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/18.jpg "Batman #18")
you are pissing me off right now, why are you giving low grades to EVERY batman issue, even the ones that are critically acclaimed like this one?
Batman #18
| Writer | Tom King |
| Artist | David Finch, Danny Miki |
| Cover Price | $2.99 |
"I AM BANE" part three! Bane broke the bat before, but it wasn't enough-now he's going to break everyone else! Bane is coming, and no one is safe!
CRITIC REVIEWS
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10
Comic Bastards - Daniel Vlasaty
Mar 01, 2017I would imagine that there are still two issues left in this story line and I have no idea where they are going to take us. But I imagine that they will be action-packed and psychologically draining and a wild ride. I'm excited (as I always say) to see where King and Finch go with this. Read Full Review
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10
We The Nerdy - Aron Pohara
Mar 01, 2017Overall Batman Rebirth continues to be one of if not the best Rebirth title, they are pretty much in a dead heat tie with the entire Trinity, but this is one of those books, that should be in your pull, at least this particular arc. That is one of the best things about the way all three books are written so far, each arc is truly for itself, and is not dependent on the knowledge of the character before hand, so if you just want read just particular story of these characters, you can do that! Read Full Review
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10
Lyles Movie Files - Jeff Lake
Mar 01, 2017Batman has been amazing since the I Am Bane arc began. Each issue keeps surpassing the last. King has firmly settled into this gig and delivering outstanding work and Finch is meeting that challenge on each page for a great and all too quick read. Read Full Review
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10
We Got This Covered - Sergio Pereira
Mar 01, 2017In Batman #18, Tom King delivers a five-star book that'll have the fans salivating for more. This is the Batman-Bane clash we've been waiting for. Read Full Review
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10
DC Comics News - Steven Brown
Mar 01, 2017Batman #18 is a great read! I enjoyed the encounter between Batman and Bane and it's great knowing that in the next book the fight continues even further! I've always enjoyed the tactician Bane over the mindless Venom monster that we sometimes get, and King gives us the tactician I've always wanted from Bane in this book! I can't wait to see how the story ends! Read Full Review
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10
Comicosity - Aaron Long
Mar 01, 2017Batman #18 is a fantastic read. It's going to give you moments of panic and take you right back to that time you saw the Bat break, but by God it is worth the stress. The team ends this issue on a fantastic note and I can't wait to see what is coming next in Bat vs. Bane. Read Full Review
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10
Nerd Church Radio - Brandon Reid
Mar 01, 2017This issue was incredible. The way we see how both Batman and Bane have had the same life yet because of their situations turned out so incredibly different was such a great idea. Showing both lives with panels side by side was a great addition as well. Then there's the art... phenomenal! David Finch draws Bane like he should look and the attention to detail... beautiful. Read Full Review
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10
Newsarama - Jon Arvedon
Mar 02, 2017As the "I Am Bane" story arc continues to play out in the pages of Batman #18, writer Tom King not only ups the ante on the action, but he also gives us a more intimate look at the parallels between Bruce Wayne and the boy that would one day call himself Bane. Read Full Review
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10
Weekly Comic Book Review - Elijah Thomas
Mar 02, 2017"I am not a joke. I am not a riddle! I am not a bird or a cat or a penguin! I am not a scarecrow or a plant or a puppet! I am your broken friend! I am not your regretful teacher. I am not a child's fairytale. I am not a circus act here to amuse and frightened you! I am not another one of your madmen howling at the moon! I am not some rich boy playing dress up! I AM BANE!" - Bane written by: Tom King Read Full Review
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10
The Brazen Bull - Charlie Chipman
Mar 03, 2017Brutally entertaining and deceptively thought-provoking, Tom King's Batman #18 is a triumph of modern 'superhero' fiction"a comic book tour de force reminiscent of the great Victorian tale of human duality: Robert Louis Stevenson's, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and while the Batman/Bane foil may not be perfect"it's damn near close. Read Full Review
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10
Bounding Into Comics - Daniel Mills
