Batman #116 is a feast for the eyes, and an exciting comic due to its backup and some exciting action-packed moments. The main story moves the story forward very little, but it does bring us closer to the end of Fear State in the slickest looking book of the week. Read Full Review

The cliffhanger might confuse some people"it ties in deeply to what's happening in Ram V's Catwoman run, and I'm not sure it's been set up properly in this book. But this is all coming together into one of the most compelling and chaotic Bat-stories in a while. Read Full Review

Jimenez delivers some visually thrilling moments throughout the story. The fights are brutal and beautifully detailed and the action is top notch. Read Full Review

Batman #116 is another solid chapter of “Fear State”. There's an epic scale to it all yet also feels like so much is packed into the issue. None of it feels shorted at all. It's an impressive balancing act and a highlight of one of the best Batman storylines in years. Read Full Review

Another excellent chapter of this excellent storyline, with art, story and characters doing a fine job being a very good Batman comic. Read Full Review

Batman #116 works very well in conveying a sense of stakes and peril as we reach the final straight. Once the dust eventually settles, it'll be interesting to see what the status quo will be, moving forward. In a crossover storyline that's delivered the highest quality, this issue continues that standard. I personally cannot wait to see the payoff, which is coming very soon… Read Full Review

Batman #116 finally sees most of the players of this Fear State arc actually doing something, and the results are more in line with the exciting and bombastic event book readers were originally promised. Read Full Review

In Batman #116, Tynion has ramped up his story to fever pitch and now we're ready for him to bring it to a conclusion. I can't deny that Tynion's story has been exciting, but I'm not entirely comfortable with the course he has set the Gotham books on. Hopefully, Williamson and Tamaki can get things back on course after Fear State wraps up. Read Full Review

A cluttered yet fun story is elevated by absolutely stunning art in this issue. This is a book that anyone reading comics should pick up for the art alone. Read Full Review

This is Tynion's penultimate edition of Batman as he wraps Fear State. It's ironic that his run is ending in the same way as Tom King's, which had many readers eager for it to reach its conclusion. Hopefully, Tynion can somehow turn this arc around with a memorable finale. Read Full Review

The fixation on a host of one-off "original" characters has left "Fear State" and this run and this penultimate issue lacking any nutritional value, as it were. At least Jimenez's art is good and Morey's colors fantastic. Read Full Review

Fear State trudges along, doing what it's been doing from the start, which is not much at all.  It looks great, but nothing feels earned in a convoluted story that talks big but reads small.  This is such an anti-climactic way for Tynion to finish up his DC Comics career. Read Full Review

After months of dragging its feet, James Tynion's "Fear State" finally moves the plot forward. There is still an abundance of problems here, but at least we got something positive. Granted, I feel like a shill for praising something as rudimentary as plot progression, but that is unfortunately the reality we live in these days. Read Full Review

Issue had great fight scenes and fantastic art. Love the action packed arc. Very fun.

I found this issue to be a lot better than the previous issues. In fact as of right now it's the best issue so far. Great action and plot as well as dialogue as well as fantastic art from Jorge Jimenez.

When it comes to the main story and the backup, this was a case of both not being quite as good as what came before them. However, I still enjoyed both. The main story moves forward nicely and it does feel like things are set up for the end. Plus, Jimenez is back to art duties for the whole thing and he continues to be great. As for the backup, it was another engaging read. While the main highlight was Corona’s art, the writing is fun as well and the story as a whole once again sells me on trying Cloonan & Conrad’s Batgirls series. Hopefully both stick the landing as we head into the final issue of this series before Joshua Williamson takes over.

Batman - 8.5/10

Batgirls - 7.5/10

I'm enjoying Fear State. Overall I find the arc really engaging and I'm always looking forward to read more of it. I think this story arc is the highlight of this run. But still the usual issues with the dialogue and pacing remain, but at least now that does not bother me that much as it did in the past and that's maybe because there is just so much I like here already. Also big respect to Tynion for using and writing Scarecrow so well(a character so underutilized) and constructing such a big part of the story and themes around him.

A little better than last issue, but it's still too over the top for me now.

