not work for so early in his career. It's great to see the lessons learned over the course of the series come together so that Bruce can prevail, and the art makes that triumph compelling to watch, even if critical turning point which brings him there feels flimsy.

This issue is a mixed bag. We got two different looks at what it's like for a young hero to fill the role of vigilante, an Etrigan story with maybe more action than there was room for, some political commentary, and a bit of Alfred playing detective. While most of the stories aren't anything spectacular, Chris Burnham's opening chapter of The Pennyworth Files was incredible and I look forward to reading more chapters soon.

Catwoman: Lonely City #1 is one of the best new comics I've read in a long while. It creates an atmosphere of nostalgia and manages to zero in on what people like about Batman comics by exploring a scenario with all of those signature elements taken away. The characterization feels natural and three-dimensional, evoking sympathy when you realize the circumstances the characters have been put into. It's a story of very human struggles set against a backdrop of an exploration of what Gotham is and what it means.

It's a funnier story than the first issue, but that in no way takes away from the heartfelt character moments that make everything feel so meaningful. The importance of costumes and what they can mean is a new theme introduced this issue, and it's one that helps really understand the impact a character like Catwoman can have.

For the most part, Catwoman: Lonely City #3 continues the excellence that the series has held up so far. It further explores Selina's personal feelings towards her relationship with others, and how much she is willing to open herself up to that sort of vulnerability. The issue hits you with emotional despair that makes the stakes feel personal and real. However, the latter half of the story struggles a bit to find ways to get the plot where it needs to be.

Catwoman: Lonely City #4 is a great ending to a great series. It ties together the core themes of the story in such a way that elevates everything up until now. While some of the plot lines may not have had as much time to breathe as they might have deserved, the series finishes as a wonderful character-driven story with rich dynamics and a complex look at our relationship to their world. If you've been waiting for the series to finish to check it out, it's time to read one of the best comics all year.

Detective Comics #1074 leans into its atmospheric storytelling by using setting to explore the central characters. It makes little headway in terms of plot progression, but its diverse set of characters and perspectives keeps your attention the whole way through regardless. No one in Gotham quite understands what's going on, and the story pulls the reader into that same mindset as conflicting accounts coupled with surreal art paint both a city and hero in chaos.

just an incredible short story that explores Bruce's emotional trauma in a poetic and visually beautiful way.

Detective Comics #1076is in many ways a transitory comic. Both the main story and the backups seemingly exist to wrap up the events of previous events, and set up what's to come. It's mostly all very well drawn and consists of individual scenes with good character moments, but there's a sense throughout that the story itself is incomplete. The series' pacing issues continue to plague the overall narrative.

Detective Comics #1077is an atmospheric story that drags its feet delivering anything but atmosphere. The art and writing do a wonderful job immersing you in the desperate city of Gotham on the brink of collapse, but the story is content to cover largely the same ground as the previous issue. What plot we do get raises questions about the details of how and why everything is supposed to work. Watters' backup provides a refreshing tale of family and the struggles that come with letting yourself be close to the ones you love.

Detective Comics #1078 is a beautifully written, and even at times poetic, chapter in this “Outlaw” intermission. The plot gets kicked into high gear as Catwoman launches her plan to rescue Batman from the clutches of the Orghams, and seeing its realization is a delight. The art and action blend into a gripping sequence that keeps the reader eager to know what will happen next. The action gives each of the characters a chance to shine, and Watters' backup continues to shed light on the supporting cast.

Detective Comics #1079 is a beautifully illustrated climax to the "Outlaw arc's heist plot. It expertly connects the threads from the past three issues into one exciting story, making all the buildup worth it. Every twist and turn in the action keeps you glued to the page as the story manages to keeps its cards close to the chest until just the right moment.

Detective Comics #1080 wraps up this intermezzo arc with tantalizing possibilities for what lies ahead. It thematically closes the chapter on Gotham City for Batman himself, while having also set up the remaining characters with their own stories to tell. If Ram V can continue the level of quality for the rest of his operatic saga, it could be remembered as a truly great moment in Batman storytelling.

