Batman is in excellent hands with this creative team, who continue to surpass expectations with each installment. This title is clearly operating on a can't miss status and that doesn't look to change anytime soon. Read Full Review

Great character moments and an escalating threat that gets bigger and more exciting than I realized all make for a truly amazing Batman comic book. Read Full Review

It's tight visual storytelling and it's spot on. This is start to stop a fantastic issue and another chapter in a truly excellent run. Read Full Review

If you're interested in a Batman story that's jumpin' right from page one, Batman #128 is it! From its special guests to its emotional moments, this high-octane rollercoaster doesn't stop until the end. Additionally, the action is top-notch and the play-by-play narration from Batman, while Superman is taking on Failsafe, was some incredibly impressive writing. Combine all of the above with some wildly powerful illustrations from this creative crew and fans will find one of the most entertaining issues in the past 128. Read Full Review

Batman #128 pits Failsafe against the entire Justice League for an updated (possibly better) version of Tower of Babel for a knockdown, drag-out fight that truly puts the JL on the defensive. The writing is clean, rapid-fire, and impactful, and Jimenez's art packs a punch. Read Full Review

Jimenez delivers some beautifully detailed and visually thrilling art throughout the issue. The action is perfectly executed and I love the fast, frenetic style of the imagery.  Read Full Review

If you're looking for high stakes, action, and a sense that Batman's goose is cooked, there's nothing else like Batman #128. The creators have thoroughly put him in a corner, and it's exciting to know you can still feel surprised by yourself, after countless times, Batman has had no chance of escape, to honestly believe there's no way he can escape death. Zdarsky and Jimenez's Batman is a magic trick you'll be on the edge of your seat reading every page of the way. Read Full Review

It doesn't quite have the emotional punch of the previous few issues, but when it hits on all cylinders, it's as good as the best of the run. But I'm a bit surprised by the sudden dovetail into event-style storytelling at the end. Read Full Review

Batman #128 is an incredible, thrilling issue firing on all cylinders, perfectly balancing an intense momentum with deep moments of heart. Read Full Review

Batman #128 is a great bridge between highlighting what Failsafe can do to all enemies and how it has set the stage for a new world order in Gotham. Expertly paced and thoroughly entertaining, this is great stuff indeed! Read Full Review

FINAL THOUGHTSBatman #128 is an excellent read. Chip Zdarsky and Jorge Jimenez have paced this storyline to natural escalate with every issue. The fight between Failsafe and the Justice League and the end result create great concern as we don't know how things will turn out in the end. The back-up story does a great job modernizing the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh origin story with fantastic artwork by Leonardo Romero. This is really a can't miss reading experience for Batman fans. Read Full Review

While boasting excellent execution and beautiful visuals, Failsafe continues to feel a bit like a Batmans Greatest Hits style story and Im a little ambivalent about that. That said, it does mix things up with a different focus and approach than similar plots, and the potential exists for the story to establish an identity of its own. Recommended to those returning to Batman after a while away, fans of Chip Zdarsky, or people who don't mind the familiarity of the premise. Read Full Review

Despite all the fun and tension of Batman #128, Zdarsky's story might be becoming too big for its own good, unless the writer is under a 12 issue contract or something similarly short. Read Full Review

The run takes a turn with this issue, pointing towards a fascinating future for this run for the Dark Knight. Read Full Review

I'm not very impressed with this issue. The story doesn't really work for me; Failsafe is so overpowered that it's getting ridiculous; the JLA and the Bat Family are written like mindless brawlers; and the time skip takes away all of the tension because it presents a scenario that we've already seen over and over again. I had fun reading the previous Batman issues, but I was bored reading this one. As for a recommendation, why not check out Ram V's Detective Comics instead? Read Full Review

"Waaah! Sputnik scared me when I was a kid so sci-fi robots are bad!" -Some boomer named Bats probably.
This is a fantastic issue. Seeing Bruce's friends show up for him is just as fulfilling as the Family. I really wish we got to see this more. It says so much that despite the strengths of the Bat-Family and the League that they're still no match so Batman takes it upon himself to save them despite this being his fault. Most stories are and while it can feel derivative, and homage to a classic storyline can still feel fresh if Batman still feels resilient and thoughtful which comes through here.
If stories from the 50s are more you cup of tea and this isn't, just stick to those. This definitely isn't for everyone at least if you were born before 1980. If you weren't, you're probably cool and think that this issue like the rest of the run so far has been stellar. more

Why have I never heard of Leonardo Romero before?

