Whenever the story involves Batman and The Joker, fan expectations are almost unreachable. That is not the case with this issue. Strong writing and exceptional art builds the foundation for what is sure to be a memorable Batman story for the ages. Read Full Review

In the aftermath of Gotham War, Chip Zdarsky is doing what he does besttaking his heroes to rock bottom. Read Full Review

If you've been enjoying the ongoing story involving Batman of Zur-En-Arrh then you'll need to get this new issue. Zdarsky has proven he's doing some compelling work with legacy elements of Batman making them fresh while building new stories from them. This issue proves Zdarsky's run is on track to be added to the list of Batman's best stories. Read Full Review

Batman #139 is a great jumping on point into a new saga that sets the stage for some unbridled carnage to come. I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to where it goes next. I only wish we didn't have to wait a whole month between issues. Read Full Review

There is just a ton to explore and Zdarsky continues to keep the fireworks moving well. To those who "peaced out with King and Tynion's runs, you need to jump back in now. Chip has brought this book back up to where it's supposed to be. Read Full Review

Batman #139 is both simple and complicated. Read Full Review

Jimenez delivers beautifully detailed and visually immersive art throughout the issue. The art style and compositions position Jimenez as one of my favorite Batman artists for both character and action. Read Full Review

Batman #139 gets the series back on track in the post-Gotham War world. Chip Zdarsky and Jorge Jimenez do an excellent job at examining Bruce Wayne's character in and out of being Batman. That examination is elevated by the presentation of Joker to create a new chapter in the iconic rivalry. Add in a Vandal Savage back-up story that shows potential, Batman #139 is a great fresh start for the series. Read Full Review

It's Batman vs. the Joker by Zdarsky and Jimenez, so you already know it's going to be pretty darn cool. Read Full Review

A brilliant opener to this latest chapter of Chip Dzarsky's Batman run. The “Mind Bomb” is already shaping up to be a Batman story for the ages and is the culmination of the last year of storytelling. Also, all hail Jorge Jimenez as nobody draws Batman or Joker like he does. Read Full Review

Batman #139 gets back to basics as a focused Batman (sans support from the Batfamily) resumes his mission to hunt down the Joker. But for Joker's antics looking too much like the Riddler, this is a gritty, taut crime thriller with gorgeous art. Unfortunately, the story is mildly tainted by too many connections to the Gotham War and the lack of follow-up concerning Jason Todd or Failsafe. Read Full Review

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. Read Full Review

This start of the Mind Bomb arc is better than Gotham War, but that's a low bar and Batman, the one seemingly impenetrable character DC had in their stable, finally seems to be beaten down from too many poor creative decisions. A return to more of the status quo elements would be welcome at this point as so much has been done, and not just in Batman #139, that it's hard to feel too invested in this character any longer. Read Full Review

Batman #139 is such a bizarre animal. The story is tired; a series of references to other books with a Joker yarn we've seen over and over again. The art, however, is exquisite, setting the most incredible ambiance for a story that under-delivers, and that's putting it mildly. Read Full Review

I can't tell if this was a Riddler story made to fit the Joker or a Joker story that simply relies on behavior better fitting another of Batman's most famous foes. In either case, Joker's breadcrumbs lead to an elaborate doll house where the most painful moments of Bruce Wayne's life are put on display leading to the Joker perhaps getting his fondest wish just as the comic comes to a close. I'm more interested in the art here than the story, having long ago grown tied of broke Batman (who's now schizophrenic… yah!?). Read Full Review

The writingspecifically Batman's inner monologueis campy as hell and while none of it is patently bad, it's also just not good. It feels tired, worn out, exhausted, which is a shame because the art in the issue is bright and alive and really quite good. Read Full Review

A solid issue. Interesting, well drawn with lots of mystery. A number of callbacks to Bruce’s past and previous issues.
The after effects of the Gotham War are well used. The issue doesn’t merely establish Batman’s current method of operating, it actually moves the story along. Jorge Jimenez’s artwork is great. A couple of pages contain no words and the panels tell the story. Awesome.
Batman is investigating, which is great. There is a death trap and some great insanity from The Joker.
It doesn’t feel like the arc of the story is clear, not like the obvious attack of Failsafe leading to escape and countering the attack. However, it’s a good issue.

One word describes this run as a whole: inconsistent. This week, that’s a compliment.

Failsafe arc was great. Alternate Earth story was lame. Gotham War was awful (although I think I hated it less than others). This first issue of the new arc? Pretty damn good.

Happy that The Knight mattered and hoping Zdarsky gives closure to the three Jokers.

We’re back on track. We took an unfortunate detour, but this issue—and hopefully the whole arc—should remind people why Zdarsky is the right choice to take on Batman. His run has been bold and exciting, expanding on old lore and tackling controversial recent additions. I also liked the references to Zdarsky’s The Knight series, which was phenomenal. Jimenez is legendary, as usual. The backup didn’t add much, but it sets up an interesting new status quo for a character.

