This story is really just the lead character fighting his way through a different boss level every issue before he gets to the woman of the hour, but it's written well enough that it's more than holding my interest. Read Full Review

Beautifully paced, visually mind-blowing, and full of exciting and expertly pitched characterization, this is everything a Batman fan should be looking for. Read Full Review

Batman #109 is another great chapter in the lead up to the Fear State event. Tynion's story has me hooked and eager for each new issue. Read Full Review

Jorge Jimenez delivers some beautiful visuals throughout the issue. The character moments are beautifully detailed and the action is eye catching. Ortiz has a unique and interesting visual style in the Ghost-Maker story. Read Full Review

This wasn't the best installment of The Cowardly Lot, but it escalated the story to the next level in a way that has me intrigued for what's to come. Read Full Review

Batman #109 is available now at your local comic shop as well as digital format from your preferred digital retailer. Let us know what you thought of the issue and where you think the story is going by leaving your comments below! Read Full Review

Batman continues to build an epic that's unique to most Batman stories of the past decade. It's a lot of fun to read and is full of gorgeous art. It might be the best Batman epic of the past decade plus. Read Full Review

Real fun us of characters new and old throughout the issue, though some of them feel forced into the story to serve other stuff going on elsewhere. Read Full Review

Batman #109 finally turns this plot from a simmer to a boil with an explosive turn of events. What was an intriguing plot has now become all the more thrilling. Read Full Review

It isn't the same type of book that will guarantee readers come back again and again, but it also seems unlikely to convince anyone to jump off. Read Full Review

Everything else just continues the same boring and largely formulaic we've seen in this arc. Read Full Review

Tynion is incapable of creating an original idea, and we continue to embark down a path of regurgitated characters and plots. The execution is far from great, plot progression is limited to two to three-page exposition dumps, and we have a 9-page run of Ghost-Maker and Harley shenanigans " which may or may not include flirting. Here's some advice, just stick to the other Bat-books. Read Full Review

Despite some of the other reviews here, this was my favorite issue of this storyline yet. The main story was pretty well-written and I'm glad we're finally getting more action in the next issue. Plus, the backup just clicked with me in a way it hasn't yet. It's an entertaining story for Ghost-Maker and it feels like a great reflection of what he's all about. Hopefully this series can maintain the quality it's gotten to with this issue, as I really like the concept of it all.

Batman - Tynion's Batman run is really starting to come together, and this story arc has been a massive improvement to Joker War 8.5/10

Ghost Maker - fun, over the top, what is there not to love? 8/10

Good issue but that's mainly due to Tynion's oc's who i’m beginning to come around to.

Ghost Maker in particular is pretty damn cool and would love to see him get his own comics

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Comics Code Authorities - Jun 8, 2021

What do you think Tynion is trying to do? He's so hopeful this will be the hottest new comic character of the '20s.

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I thought Tynion's script was enough to keep me interested throughout & Jimenez's art was great as usual. Peacekeeper-01 is a worthy addition to BM's rogues gallery.

Surprising that the Harley Quinn and Ghostmaker dialogue... isnt that bad. The art really shines and the action scenes are pretty memorable. Plus Batman is still an interesting character, and for me personally I'm really enjoying Tynion's run, even though I kind of wish Batman being "poor" acually had big consequences. But overall I like how this ties in to Future State.

"You can't stop the most dangerous villains before they start doing real damage.
That fear is shaping Gotham city, Batman. You people want order. They need to feel certain that they won't get hurt again. "

-Simon Saint-

Strong words true words.

Tynion has good writing when he wants to do it, but I think he needs to tone it down with the excess of new characters. Now are we going to have a black ivy?
I did not like the last number with all that cyberpunk style, this number improved nicely, it could be that Tynion is taking the rhythm back. Only, like I said before, too weakly built new characters, I still don't really like the new Ghost-Maker or the punk girl.

" Or i could challenge myself by setting out to do one thing that nobody has ever managed. Try to fix the world."
- GHOST MAKER

I thought it was pretty good. It has its cliches but I found myself entertained reading it and liked the peacemaker part. Felt like they could have done much more with the scarecrow part and it kind of just moved on from it too quick. The back up story is once again wasteful.

Technically, this issue is very good. The art, the pacing the quality of writing are sound. I, however, didn't enjoy it that much. I just don't like the magistrate story & the heavier it leans into that direction the less enjoyable it becomes for me. I still regocnize its quality and good moments though. I surprisingly like the Harley Quinn and Ghost-maker segment and the Batman fight is very cool.
The Ghost-Maker backup was amusing. Still not that big of a fan of it but it daunted on me that it reads like a manga of sorts and that has made me appreciate it a bit more.