Best Batman run since Snyder and Capullo back in 2011.

Excellent number. Really gripping. Chip Zdarsky has a real talent for giving a sense of urgency to the story. It's fast paced, no time out, action and more action. It feels good! His Failsafe is devious (normal) and puts the Justice League to the test. My small drawback and my feeling of "déjà vu". A technology developed by Batman and that exceeds him ... The taking of Gotham also appeals to me. It's not clear. Are the Failsafe only looking for Batman by tracking down his allies or are they preventing crimes, have they replaced the authorities, are they preventing the city from functioning and Mayor Nakano in all this? In which case, it would look an awful lot like the recent stories (or even the old ones with the OMACS). But hey, it's well done so I'll be looking forward to Chip Zdarsky and his whole team taking us on in the sequel. I like to be "taken for a ride".
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Oh, I've missed being excited for Batman and not disappointed after reading it.

Holy cow chip zdarsky is killing this arc. While we don't get bombastic arr compared to previous 2 issues it is still great. I am gonna get this tpb immediately. Fight is good and I am interested in seeing how batman beats failsafe in thr final issue of this arc

Future State?

The plot itself isn't my favorite. Unstoppable robot can conquer the world and has no weaknesses whatsoever. Batman prepared for everything except a rogue robot?
But, I'm liking the dialogue, the action and story choices are cool - the trap for the justice league in the alley was pretty cool, and finding refuge with Aquaman, smart.

The I am a Gun story, intriguing start, I think I'm going to like it!

This issue wasn't as good as the last but y'know what...this was still damn cool!

My big takeaway is that Leonardo Romero is great. I loved his work on Hawkeye and Shuri, and hadn't seen him around in a minute

My problem with this is that it doesn't feel like a Batman book. The further this goes, the more it feels like a JLA story. Superman is smarter than to just charge something holding Kryptonite and Batman says as much and yet Superman does it anyway. I'm ready for this to be over already. I think this story has already run its course. And we already saw this with the OMAC's.

The whole losing and coming back some time later to a conquered Gotham thing has become a trope in Batman. I'm actually more interested in the bonus story, I'm not totally clear what's going on but I'm intrigued.

Not as gripping as the previous issues but still solid.

It certainly would be good to read a Batman story fighting criminals again - instead of all the sci-fi robots or horror demons. But not here. Considering the anti-hero age we live in, this an OK issue. And of course Batman will win eventually.

We see reviews of it as a 10 and as a 5. Both are extreme positions.
I don't like the absurd super-powered Failsafe story line, and I definitely don't like the recreation of Zur-En-Arrh origin. But I do like seeing Bruce in the Zur-En-Arrh costume.

I agree that Failsafe controlling Gotham is pretty out there, and something we have seen 100 times before. But we have seen crazier storylines. But if I want those type of stories, there are tons of 1950s stories which are WAY more enjoyable, and where Batman is actually fighting crime as well. Remember when Batman was really multiple different stories? Those were the days. Glad I lived in them. Really for those of you who did not.