Detective Comics #1081 opens the new “Elegy of Sand” arc with a introspective look inside Bruce's mind. It questions what his identity truly means to him and whether he controls it, or if it's the other way around. Its presentation creates an almost etherealness as the narrative explores Bruce's spiritual journey of discovery and recuperation. All of this is accompanied by Riccardo Federici and Lee Loughridge's water color art that only further bolsters that same dreamlike atmosphere.

Detective Comics #1082 creates a Socratic dialogue on the effectiveness and morality of Batman's war on crime. By framing Hurt's visions against the reality of Gotham, it's able to show why the city needs him. It's a unique narrative structure that lets the rhetorical debate play out through actions rather than words, creating an extremely compelling story. Each side is reinforced by the gorgeous visuals by both sets of artists, and gets you invested in what will come of his psychological struggle.

This finale to the “Elegy of Sand” intermission acts as a celebration of Batman and an affirmation of his values. By pitting him against his antithesis in the Orghams and Dr. Hurt's mind games, the story digs deep into what makes him work as a character and uncovers a more holistic person in the process. The arguments presented confront real world critiques of Batman through an organic yet compelling narrative. Ram V manages to skillfully weave heady ideas about who Batman is into this thrilling triumph.

The opening chapter to Ram V's final act builds a sense of anticipation and excitement as Batman finally returns to Gotham. The stakes are laid out and the characters are moved into position for the final stretch building towards the run's climax. At the same time, V doesn't abandon the focus on politics and psychological motivations that have defined his story up until now, hopefully setting up a satisfying conclusion that will tie everything together.

Detective Comics #1085 shows a new kind of Batman. Both in tactics and in disposition, he's able to finally move past his childhood trauma in order to act as a more well-rounded human being as he takes down the Orghams' oppressive state from the underground. It's a much grittier atmosphere than what we've seen from this title recently as it lays the groundwork for the run's final act.

Another issue in V's run that's more buildup than anything else, Detective Comics #1086 still manages to bring together the story's larger ideas and flesh out its narrative themes. Aside from a brief detour devoted to the Joker and his plan to cause mayhem, the writing and artwork both maintain a consistent, haunting atmosphere that keeps you invested as to where this conclusion might lead.

Detective Comics #1087 is at once both the climactic payoff to years of build-up, and yet more build-up for what is to come. With all of the planning and plotting out of the way, much of the issue centered action sequences as the fight over Gotham begins, but each individual story thread only gives brief glimpses into their true, final end.

As a climax to the Ram V's extended saga, Detective Comics #1088 delivers. It plays all the cards that it's been holding close to the chest for months now, and it's exciting at every step thanks in no small part to Guillem March's masterful artwork. All that's left now is to see if it can stick the landing in next month's finale.

Ram V's finale to his gothic opera delivers in every way fans could hope. The long web of carefully planned ideas and themes culminate in an ending that strengthens and emphasizes everything that's come before. While the run has often been criticized for its slow pacing, seeing everything together as a whole highlights its strengths and allows the friction of its release schedule to fade away. V's Detective Comics will hopefully be remembered as the triumph in storytelling that it clearly is.

Tom Taylor's first issue of Detective Comics clearly sets up what the main themes of the story will be. It circles questions regarding Batman's moral code, where they came from, and what their consequences might be. In order to do this, he goes back and introduces several significant changes to Batman's past that tie it back into the events of the present. How much this works depends on your tolerance for retroactive coincidences.

Detective Comics #1091 takes the time to explore all of the ramifications of the actions taken by the characters thus far. Such a breather works this early in the story with the expectation that the threads will be picked up later. In the meantime, it's interesting to see just how Batman reacts to the question of “who decides who lives and who dies”, even if the responses are a little on the nose.

Detective Comics #1092 lives up to the series' name by placing its murder mystery front and center, something that not many runs on the title do. The problem is with how the investigation is carried out, which too often relies on conveniences and questionable character decisions. While the structure of the plot might have its problems, the comic still looks great with Mikel Jann delivering some of his best work.

Detective Comics #1093 serves as a bridge between the big revelations of the previous issues and the mysteries it teases down the road. What that means is that much of this issue can feel like buildup that may or may not pay off at some future date. However, the artwork makes what action there is feel dramatic and exciting.

Detective Comics #1094 has a lot to say about the injustices of the juvenile prison system, and it's going to make sure you know that. This sometimes manifests through emotional, character-driven scenes, but too often becomes a series of soap box speeches delivered to the audience more than anyone else. There is still a decently interesting infiltration mission underneath it all if you can get past the heavy-handedness of the delivery.