I don't think Tynion is the right person to write mainline Batman series. He is a great writer, I like his Gotham, Ghost-Maker and Harley Quinn. His writing of the Bruce/Batman character is not bad too but the problem is, these are not compelling Batman stories.

He can't make the Batman, driving force of the story or he can't make the story revolve around Batman naturally. This causes constant set-ups without an actual BANG! He chokes the story with an obsession for a better Batman and dwelling on rhetorics without conclusions. He has a good vision for the character but it's still not executed satisfyingly for more than twenty issues.

He keeps deviating from the Bruce too, stalling his stories with all that endless original additions of himself. They are fine, Batman stories have a wide range of characters most of the time but he his using the side characters to escape from the Batman stories. Although the series is still enjoyable, I don't know where could this go from here.

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I'd have to say if it wasn't for the pointless Ghost Maker sub plot the story would have been way better. Who was he trying to impress with his copycat Batcave. Oooo. He has a bigger Dinosaur. Meet the Webster to Batman's Arnold. Is Tynion trying to impress us? If so it's not working. As if his pointless backup story I don't even want to read isn't enough. I haven't hated a new character this much since Damian with his "Mother, I want my own Batmobile." or "I'd make a better Batman than you." I hate to be the one to break it to Tynion, but even a perfect 10 graded comic of Ghost Maker's first appearance won't be fetching a lot in 10 years. He WILL NOT work. Heroes never succeed when their creator is their own Number 1 fan. Put him aside and move on to more important things, like ANYTHING ELSE!!!
As for the rest of the story, I'd say it was well done. If Tynion would focus more on the plot than peddling his own lame ideas we may get a half-ass decent story out of him again. more

There's just so much - too much - being crammed into this arc. I can't believe we're only on part four. The whole part with Harley and Ghost Maker made my eyes roll and I really wish they'd stayed that way because I wish I hadn't read the terrible backup.

I think Jimenez on the art is great, but I feel as if tynions writing has kinda become sour after the whole joker stuff. But I do admit I kinda liked the few issues before the whole future state stuff. As of now it is just too slow, and feels too all over the place. But it’s not the worst.

It is just ok… it shows that it is a setup for something big but it is just a filler. There is so much talking/text, that the whole issue is just exposition. The writer needs to add a story which is the main focus and then the fear/future state setup revolves around it, instead there is just a setup. As I said the writing wasn’t bad, the book just doesn’t have anything other than the exposition for the setup of fear/future state.

I think this issue was very weirdly paced and constructed. It feels to me like there was beginning, a big interlude, some kind of middle and not much of end.

By big interlude I mean, I mean a really big one, that not really related to the story we have at hand, which is so strange considering how many subplots are already in motion. It breaks the pace and the momentum of the story IMO, especially considering it was mostly just dialogue, not even that interesting or that good at that, aside from few glimpses here and there . I guess Tynion is setting something up (again) , but I'm not sure this was the right place for it. That whole thing needed to be way less pages

The Batman's parts were the ones that are actually important to the narrative and although kinda short, with the helping hand of the great art done by Jimenez, they were enjoyable and intriguing, but also nothing too spectacular. The reveal of Saint's plan was nice and Peacekeeper looks definitely intimidating , so much so that even batman was surprised, again a big shoutout to the art team for that. Also for the more dynamic and fight scenes. The art really does add to the book.

I feel like the issue ended on a pretty weird note and again I think that has something to do with the pacing. It feel like an end of a Dbz episode, but in Dbz that was part of the tone. Here it feels out of place and i don't see a reason for it, aside from Tynion being lazy.

Generally the whole run has pacing problems and looking from above this issue is even worse than most, because the others were setting a character arc or themes, Batman was gaining intel, the reader was gaining new info about the situations and here most of the issue, aside from the last few pages ,which are not nearly enough, feels so shallow. Also the slow pace's been going for too long now IMO. So both the pacing of the issue itself was bad and pacing of the issue within the run was bad. Plus it was not concise at all. more

It's not bad. Art is nice. But the story doesn't go anywhere. This is part four of this story and it feels like the plot has moved finally to part 2.

So yeah, slow pacing makes this comic hard to recommend. And this whole series currently.