After Gotham War ended up being a bit of a disappointment, this issue provides a nice amount of hope for the series going forward. I do think the opening Failsafe storyline was the peak of this run up to this point, despite me also enjoying the Bat-Man of Gotham story as well. However, I think this new story has all the potential to be really, really good. Aside from Jimenez's usual fantastic art, we're finally getting Zur taking more control over Bruce in a bit of a continuation of the early backup stories with him and Joker. On top of the really interesting main story, we also get a pretty good backup one with Vandal Savage. While I didn't really care all that much for him in Gotham War, I'm genuinely intrigued to see where his story goes after this. more

I think this is the single best issue of Zdarsky's run as he spends most of the issue getting into Bruce's head by way of the Joker. The takeover of Batman's mind by Zur felt perfectly organic and Jorge Jimenez bears a lot of the responsibility for that. The way he drew Bruce's eyes in the cowl throughout the issue was on the same level as Greg Capullo during the initial Court of Owls arc. Batman comes off as a man barely holding it together, driven only by the mission and as you turn the pages you can feel Zur's influence creeping in. Just a really well put together book. If the rest of the Mindbomb arc is this good, we're in for a potentially classic Batman/Joker story.

Soo much better. Need to get back on track haven't had anything good since failsafe.

After the disappointment that was Gotham War, this was a massive jump in quality. It's nice to see some recognition from Zdarsky's The Knight mini-series.

Having Jimenez do his amazing art was a big bonus too.

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daspidaboy - Nov 7, 2023

its crazy how the difference in sheer quality between Gotham War and this issue is.

Afre - Nov 7, 2023

Yeah, it feels like a parody at this point.

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This is a good, refreshing reset, despite it being essentially Failsafe part 2.

With the dreadful “Gotham War” crossover event mercifully over, the issue marks the beginning of Batman’s “Mind Bomb” arc from Chip Zdarsky and Jorge Jimenez. Zdarsky’s depiction of Bruce’s struggles with elements of mental illness related to the lingering presence of Zur En Arrh has been a fascinating read. Add in the complexities of The Joker wanting to face Zur for an ultimate showdown and you have the making for a captivating plot which highlights Zdarsky’s strengths as a Caped Crusader scribe. Jorge Jimenez’s art is another highlight of this current run and this issue he goes full psychological thriller with his designs. It’s perfectly jarring for the tone of Zdarsky’s script and really brings things to life.

its honestly night and day on how different the writing feels on the new arc compared to Gotham War. I am actually pretty excited about Three Jokers, and how this will go. Batman suffers the consequences in this arc, and it felt like Chip Zdarsky wasnt trying in Gotham War.

The art is so much better, the story and pacing is so much sharper and tightly paced, the dialogue is a lot better, and not many characters get ruined. I am actually excited for this, and this is like a return to form. I hope we can move past the Gotham War incident, and Chip Zdarsky wins us over again.

Now we're talking

It's potentially good, but Joker again? And Batman kinda looks dumb and too impulsive. What I'm really looking forward to is Zur decapitating Joker!

I just wanna know how Batman gets into and out of his apt. without being detected. That backpack aint gonna do it. And does he take the bus to crime scenes now?

It's certainly an improvement over Gotham War. But for me Zdarsky is playing with fire by reintroducing the three Jokers, another concept which I wasn't a fan of.

S'ok

The art is good and the plot isn’t so egregious that I get eye strain from rolling them. But I did not follow the Gotham War because I didn’t have the time or money. Well, I had the time, and to be fair Tupperware money. What I didn’t have was the patience for a story built on a false premise.

So I am totally unfamiliar with the current status quo. Apparently Bruce has alienated his family so much that they let him live alone on a fake identity. He has a small apartment and turns off the lights and talks to the toaster. He is hunting for the Joker and eventually finds him. They tussle and we see Zur An Rah. Bruce’s psyche battles against itself, again.

This recent arc seems like a distillation of 40 years of Miller Batman, and man I am tired of it. The Batman family apparently abandons Bruce. There is no intervention, Clark and et all don’t help. Bruce’s magic hand plays no role in anything.

DC keeps writing stories that should have massive consequences for Batman and D C at large, but everything slips back to “normal” again and the cycle repeats. It’s boring and thanks to trades and internet sites with the full history of Batman available, it becomes obvious.

DC has decided to skip the hard work of writing original stories in some sort of “dark” homage to the cult of Frank Miller. I am tired of it.

But I could be wrong. Batman is their cash cow. His books are their top sellers. Telling them to write to my tastes would be financial suicide in a diminishing comics market. Grr. You kids stay off my lawn. more

It's disappointing that we continue to get broken Batman, the same status quo it's been for the past 5 years. Not interested in seeing him continue his descent past rock bottom.

In Batman, writers now write revised stories by revising the stories of past writers. This is getting very boring, I don't know if it's the author himself or the editors, but they need to stop this repetition. And again Joker, isn't that enough? We need something new in Batman and in Detective Comics!

There is no bright idea or anything new in this story. It's been going bad since Failsafe and repeating past stories. God!.. Batman jumped from space to earth without any extra protective gear and fell to his knees safe. A human hero did this in DC Comics. Does DC want to make our non-superhuman hero Batman, a superhero? Batman is one of the rare human characters in DC Comics who does not have superpowers, and let's leave it that way. Stop it now and try something new. more