Mar 04, 2017Tom King made a few surprise choices with the beginning of his Batman: Rebirth run. He introduced new characters, focused on old villains, and ditched some of the tropes that have defined the character for ages. It certainly makes for some unique choices. Luckily, the Gotham's proved to have a heartwarming yet tragic story behind them. Bane's menacing presence has proven more than enough to warrant several storylines and arcs which continues in Batman #18. And not knowing everything Bruce is up to is proving to be a great way to keep both the villains and the readers in the dark. With the massive critical appeal of Omega Men and Grayson under his belt, it's a wonder why we ever thought King might not be up to the task of managing the greatest comic book character ever created. To everyone's surprise, except maybe Tom King himself, we were wrong. Read Full Review
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9.8
Weird Science - Jim Werner
Mar 01, 2017Tom King gives fans a deep look at what made both Batman and Bane while showing the later beating the tar out of the former. It's a really great issue with really great art and it's the type of issue I've been waiting for King to give us since the beginning arc of Rebirth. Highly recommended. Read Full Review
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9.5
Black Nerd Problems - Keith Reid-Cleveland
Mar 01, 2017Appearances from all of the people who affected Bruce along the way are always welcome, including a touching panel of him speaking with all of his costumed mentees over the years. However, the thing that sticks you the longest is how Bane's story is even more heartbreaking due to a few subtle differences. Read Full Review
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9.0
GWW - Mark Delaney
Mar 01, 2017I'm hopeful the author and the rest of the team can keep up this fantastic level of storytelling. Read Full Review
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8.6
IGN - Jesse Schedeen
Mar 01, 2017This series has taken its sweet time building up to the battle royale between Batman and Bane, and now that it's arrived, this issue doesn't disappoint. David Finch and Jordie Bellaire bring that fight to life in glorious, vivid detail, while Tom King's script eloquently points out the many ways in which Batman and bane have been linked since childhood. Read Full Review
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8.5
Comic Book Corps - Tim Montoya
Mar 01, 2017Looking back on this run of Batman so far King has been piecing together a cohesive story throughout, with threads from the first arc still playing out now. A feat that is rather impressive, however at times the story has had its lulls. This issue falls into that category. A great storytelling piece yet being 3 issues into this arc we are just now getting to the action. Read Full Review
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8.5
NerdEnt.Net - Flame Hawk
Mar 01, 2017The art has improved since the beginning of this arc as detail has returned in Finch's penciling. The inclusion of many characters shows the artistic ability of the team as they will clearly revisit some of the villains down the road. But Bane's styling was particularly impressive as Finch The gritty nature is still there as the a dark coloring is implemented fine lining details the characters. Read Full Review
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8.5
Good Kind Of Geek - Nikki Yuan
Mar 02, 2017The series has been taking its time for the showdown between Batman and Bane, and so far it's not disappointing. I cannot wait to see the result of the series, and see what King has in store for use next. Read Full Review
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8.0
AIPT - Russ Whiting
Mar 01, 2017Batman #18 further reinforces that notion and leaves us once again on the edge of our seats, craving the next issue thanks to a discomfiting, yet intriguing narrative and larger than life art. Read Full Review
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8.0
Newsarama - David Pepose
Mar 01, 2017But ultimately, Batman #18 isn’t meant to be a narrative triumph - after all, we’re only in Part Three of “I Am Bane,” so we shouldn’t expect any game-changers here - but it is an artistic one. This is by far one of the strongest issues that David Finch has delivered not just for this series, but across his entire DC tenure. Putting him on a Bane-centric storyline has DC tapping into Finch’s stylistic strengths as a creator, making Batman #18 a must-read for the visuals if nothing else. Read Full Review
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8.0
Comicsverse - A. Chowder
Mar 01, 2017While the main story doesn't offer much, the comparison between Bruce and Bane's tragic childhoods is fascinating. Furthermore, he art is not only brutal and captivating but also an important reminder of the serious physical threat Bane presents. Read Full Review
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8.0
The Batman Universe - Matthew Mahar