You know, I used to complain that today's comics were all pictures and no words. Well, Tynion has gotten around that problem by putting in a lot of words without any action. And what action there is, is just hitting without context.

We don't see how Bats actually out-think his opponents. He just hits them. And when that doesn't work, he hits them harder -and that works. We don't see him analyze, out-smart, out-think and out-plan his opponents. He just gets told information by Oracle and goes to the place and hits people.

The real problem is that we know what's going on, but Bats doesn't. It makes him seem slow, it makes the story slow, what with us going "get on with it. We know the deal. Let's get Batman caught up."

I also have a problem with Gotham. The Mayor has given control over to Simon Saint and Simon says he's building his own army. But last time I checked, Gotham is in the United States. There is the Constitution. There are checks and balances. Say what you will about "No Man's Land" (a story line that I hated, hate and will always hate) DC came up with a reason for why no one helped the city. It was a stupid reason, a really stupid reason, a reason that made no sense until you realize that it was in a comic book. But if you are going to have any kind of pretense toward reality and having heroes in a world that resembles ours, you have to acknowledge certain facts. Like the Constitution.

That's the problem when you take kids' stuff and make it "real" and grown up. You run up against reality and adult thinking.

As to Bruce being poor - doesn't matter. He still has a Batcave, a Batmobile and an Oracle. It's not like he has to shop on bargain night at "Heroes R Us." Plus, being poor and unable to afford the toys is Spider-Man's schtick, and it has been for 60 years. Tynion's whole deal is setting up a world that doesn't fit the Batman paradigm.

We also see his "Anti-Batman" character in action. It's a whole case of Penis-Envy. Batman has a dinosaur, so Anti-Batman has to have a bigger one in his "Haunt" cave. Bats has Catwoman as his criminal sidekick, so Harley Quinn is going to be Anti-Bat's criminal sidekick. (That's cool, calm, collected Cat versus nuts, off-the-wall, impulsive Harley). Bats has empathy, Anti-bats doesn't.

The thing about comics, is that they need forward momentum. They came about in a time of cliff-hangers and such. The Batman TV show got that. Each issue has to make you want to read the next one. Even in a six or 12 issue story, each issue must have some action that excites the reader and draws him or her to the next issue. Each issue has its own discrete charms, that while part of a larger whole, drive the story forward with its own action.

With Tynion, it's just talk, talk, talk. All the important stuff happens off stage and there's no sense of drama. No ticking clock. It's all so dreary.

The art is nice, but I am getting tired of the color scheme. But that's me.

Overall, I am not impressed. But I could be wrong. more

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Criminology. - Jun 1, 2021

Yo, that's a great review. You have a lot of great points IMO, some of which I did not even thought of, but after reading this I completely agree. As a person, who's also not the biggest No Man's Land fan(part of the reason for which is that I read the old tpbs, which IMO were terrible), I feel like from the start Tynion's run been inspired by NML, but his final products are way worse, which actually makes me appreciate NML more.

Quinn - Jun 1, 2021

The thing about this Tynion run is that it's just a repeat of other Batman stories. To be fair, 82 years of Batman stories (being constantly reprinted) make it hard to be original. But he's ripping himself off with his Victims Inc Redux. There's No Man's Land, there's the Anti-Batman from the Animated Series (former schoolmate who learned Ninja skills combined with Jean Paul What'shisname who was Azrael). There's the Bats loses his money from several stories in the 1980s and and 1990s.

Criminology. - Jun 1, 2021

Yeah, you have a great point.

Mingthemerciless - Jun 1, 2021

Quinn do you think the story is so poor because painters themselves into a corner with Future State? Tynion is a mediocre writer at best anyway but having to steer the bat titles towards a setting that fans mostly disliked is not conducive to good story telling. And from what I understand Ramaki over at tec is already gearing up the zombie Bane from Death Metal which was the lead in to Future State. Am I missing something here?

Mingthemerciless - Jun 1, 2021

Typo...DC painted itself.

Quinn - Jun 1, 2021

Future State is a symptom of DC’s problem. They are not writing stories based on chacterization. Rather, they are chasing the dragon and writing stories that they hope young people will like. They are going the Young Adult route, and YA has come and gone. This alienates old goats like and does not get young people. A double loss.

Bats20832 - Jun 2, 2021

Quinn - I think we are still seeing permutations on Didio's original 5G, which was supposed to merge with Hypertime to make all past continuities valid (e.g., Infinite Frontier). Future State is aspect of the 5G thinking, with the long term goal to replace core characters, at a pace that will not rock financial boat to quickly. But for Batman, lot of DC writers are hostile to Bruce Wayne, the values, and ideas that he represented as Batman.Just not the $$ to permit FS DC to kill him off.