Note the title for second half of same Zur-En-Arrh story "I am a gun" - yeah, that is absurd. But hey, we have writers who like that sort of thing now. They don't get the Batman at all.
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Is it just me or have Batman books becoming monotonously repetetive over these last few years? Once more the villain has taken over the city declaring martial law and ran Batman off. And of course we can't have a story unless the justice League joins in as well because NO DC hero has enough balls to stand up to any challenge on their own anymore. It's gotten to where every time they get involved in another hero's battles (Which these days is ALL THE TIME) all I feel they're doing is butting in, not helping.
This story started out good enough, but this issue was a major 180 degree turn for it. Now I just want it to end, but odds are Zdarsky will just give us a 19 part follow-up, as is the modern tradition. And this entire Zur-ren-arrh or whatever thing sucks big time. I didn't like it in Batman R.I.P. and don't like it here. It seems comics are trying to mix their modern day hodgepodge with the corny unrealism of the Silver age, and this multi-colored loser with a stupid name is the result.
I had high hopes for Zdarsky's run, even after it started, but this issue has pretty much ruined this story for me, and like City of Bane, The Joker war and Fear State it will only improve when it's finally over. I'll give him another chance because all writers these days screw up, and I remember how well he did on Spider-Man (But then so did Bendis, but he was one of the worst Superman writers of all time). But if this is what we have to look forward to in his run is a bunch of the same old crap where Gotham is taken over by the bad guy and Batman ran off to lick his wounds, the "Family" having to hold out till he's ready to show up at the last minute and save everyone's ass (Geeze, is this a comic book or an anime series?) then I'm out. $4.99 is not worth such disappointment
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This story makes zero sense. Batman designs a machine that can beat him if he turns bad, so he creates a machine that can kill the entire Justice League? Because Batman "always has a plan" so he knows that they will come to save him. And not only does the machine almost kill the rest of the League, but then it goes rogue, gets a mind of its own, and takes over all of Gotham City. in the ensuing two weeks, where is the Justice League? They just thought, "Ah, Batman's not in danger anymore. Screw Gotham?" And by the way, where Is Batman?" Well, they don't know, but we know that a critically injured Batman was able to zoom through the air from a great altitude at tremendous speed to land underrwater, at precisely in the vast ocean where Aquaman happns to be. Batman planned for this, too? What a genius! So, in short: Mr."Always Has a Paln" designs a killer machine that is a mortal, and far greater danger to Earth and the JLA, than Batman himself going bad, and also designed, apparently as a back-up, an inhuman police state that would subjugate all of Gotham, the city Bats is sworn to protect. Ayy-yi-yiiiiii more

More Edgelord story telling garbage.

OH FOR F@$% SAKE!!!!

didn't i predict at the end of the last issue, that Failsafe would be equipped with Kryptonite for Superman??

this story is So F@$%ing Stupid!! this seriously feels like it had been written by a 14 year old that had just finished watching BvS then read Tower of Babel, Batman RIP, and decided to do their own little mash-up story.

this is not a story that will be remembered years from now. this is just a poor imitation of Batman stories that had come before, mixed with some Zack Snyder for good measure.

Not a good way to start a Batman run.

This issue is just dumb. It never advances character, and just writes Bats and crew as stupid. Robot has krypton its, so what he do? He doesn’t keep his distance and throw a Boulder at bot. The JLA doesn’t use their powers to advantage. They just get close and get put down. Again, no strategy, just they act stupid so plot can move forward.

If Bats has this tech why does he bother putting himself and his loved ones in mortal danger. Lex Luther couldn’t do what this robot does. And he really wants to kill the JLA.

AND ONCE AGAIN, DC HAD SHOWN BATMAN TO BE WORSE THAN HIS VILLAINS. Is this really the message they want to send?

So repetitive plot, stupid characters and Gotham once again under siege thanks to Bruce’s resources.

This just sucks.

Or I could be wrong. No, i am not. more

loved it

Isn't this the fourth time in four years that Gotham has fallen to a warlord in a personal war with Batman? Bane, Joker, Scarecrow, and now Failsafe.

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Psycamorean - Oct 4, 2022

Yeah but at least Failsafe didn't take at least a year of buildup like the rest of them did.

Quinn - Oct 4, 2022 (edited)

You, sir, are my hero. I said much the same in my review. How can anyone think this is good?

aleyuma - Oct 5, 2022 (edited)

it’s called having an opinion, and saying stuff like “how can anyone else thinks it’s good” implying that you are the only one who’s right, doesn’t make your opinion better or more relevant than someone else’s, it just makes you look like an asshole.

Mout - Oct 5, 2022

since when does time matter in comics? how many times has gotham been transformed into a warzone in the last 30 years? your argument is weak

Quinn - Oct 5, 2022

Aleyuma, you didn’t answer my question. Is it good because of plot. Originality? Batman backup plan backfires has been done multiple times. Is it good because of smart characterization? The JLA Was taken down by one man, they were outsmarted. Did you like because of art, dialogue? We’re you surprised by what happened and are waiting with bated breath for next issue?

aleyuma - Oct 5, 2022

i don’t have to justify my opinion, i like it that’s it and unlike you i’m not so arrogant to think my opinion it’s better than everybody else’s.

DVE - Oct 6, 2022

Just an observation that this title keeps circling back to a particular story a lot recently. If you haven't read all of those other stories then it doesn't make a difference. If you like this style of Gotham Under Siege Dark Knight Rises story then it doesn't make a difference. But if you're reading this as a continuing series why don't four sieges in recent history seem to have a cumulative effect?

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