This latest arc of Detective Comics has plenty of drama, and potentially dramatic irony to go with it, but it's questionable whether there's enough substance to fill a story of this length. The same ideas keep being revisited as it crawls towards finally answering the questions raised in the very first issue. Hopefully with all its build-up, whatever ending it arrives at will deliver a satisfying payoff.

The story's final revelations end up resulting in an unsatisfying mystery plot that relies on nonsensical misdirection for the sake of a shocking “twist”. Its overly predictable structure makes most of the big moments fall flat, and it struggles to justifiably deliver on the promises from the beginning. At the very least, Mikel Jann's art makes the whole thing great to look at.

Dawn of DC Knight Terrors Free Comic Book Day Special Edition offers a glimpse into the nightmares to come from the Knight Terrors event that will dominate DC for two months. It's an interesting premise with some beautifully drawn fight sequences that successfully leans into the hallucinatory nature of the situation. There's not enough to render full judgement on what the rest of the stories will look like, but as a preview at least it delivers intrigue.

The new direction Future State: Gotham is taking with this issue is interesting, but it stumbles out of the gate. Too many pages are devoted to reprinting older comics, which harms the overall narrative and artistic flow. Once the main plot is able to finally begin, it's filled with enough intrigue and adventure to get you hooked for what comes next. The comic would benefit immensely from actually focusing on that part of the story.

Future State: Gotham has struggled for a while to figure out what it wants to be about, and the seams are starting to show. We've got five different Batmen running around, and the circumstances that get them all in a position to inevitably fight feel manufactured. The characters from the other plot lines show up to remind the reader that they're still here, but otherwise seem to be waiting for something to do. This issue's main goal is mostly to set up for the big battle for the future cowl, so hopefully that payoff will be worth all this.

Future State: Gotham #15 feels like a rushed, sloppy story that puts little effort into its plot, dialog, or art. I know the creative team is capable of putting out better material than this, because the series wasn't always like this. The issue is comprised primarily of characters spouting obligatory one liners as lead-ins to poorly drawn fights and nonsensical shock twists. The sooner this poorly conceived arc ends, the better.

DC recently announced that this series will be ending in October, and it seems that the series is content to simply spin its wheels while we wait for this to be over. All of the criticisms I laid out last month still apply, except they are only getting worse. Future State: Gotham #16 is a poorly drawn, plotted, and scripted comic that relies on cheap attempts at melodrama to cover up for a presentation that has seemingly had little effort put into it.

Future State: Gotham #17 is still not a very good story, but it's definitely an improvement from where the series has been. The art looks decent, and most of the annoying aspects of the plot are cut off. While the plot still doesn't make a lot of sense, I can see this as a course correction towards a somewhat satisfying series conclusion. That being said, the twist at the end is schlock of the highest order and makes no sense.

With Future State: Gotham #18, DC seems to have finally closed the book on the Future State setting that was at one point supposed to be the future of all DC Comics. It's tough to imagine a more disappointing way for that editorial effort to be remembered. The series' final arc is filled with characters whose decisions make no sense, stilted dialog meant only to deliver bad one-liners, inconsistent art at best, and an incoherent plot. This final issue can be entertaining to read if you just turn your brain off, but once you move past the absurdity of it all, all that's left is the ending to a bad story.

Gotham City: Year One #1 takes its time building up its mystery, meaning that we're only offered a glimpse at the overall story by the time the issue ends. It's difficult to say at this point whether the extended introduction will be worth it, but the hooks are enough to make you want to come back to learn more. Dual themes of moral decay and racial prejudice create a complex narrative that hopefully future issues will be able to successfully execute on.

Gotham City: Year One #2 is an intrigue-filled issue that continues to take its time building its characters and its mystery. The slow burn continues as more information is revealed piece by piece. There's a lot we don't know and it's tough to say if the payoff will be worth the wait, but what's here is an engrossing story that draws you in. Any fan of classic pulp noir detective stories should check this out.