Mingthemerciless - Jun 2, 2021

You both make great points. Its clear that DC has fumbled FS which the skeleton of 5G. I think YA audience wants Batman not a replacement and DC seems to be slow in realizing that. Yes I can also see DC slow walking the replacement of flagship characters in an effort not to lose the core readers but it must know it will lose the base and not expand it with new readers? Agreed this current crop of writers seems to be hostile to Bruce Wayne and I know where that stems from but I ll hold back.

Mingthemerciless - Jun 2, 2021

With FS being so poorly received I'm hoping we re simply getting the stories that were teed up to follow it and they'll taper off and restore a more enjoyable status quo. If DC thinks it can phase out the the big three and replace them they're about to take one severe hit in sales area. Like Ronnie Doi said...play with fire you burn your fingers.

Mingthemerciless - Jun 2, 2021

Getting Alfred back would be the first smart move. Then getting Wayne's legacy back from Foxnext. Probably the dumbest move was having Lucius turn heel and keep the Wayne fortune. Ridiculous and panned by most regular readers.

Bats20832 - Jun 2, 2021

There is also a "hate Bruce Wayne" movement going on in social media, Twitter, Medium, etc. Twitter featured it as "trending" on 5/31. DC has to struggle with (a) Making Money, (b) Being Popular to people who don't/won't buy comics. My perception is that DC has decided to straddle the middle.

Mingthemerciless - Jun 2, 2021

And yet we all know that these twitterers are not regular buyers of the titles. Their opinions wont affect book sales or movie attendance. Why appease a group of people that don't buy your books but will still go to the movies featuring Wayne as Batman? I know DC is having money woes but they seem rudderless right now. Nolans movies all had roots in different story runs as have the MCU movies so far. What is do difficult about publishing a great core product for the brand?

Mingthemerciless - Jun 2, 2021

Its pretty bad when I'm more excited about Batman89 and Reptillian coming out than the two main bat books. I think the last quality run for me was court of owls.

Mingthemerciless - Jun 2, 2021

Funnily enough I just read an article where Garth Ennis is beating up on rich Bruce Waybe who as Batman beats up poor people and institutionalizes the mentally I'll. Hes writing Reptellian. You're right Bat the writers are hostile to Waybe but they sure don't mind the paycheck he provides. By the way where does Ennis suggest Joker Dent and Freis should be after they kill a few dozen people?

Mingthemerciless - Jun 2, 2021

And I dont really mind Batman beating up some "low income" goon that threatens the safety of other not so well off gothamites. But Ennis thinks Batman should try being a social worker. Yeah that'll sell books and get Ennis another Batman gig.

Mingthemerciless - Jun 2, 2021

These writers and twitterers don't see past "billionaire" Bruce Wayne yet that persona is a facade. He uses it to protect a noble mission. He not only uses his wealth to help him in his mission hes used it for gotham infrastructure medical clinics outreach and prisoner reform. Ad Batman hes stepped to innocent men from being convicted of crimes.

Mingthemerciless - Jun 2, 2021

I'm sure the writers hostility takes a back seat to the paycheck they get from the gig he provides them.

Criminology. - Jun 3, 2021

Well, idk man that seems pretty normal for Garth Ennis. I mean, he was always open about how much he despise big chunk of the superheroes and the genre (with few exceptions), both irl and when writing. Also having in mind how big of comics writer he is, I'm sure that both dc and marvel would want him to write some bigger series, but it looks like he does not want to do that. So yeah, I think that he will write the story, because he wants to write the story and not because the paycheck.

Criminology. - Jun 3, 2021

As for the rest, you are probably right.

Mingthemerciless - Jun 3, 2021

Absolutely Ennis is notorious with his issues with the medium filtered through his world view. Alan Moore is another one. I brought it up because of the timeliness of the comments and how they back up what Bats said about Batman writers being hostile towards Bruce Wayne. His wealth seems to be an issue for them his methods are mentioned too but find me a superhero that deals with criminals psychos and terrorists that doesn't have to slap a few around.

Mingthemerciless - Jun 3, 2021

I mean...we are still reading comic books right?