Mar 01, 2017"I Am Bane" has been a roller coaster and it's only been three issues. The highs have been high and the lows have been troubling. This is the story we've been waiting for, though. This issue was pure adrenaline on the page. The story is far from over, but things are looking really good at this point. Read Full Review
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8.0
Dark Knight News - Eric Lee
Mar 02, 2017This is a fun issue that comparesBatman and Bane in a intriguing way. It is decent, but slightly flawed because of the abrupt ending and inconsistent art. Read Full Review
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8.0
All-Comic - Milo Milton Jefferies
Mar 03, 2017On the whole,Batman #18 is an excellent chapter that is a worthy addition to the I am Banearc that continues to be an incredible success. Its bold, clever, and empahtically visceralas the creative team pulls out all the stops togive readers one of the best portrayals of Bane yet. Read Full Review
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7.0
Comic Crusaders - Andy Hall
Mar 03, 2017Even with King's misstep with parallelism, this book is still at a level that few others are touching. I can hardly wait for the two weeks until the next issue. Read Full Review
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7.0
Comic Book Revolution - Kevin Lainez
Mar 03, 2017Batman #18 maintains the high level of intensity that "I Am Bane" started with, adding further intrigue to the current conflict. Now with Batman out of commission and Catwoman pissing Bane off even more there is a greater sense of unpredictability into how things will turn out in the end. Unfortunately that is brought down by the rehash material of Batman and Bane's origins, which takes up half of Batman #18's page count. The fact that we don't really learn anything new from all the flashback scenes does take away from the impact of what is otherwise a great issue. Read Full Review
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7.0
Razorfine - Alan Rapp
Mar 07, 2017The comic is inter-cut with images of Bruce Wayne and Bane as children suggesting several similiarities between each's tragic past and the obsession born out of it. These scenes take up a few too many panels for my taste, but they do underline the arc's central message suggesting Bane is a serious threat to Batman with more in common than one might expect. Worth a look. Read Full Review
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6.0
Big Comic Page - Craig Gorman.
Mar 01, 2017This is another strong entry in the REBIRTH field for DC, making BATMAN a highly enjoyable, if overly familiar, title. Read Full Review
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5.5
Batman-News - Brandon Mulholand
Mar 02, 2017King never ceases to amaze me, and I mean that in both senses of the phrase. Two weeks ago, I was applauding him and this week I'm facepalming. I seriously never know what to expect from the man. The majority of my problems with this issue come from King trying to alter Bane's origin (Remember, if it isn't broke, don't try and fix it.) But it gets a little more groan worthy as King attempts to force a parallel and connection between Bruce and Bane that is a stretch at best. Read Full Review
USER REVIEWS
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10
ignore Mister Bungle's review, he gave low grades EVERY SINGLE batman issue even the ones that were great like this. he's just a sad little man and he has my pity.
+ Like • Comment• Likes (3) -
10
Tom King continues to rise to the occasion as Batman and Bane finally come to blows. This issue displays a great handle of Bane and the parallels he shares with the protagonist. Now as much as I like what King did in this issue the star of this book is Finch the art in this issue is fantastic it really elevates the work. I felt this great chapter in the I am Bane Arc.
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10
Awesome!
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10
I applaud young Master Wayne. He transformed his mommy issues into something more. He became a jacked bodybuilding kung fu master crimefighter. He's so badass he learned from the best, Ra's al Ghul and then turns his back on his mentor's philosophies while banging his daughter (unprotected too). Sure his son was a little $%&*. But now he's reformed and leading the Teen Titans. Way to go Batdad. Also I forgive Bats for always hanging out with the wrong type of women. He's been through so much, sometimes it's ok to pipe a jewel-stealing, leather costume fetish wearing, cat-burglar on rooftops (which is a felony btw). Plus he was apparently so good at extracurriculars, she is now ok with doing Bats' dirty work. What did Bane do with his mommy more
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9.5
Tom King is, for me, the best comic-book writer right now. He's a genius! The story is really interesting, dark and terrifying. I love in this series how he compares Batman with his enemies, before with Catwoman and now with Bane. He's proving us that Batman is the best and there's no other hero like him. And David Finch's art keeps getting better and the confrontation is incredibly illustrated.