Gotham City: Year One #3 is a gripping detective story that explores the characters of its titular city in a meaningful way. Slam's investigative work is captivating and keeps you guessing without ever feeling like it's just pulling answers to mysteries out of nowhere. Both the main characters and the residents of Gotham who only appear for a page are fleshed out such that the entire city comes alive as the story digs deeper into its hidden depths. Every issue reveals a new facet to this complex mystery and I'm excited to read what comes next.

Gotham City: Year One #4 offers an exploration of Slam at his lowest point. Seemingly everything and everyone has turned on him. King continues to deliver a gripping, character driven detective story with plenty of twists and turns. The past three issues have set up all the pieces, and now everything is coming together. If you have any interest in detective fiction in your Batman stories, be sure to pick this up.

Gotham City: Year One #5 is an incredible story that retroactively makes everything up until now even better. This issue is filled with so many shocking twists that force you to reevaluate everything you thought you knew about the characters. It keeps you on the edge of your seat as you're fully thrust into this world of intrigue and conspiracy. If the series can finish as strongly as it's been so far, it will be one of the best Batman comics in a long time.

Taken on its own simply as a detective story, Gotham City: Year One #6 is an incredible ending. It manages to tie up all the loose ends, meaningfully place a thematic poignancy on the characters' actions, and remain tense and exciting through to the end. If this were a standalone comic I would have almost no complaints. However, it's not a standalone comic. It's also (indirectly) a Batman story, and the way it relates its Gotham with the one we know doesn't work. Overall, Gotham City: Year One is a mostly great story that is held back by its messy connections to the titular city.

Harley Quinn Fartacular: Silent Butt Deadly is an unsettling mixture of childish humor and fetishistic sexual innuendo, seemingly only meant to appeal to those who truly love every experience relating to farting. For the small subset of fans out there who fall under that category, I assume they'll be very happy. For everyone else, it is a deeply uncomfortable experience.

Harley Quinn: The Animated Series: Legion of Bats! #1 starts the series off by recapping and revisiting the show's last season. It gives the reader a glimpse of the new status quo, and sets up the new plot lines for the comic. Unfortunately, some of those plot lines are a little too similar to what has just been covered by the TV show. Fans of the show and of its previous tie-in comics will still find plenty to like, especially if they're supporters of romantic Harley/Ivy moments, so long as they don't expect anything too radical.

Harley Quinn: The Animated Series: Legion of Bats! #2 splits its time between light romance and setting up the main plot for the series. For the most part it succeeds. It continues to struggle with handling the show's conflicts without being allowed to resolve them, but when it gets to focus on its own story it manages to manage to be sweet while still providing a fun adventure for the characters.

Harley Quinn: The Animated Series: Legion of Bats! #3 is unfortunately a step down from previous issues in the series, both in writing and art. The plot feels directionless and the art style has lost the stylistic liveliness that used to tie the comic to its TV counterpart. There are entertaining segments of the story, but it's all so disconnected that it's difficult to form a coherent vision of the whole. It's not terrible, but it's not especially good either; it just feels like it's there.

Harley Quinn: The Animated Series: Legion of Bats! #4continues to struggle to nail down what the story is actually about. It's awkwardly caught in the middle between seasons of a show it can't interact with. As a result the narrative is drawn out and inconsequential, despite some fun character interactions found within. The art is split between two wildly different artists' styles, with the lion's share going to the lesser of the two. It's a mixed bag to say the least.

Harley Quinn: The Animated Series: Legion of Bats! #5 finally moves the story's plot forward, albeit with some hiccups along the way. The behavior of both the plot and some of the characters don't always make the most sense, but there's enough to like for those who are fans of the series' characters. Most of the time is still spent with them passively waiting until something happens, though those moments are still able to offer some fun moments.

Harley Quinn: The Animated Series: Legion of Bats #6 is a disappointing ending that fails to deliver on any of the promises which it's built up over the course of the run. Every plotline outside of Harley and Ivy's relationship drama is completely forgotten about, and the drama itself doesn't feel satisfying either. At its best it's a retread of stories better executed by the show, and at its worst it's a disposable tie-in that doesn't even give the effort to care about what it's telling.

Harley Quinn: The Animated Series: The Real Sidekicks of New Gotham Special is a decent collection of short stories focusing on some of the characters from the show who don't always get a chance to be the center of attention. None of them are going to be your favorite story featuring the characters in question, but they're a nice and entertaining extra helping for fans of the show and of Harley Quinn: The Animated Series: The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour.