Criminology. - Jun 3, 2021

Yeah, totally, the world of Gotham is a fictional one and has fictional problems, which demand fictional solutions. I would even say, that the way he deals with his criminal is pretty tame. He never breaks his code and rarely does more than what's needed. But even if we remove all that, Batman's story is a story of one guy, that tries to bring order and justice to his city with all his power, because he experienced it's horrors firsthand.

Criminology. - Jun 3, 2021

So it's way more important for him to be effective than to be moral( the way he scares the criminals ecc). I think that's how Batman is usually presented , and he is not supposed to be always in the totally morally right area IMO. So yeah usually I don't agree with opinions such as Ennis's on batman being a social worker and so on either. I just don't think, that he is doing Batman Reptilian for the money. But I could be wrong.

Mingthemerciless - Jun 3, 2021

I was speaking in broad terms when I mention the paycheck for a lucrative property like Batman I agree fictional city fictional "reality"to that city. Also I agree that his code is actually more a liability than a solution. But his adherence to it exemplifies his strong will and mind. In a way it's quite enviable.

Mingthemerciless - Jun 3, 2021

I think that's the greatest appeal of the character for me. Hes so unmoving in his prosecution of his war on crime and so determined to never let what happened to him affect anyone else that he will use every resource and reserve he has to continue it. He never wants to admit hes just a man.

Mingthemerciless - Jun 3, 2021

That's why Alfred is so important. He went from being a comedic figure very early on to being a connection to Wayne's humanity and a surrogate father. And if course Batmans "Q". When Wayne is losing himself Alfred reminds him to come back. When his sons cant understand him Alfred keeps them together. I love how Batman walks that edge. The playboy image is the true mask he uses it be able to do what hes compelled to do. Writing him off as merely a rich guy beating up poor people is not who Wayne

Criminology. - Jun 4, 2021

I think that was quite a great analysis and I completely share your thoughts. With a character like Batman, there is just so much to like and explore, but if i have to pick a specific trait, I would probably chose too his will and determination to defy the all odds in his almost childlike quest against senseless pain and suffering. The interesting thing is that in many ways he is still a broken person, because that one night, but he continues to try to make things right.

Criminology. - Jun 4, 2021

I think, that's extremely inspiring. So much, so much so it can help people in their dark times irl. I also completely agree with your last statement. I will bring up NML again. There was a moment, where he tried to be a normal rich guy, because the whole hopeless of the situation. He could have lived as a rich man, without looking back, but that was just not him and he was aware. His real face is Batman, not Wayne. But even as Wayne, he helps the city a lot. All his money go to help the cause.

Criminology. - Jun 4, 2021

He even funds the league. So the question is, is Batman really rich, if he spends most of his money for the benefit of the others? Also Batman spends a lot of effort trying to scare the thugs. So it's clearly not his intention to beat them, but sometimes it's necessary.

Mingthemerciless - Jun 4, 2021

I think we re both moving to the same conclusion Wayne does not pursue wealth to be rich but rather he seeks to preserve it or even grow it as both a means to do good and to prosecute his war on crime. I think in that sense he serves justice and peace. I think also his father's legacy is important to him even though Alfred has stepped into that role in many respects.

Criminology. - Jun 4, 2021

Yeah, I think that we totally reached the same conclusion. Yeah, his father's legacy is definitely very important influence and motivator for him and it was really nice, that you mentioned it, because sometimes that gets ignored. Both him and Alfred are important for different reasons. One helped create Batman and the other keeps him in check. Good conversation, man.

Mingthemerciless - Jun 4, 2021

Agreed fun conversation.

Comics Code Authorities - Jun 8, 2021

Your take on Ghost Maker is head-on. He's just a wannabe. And all he was trying to do was impress Harley out of hopes of bedding her. Truly pathetic. If Tynion is trying to sell this character to us he's doing a pretty bad job of it.

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3 just for the art, Jimenez really knows how to draw a fight, Tynion is as boring as ever.

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Mingthemerciless - Jun 1, 2021

But Tynion works cheap.

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Did something happen? Not really. See you in 4 weeks

James Tynion IV is writing complete Dog s**t here. This issue just sucked, 2 stories and neither one of them was any good. This story line is just dragged out and isn't interesting at all. On top of this, are there any other characters Tynion would like to shoehorn into the series? I mean I feel that there just isn't quite enough social pandering and personal politics put into this book...See page 10 and you'll see what I mean. I would usually say "Save your money" yet in this case I would say drop the series from your pull list. Enough is enough, DC is dead and these "Writers" are just desecrating the corpse at this point.