Not a bad issue. Not really a good one either, but not bad. It's decent for Tynion, but that's not altogether good. The best thing about this story seems to be it's coming to an end. When it does I want a sworn affidavit signed in blood that Tynion will never write for Batman again outside a mini-series.
Future State is still DC's main focus. They literally want to change everything and seem so stupid as to believe it will gain them readers. Not goona happen. I'm not following I Am Not Batman and I will not be ever, no more than P.C.-approved Superman.
Batman is at a crucial crossroads now. It can either get better with #118-121 or I'm out. I have better things to spend $5 on than a boring yawn fest, which almost everything DC is being reduced to lately. Whatever happens, they're bringing it on themselves. At this rate they'll kill themselves and maybe someone will buy the rights to their characters and have the sense to restore them to something half-ass decent.
As for Fear State, I's been just a 25th rate Joker War or City of Bane. A prelude to worse things ahead, with tie-ins in every other title. I think I prefer the multi-title crossovers like Cataclysm and War Games instead. I'm sure the majority of readers are with me as we count down the time till this sorry saga is finally concluded in higher anticipation for it to be over rather than to see what happens. more

Better than last issue. I like the Peackeeper/ Batman parts but, the rest was OK.

Probably the best issue in this storyline. Mostly because it focuses on Batman and what he is doing.

It could be better. It could be worse.

thank god this is coming to an end

I don't even have the energy to care anymore about this crap, Tynion just drew a straight line from Fear State to Future State, making PK-01 a power hungry maniac out of nowhere, since up until that now never seemed to be his shtick, Ivy is angry at men and wants to destroy Gotham but of course Harley will stop her and that backup is utterly boring. Williamson's run can't come up soon enough even though the premise with Batman kicked out of Gotham for the pretender to step in his place really annoys me. At least it won't be... this.

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Mingthemerciless - Nov 3, 2021

I read an interview with Tynion where he said hes been trying to get Batman out of Gotham even before 5G/Future State were devised. It makes sense because batman was a side character in his own book for most of Tynions run. The story was never the focus for Tynion. It explains a lot about how bas this "event" has been.

Mingthemerciless - Nov 3, 2021

Williamson sounds like at least he wants to try to have some fun with the character even under the shit conditions Tynions leaves the title with.

Mingthemerciless - Nov 3, 2021

I thought snyder burned out but up to court of owls his run was enjoyable. Since he left the book Batman has been a mess despite the solid sales. I mean it's pretty hard not to sell a batman book today.

Mingthemerciless - Nov 3, 2021

I know kings run is considered good up to 50 but I gave up on him by "rooftops". City of Bane was knightfall fan fiction.

Merlyn - Nov 3, 2021

Fuck Tynion in that case, like I said before, he can't go faster to Substack. I always thought he is an idiot and at best a mediocre writer.

Merlyn - Nov 3, 2021

I liked King up until #50, I thought his run was great until then. Some arcs were better than others but I appreciated the angles he tried to play with the character. To me, his run up until #50 was one of the best things coming out of Rebirth. What came after was a horror show. I think it's when his TDS kicked in and it got bad pretty fast because I could tell from his writing he was not right in the head. He brought his Trump issues, his daddy issues, his depression into comics

Merlyn - Nov 3, 2021

and nearly ruined Batman in the process. I was so happy when he left the book. Little did I know what was to come with Tynion or Ridley.

Batmanaholic - Nov 4, 2021

I like this event, I don't love it, I was expecting more from the issue. But I have like the subtext in fear state mirroring how the world is afraid of something that's barely even there. With scarecrow hiding in the background like a virus. That you didn't know when it would cause a pandemic. And the redesign of the scarecrow costume was awesome. But the plot has been a 6/10 and the art a 9/10 -10/10 depending on the issue. I love the way this book looks.

Batmanaholic - Nov 4, 2021

And everyone who liked Tom king up to 50 I'm right with you, it was different and doing its own thing and was quite good at it, but after that it's just aweful, knightmares being my absolute least favourite Batman arc of all time. Just aweful, I would re read the dark knight strikes again 5 times before reading that one more time.

Merlyn - Nov 4, 2021

I didn't think of that parallel with Scarecrow and the virus, though I guess it could work. Yeah, I also liked the new design. Though it's hardly original, it's basically the Scarecrow from the Arkham Knight games. For me the worst arc was City of Bane, he completely lost it there. And I just couldn't forgive what he did to Flashpoint Batman.

Batmanaholic - Nov 4, 2021

City of bane has potential to be awesome. If they would have faked out bane with clay face as Alfred, and then had Bruce be able to be a shadowy figure fucking everyone up on his way to take bane down single handed, not with catwoman's help could have been amazing. Instead King went with the same old routine of Batman can't do anything cool without catwomans help. That arc officially jumped the shark when catwoman kicked all of the flashes asses in less then 1 second with kicks to the face...

Batmanaholic - Nov 4, 2021

That still randomly makes go say " what the fuck King " just like in crisis when Harley Quinn managed to beat up/ getaway from superman/wonder woman/ and Batman at the same time. Like are you fucking kidding me. Talk about over powered fem fatales

Merlyn - Nov 4, 2021

Didn't Catwoman ridiculously "beat up" the Flashes in the arc with Poison Ivy? You know, the arc where idiots complained on twitter that King made her a villain again and so to apologize, like the loser that he is, he made up an entire arc where all the bad stuff Ivy did got rewritten as her being manipulated by the Riddler? My opinion of him changed drastically after that. What's funny is that right now in Batman's book, Ivy is more villainous than ever.