Knight Terrors #1 is a comic that plays it safe. There's a formula here for a standard superhero comic with just enough exposition for the rest of the event, and it checks all the boxes. The action is fun and well drawn, and there's not really many overt flaws to criticize, but at the same time there's nothing exceptional to praise. For better or for worse, Knight Terrorscontinues to serve mostly as a springboard for its many tie-ins.

Knight Terrors #2 is a story that's stretched out in order to take a simple premise and have it last as long as necessary. It jumps from flashback to dream sequence to flashback with not much narrative momentum or consequence. The overall tone wavers between goofy and spooky, resulting in a cheesy horror story that might appeal to fans of camp.

Knight Terrors #3 manages to move the story forward enough that you care about what's happening in the moment. The narrative still struggles to get you fully invested due to how disjointed the various set pieces are, but individually their smaller character moments carry the scenes. Has it quite reached the point that the series feels “worth it” outside of an event framing device? Not quite, but it's improving.

Knight Terrors #4 is the final issue to a series you'll need the special epilogue one-shot to get any sort of conclusion. It reveals that the only purpose this entire series served was to deliver an overused villain origin and prompt you to read the rest of the tie-ins. Pick this up if you really feel the need to complete your Knight Terrors collection, otherwise there's not much to recommend.

Knight Terrors: Night's End #1is exactly what you would expect from an event finale. It's full of spectacle, grandiose speeches, and a big moment to make it "important to canon. None of it resonates particularly deeply, but that's not why you're here. This exists to wrap up a two month long intermission in DC Comics' stories as loudly as possible. I'd make a joke about it being a nightmare, but honestly it doesn't leave enough of an impression to warrant that sort of reaction.

Knight Terrors: First Blood #1 is a comic written like it has job to do rather than a story to tell. In many ways that's because it does. It primarily consists of big set pieces that include as much of the DC universe as possible, strung together with exposition and mixed attempts at humor. If you're looking for a prologue for the dozens of tie-ins to come, this adequately delivers on that promise but not much else.

Red Hood: The Hill #1 feels like a direct continuation of the arc that began in the final issues of Red Hood: Outlaw. Ironically, Jason plays a fairly minor role as the focus is more on The Hill itself and its resident vigilante, Strike. It's still too early to say whether she has what it takes to stand out in an overcrowded field of Gotham heroes, but her connection with the world around her makes it easy to get invested in her and The Hill's fight against crime.

Red Hood: The Hill #2is more of the same from last issue. The focus remains on the local vigilante group The Watch's ability to protect their community from the criminal gangs that threaten it. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, and their ties to their home is the title's biggest appeal, but it can create the sense that it's still waiting for something to happen. Fans of Jason hoping he'll play a larger role in the comic with his name on the cover will need to wait for future issues.

This comic is really only for those who are determined to read every tie-in to the Titans: Beast World event. Nothing here is consequential, which is to be expected, but what's worse is that it doesn't even use the premise in any interesting way. The stories are varying degrees of bland. At their best they're mindless fighting, and at their worst they come off as failed attempts at either humor or angst.

Trinity Special #1 is mostly a recollection of stories that were already printed in Wonder Woman, but that doesn't change that the stories are a joy to read. So far Trinity, AKA Elizabeth Prince, is a great new character whose character dynamics with Jon and Damian makes for fun hijinks and a welcome status quo. The only new material, “Mothers and Daughters”, is actually the strongest of the bunch, telling a short but powerful story of how Trinity steps into her own as the new Wonder Woman.

World's Finest: Teen Titans #1 is an exploration of the early days of the team with the fondness and excitement we've come to expect from Mark Waid. It uses those simple, optimistic adventures as a way to explore the character relationships of the young heroes who will eventually grow into the characters we know. Robin takes center stage as we see his first steps into a leadership role and the uncertainty that comes with it.

World's Finest: Teen Titans #3 manages to balance the low-stakes fun of the Titans attending their own convention, Robin's continuing internal conflict about what kind of hero and leader he'll be, and exciting action. The heart remains Robin's personal coming of age journey, but enough time is dedicated to the rest of the team that we get to see what kind of people they are while fighting both villains and hordes of fans.