It's Batman versus The Joker in their most brutal fight of all time. But wait...Batman is also battling a legion of himself! What has Zur done? And who will walk away? The brutal Mindbomb continues!
Reverberations sit at the core of Batman #140, striking the right chords of past and present. Zdarskys scripting highlights key elements of the writers tenure on various Bat-books, building on the smaller beats to deliver compelling declarations of story mechanics. Synching with the evocation of the Batman artists of before by Jimnez, the issue delivers stunning layouts and metatextual clashes of Batmans psyche. Layering in equally different color shades for the endless variations of Zur by Morey makes every figure feel unique, even in the large crowd scenes. With this issue, Mindbomb continues as the best arc of this run yet, building on and improving every element seen in the previous stories. Read Full Review
Batman and Joker are finally facing off againbut the clown prince of crime actually feels like a side story to this issue, as Batman's greatest battle is with himself. Read Full Review
Overall, there is very little to be disappointed about within this issue AND its only the second installment in the arc. This puppy could go in any direction at any time and I have no doubt readers will be pleased. Id pick this bad boy up ASAP and snag the Batman: The Knight trade while youre at it especially with it being Christmas and all! You can thank me later! Let me know what you think, have a great week, and God Bless! Read Full Review
The explosive mid-way point of Mind Bomb will absolutely blow readers away. Zdarsky exemplifies the power of the mind through his excellent writing. Jimnez and Morey leave nothing on the table as their superb imagery brings the violent rage of a vigilante up close and personal before throwing another dynamic in the mix on the parting image. This story is an absolute must-read. Read Full Review
The craziness of the multiverse continues to send Batman into a spiral inBatman #140. This is an exciting chapter, as the creators are having much fun putting Batman through the paces while throwing him into a battle where his mind is his greatest asset. This is a great survival thriller by way of the multiverse that only Batman could resolve. Read Full Review
Parts of this issue are so gosh darn silly, in all the best ways. Couple that with some badass action and fan-pleasing artwork, and this is one bonkers fun story. Read Full Review
Batman #140 is a multi-sensory explosion that never fails to grab the reader's attention. Larger than life yet still containing moments of introspection and discussions about what it truly means to be Batman, this issue sets the table for some high drama to come. Read Full Review
With two encouraging issues in a row, signs are looking up for Batman. A cliffhanger on the main story could send Zdarsky back into fly me to the moon territory of outlandish plot resolutions. For now, Batman is ending 2023 on an optimistic note than some of the shaky storylines from this year can be left behind. Read Full Review
Turning Joker into a plot device to push the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh to its next phase was the best decision made for this "Mind Bomb story arc. There are certainly some questionable story choices but there is no doubt with how Batman #140 ends we are left in a spot where we can be excited by all the possibilities for Bruce Wayne's future in 2024. Read Full Review
Jimenez delivers beautifully detailed and visually thrilling art throughout the issue. The variants of Zur-En-Arrh look fantastic and I love the different visual styles from the 1989 Batman version to the animated series version of the character. Read Full Review
Batman #140 is the little acorn that could become the mighty oak if Zdarsky can keep the story going in the direction it's headed. The action is fierce, and several plot developments are introduced that have big potential for Batman and Joker, so it's on Zdarsky to pay off the setup. Read Full Review
Batman #140 wants to tie Batman losing his mind to his hardline, no-kill rule with the Joker so bad. It wants to be edgy, emotional, and referential all at the same time. What it winds up being is... dumb. Read Full Review
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. Read Full Review
Batman #140, like much of Zdarsky's current Batman story, is a case of potential squandered. Read Full Review
I loved seeing Batman beat Batman TDKR.
I just think this is phenomenal. The tone manages to combine the dark and dour with the goofy and camp, which are both elements of Batman that I enjoy but rarely see combined. Zdarsky pays homage to past writers and stories but isn’t afraid to build something new using the toys he’s inherited. And the art, my god!
this book is a visual treat. Jorge Jimenez is killing it, and I like Chip zdarsky's story so far and his writing for Batman and Joker. I like the ending, I like the action, I like hte dialogue. I hope this story will redeem Gotham War, and it will be better than the Failsafe arc.
Another really interesting issue for the Mind Bomb storyline. Zdarsky is putting together a really interesting story here in both the main story and the backup with Vandal. I know people have been getting tired of the multiverse with it being used more and more frequently, but I think Zdarsky does it well enough here for it to be entertaining. Plus, Jimenez's art is, as per usual, fantastic. As for the backup, as I alluded to earlier in this review, I enjoyed it. I wasn't all that into him being in the Gotham War event, but this issue and the last one have made him so much more intriguing to me.
Another step back in the right direction as Zdarsky attempts to redeem himself after Gotham War. The back-up story was also quite good, with an intriguing attempt to tie Vandal Savage and The Court of Owls together (presumably, as it’s not explicitly stated).
Chip Zdarsky’s story tries to dive deep into the fractured psyche of Bruce Wayne but the end result is a fractured story that never really knows what it wants to be. There are a lot of interesting elements sprinkled throughout the issue, but together they feel like multiple “previously on” segments taped together with the loosest of plots. We don’t really learn anything new and The Joker’s role comes off more as a plot device than a meaningful development. Even Jorge Jimenez’s usual stellar art felt off here, but Tomeu Morey’s colors were definitely the standout. The cliffhanger gives me pause on where this is going and if we’re just getting Failsafe 2.0.
Am I mistaken, or did Batman create Failsafe AND Zur to protect the world from himself? So, Bats creates two menaces to the world and to himself to take him down in case he goes 'bat-shit crazy.' Talk about self-inflicted wounds. How is this maniac allowed to operate on the streets?
I generally really like Chip's work. This storyline needs to move along. We get it. Batman is fractured and broken and has been for a VERY loooong time. The Dark Knight Zur was cool, but let's wrap this up and move on to the Vandal Savage storyline, which could be great. This seems directionless hopefully we have a great payoff.
Zdarsky's run has devolved into drivel it seems. What is up with modern writers just messing up or trying to knock down previous authors works? This is a weird unprofessional act that feels like it has been on the rise for the past several years. Some people seem to like it when authors look down on previous authors, but I just find it tacky. If you read the issue you will get what I mean.
Jimenez art is wonderful as always. I feel he is really the only pull for the book now. But art alone cannot keep a hollowed out Batman standing.
La historia no me convence, es un poco estúpido y aburrido
Batman fights himself. The final version Zurich do dah version of Frank Miller’s Batman, so points for on the nose symbolism. I guess we’re supposed to see that the writer is symbolically putting an end to Miller’s Batman, but it is so heavy handed, he doesn’t stick the landing. Miller Batman can always come back. DC seems to think this stale concept of Batman is the only way to write him.
My problem is the issue really does nothing. We don’t see the Bat family. ThenJoker fight is part Bane breaks back symbolism, which is actually a good idea. If Bats won’t kill Joker, he can make him a quadriplegic dependent on a respiration machine. Joker lives, but can’t escape or talk to corrupt his latest shrink.
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