Batmanaholic - Nov 4, 2021

Oh ya didn't that arc end with Harley showing up and their love for each other saving the day aswell? If tynion does a repeat of that. This book was a failure, although if ivys two half come together to save her atleast that's different enough of an ending to not hate on him to much for it 🤷‍♂️. Tynions run is almost like a manga version of Batman, it's been a fun read but fell off after the first two arcs. Which kind of makes sense since he was originally only getting those two arcs.

Batmanaholic - Nov 4, 2021

So there's a reason why there seemed to be a lot more of a cohesive plan with dark designs and joker war. If you look at those two arcs as a " I'm getting these two arc on Batman so I'm going to write a crazy ass 16 issues story " it was perfectly laid out. Then dc gave him the extension and he came up with the ghost maker story which was ok but pretty meh and then infinite frontier has been more just ok, I find his books read alot better in collected editions where the story flows better.

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Not great at all, I'm basically giving 5 points for Jimenez art

This is a super boring story. Even as we come up towards its conclusion, all the developments land with a thud. I just do not give a shit about this event. I'm glad it's nearly done, it's felt like an eternity. The backup is just so much wheel spinning. Barely anything happens, and I don't know why this backup wasn't just two parts instead.

"To be concluded in two weeks!"

Hands down, the best part of the issue. It gives you hope and leaves you with the promise that this slog of an event will be over in less than a month.

It's not even that this "event" is boring and uninspiring or that it retreads the same idea of villain taking over Gotham, or that Batman does practically nothing, or that it wastes Jorge Jimenez's talent.
No. The biggest crime Fear State committed is making the reader indifferent. I just don't care at this point. I just want this to be over. And I sincerely doubt this was the goal.

Backup story review: Zzzz...

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Mingthemerciless - Nov 5, 2021

If I remember correctly theres also an omega issue after 117 because it's an "event".

egonnn244 - Nov 6, 2021

Greaaaaaat.

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I only read the story once, so I might be a little shaky on the details. But basically what happens is that Batman and Miracle Club Drug walk around and Scarecrow has to invite him in to his lair. It's not like Batman actually finds it and catches the villain by surprise.

A lot of talk. Batman's efforts to actually stop the Scarecrow fail. The only reason that Scarecrow doesn't win outright is that Soldier Two-Face shoots him. There is a scene where Batman throws a Batarang and knocks out the doomsday switch from Scarecrow's hand. So far so good. But this is ruined by what happens next. Scarecrow just runs after the switch and picks it up before Bats can stop him. That's the whole action. Scarecrow just picks up the switch again and Batman is stopped. This is when Soldier Two-Face shoots Scarecrow and that's the action that really stops Scarecrow.

Once again, Batman is shown to be an ineffective loser of a hero. Here's a thought, you've knocked the Doomsday switch out of Scarecrow's hand. Why not then knock out Scarecrow. Or at least follow through by throwing a Bat-rope around him so he can't run and pick up the Doomsday switch.

Tynion has been consistently showing Batman as being incompetent throughout this set of stories. That's not a good Batman story. Tynion is not doing the hard work of creating a villain's plot that looks unbeatable and then showing how Batman then beats the unbeatable plan by being smart. The stories all depend on things just happening and people actually just giving Batman the solutions.

I found the Poison Ivy story to be confusing and the Batgirls story to be just treading water. "What, people don't like us?" If I recall correctly, last issue they were in the Oracle Tower when it got blown up. In this issue we don't see how they survived. If there is an explanation, I don't remember it, and that's on me. But the fact that I found the stories so unmemorable says something about them and it's not something good.

The regular artist returned. The art was nice, but I still don't like the coloring or Club Drug's costume. This is a terrible issue.

Or I could be wrong. more

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Mingthemerciless - Nov 2, 2021

Tynions horror of a story limps towards the finish line.

Quinn - Nov 2, 2021

The only way I can imagine this ending is everyone just saying thet’re tired and going home. It certainly won’t be by Bats and family actually doing anything.

egonnn244 - Nov 4, 2021

You're not wrong :)

Quinn - Nov 4, 2021

I’ve never been so sad to be called right. Maybe I should end my reviews with “I wish I was wrong.”

Mingthemerciless - Nov 4, 2021

Quinn your reviews are among the fun aspects of coming here. Keep the knives out and the wit sharp man.

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