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9.5
wow.. this was a really well done book. easily my "book of the week" if not for Superman, which was epic this week. besides just being awesome in general, this book erases a problem that has been nagging me about "how did Catwoman get captured so easily?" it just seemed too convenient. turns out, it was! I love this turn, and what it seems to bode for the future. I love it!
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9.5
My favorite issue of Batman by Tom King so far, with what is arguably one of the best lines a Batman book yet. I constantly forget how good of a villain Bane is, but I am very rarely disappointed by his appearances in the Batman comics. I think the ending will end up being very explosive with a lot of repercussions for Bat family, but I think it will be worth the setup so far.
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9.5
This was a great issue. I loved the parallel frames of Bruce and Bane's childhood growing through adulthood, leading up to this confrontation. Kind did a fine job building slowly up to this moment to give it proper impact. Finch's art is great. After taking a dozen or so issues to round into form, King is definitely on a role with Batman.
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8.5
This parallel lives story pitch has been done before and will be done again; this version was fine but the fact that a character is retconned to suit a story instead of the mythos is a negative. Also, Batman's love for his mother has always been fair and true but this presentation level of his dead mama's boy obsession felt awkwardly inappropriate and unlikely. Otherwise a riveting tale with great art.
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8.5
King's new story arc is definetly an improvement to the I am Suicide arc, and so does this issue. The parallels drawn between Batman and Bane really works alongside the story to give depth to the rivalry, as well as raise Bane to even more a threat. But the issue still fall in a recurring problem of this volume (and, being bold, of a lot of Batman's writers) that is the utter control of the plot and how it evolves. All is part of his master plan, and this thins out the conflict of the story in various levels. The art is consistent and beautiful, and the panel configuration, especially on the Bat-Bane parallels, are really well-crafted. Is a really dedicated Fincher, since the book's start.
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8.5
One thing is for sure: Tom King loves parallels between Batman and everyone else: first Gotham, then Catwoman and now, with effective results, Bane. This issue, as I hoped, featured the gruesome showdown we were waiting for and Finch's perfectly detailed art result in one of the most menacing Banes ever made, also thanks to a return to a more classic character design. Colorist Bellaire also does a great job at distinguishing the two pasts unfolding in tonality: one dark but vibrant, the other yellowish and hopeless. And it's the flashbacks that really make this an outstanding issue, even though the pretty linear fight is a treat for the eyes itself: it's in the specularity of their stories that we are allowed to understand where lies the di more
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8.0
Maybe they could have toned down the Oedipus Rex thing.
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8.0
Definitely one of the few highlights of Tom King's run. Nothing groundbreaking, but fun.
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7.5
I'm not a big fan of Tom King's run on Batman, but this issue was very intense. However,the storytelling feel too forced sometimes (Bruce / Bane mirror for exemple). Please Mister Bugle, do like me : ignore the Batman title if you don't like it.
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6.5
This is one of the most disappointing reads I've had in a long time. The palatable tension King was building in the first two chapters of this arc were phenomenal! Then instead of the the full fledge chaos that should of erupted between Batman & Bane we get these awkward flashbacks of Batman and Bane's mommy issues. I get what King is trying to do with this issue in exploring the similarities in Bats and Bane but it comes off as extremely cheesy. This kills the entire sense of intensity and dread King has been building the last two issues. I thought this was going to be King's defining arc in his Batman run but it seems he just can't put together a solid arc. The art is amazing though! Finch absolutely nails Batman and this has to be one of more
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4.0
Another comparison between Hero and Villain. It was done Before and in better ways. Why we cannot see something interesting like Catwoman saving the hostages. But no we just have Bane beating Batman. It's not interesting fight scene either. Only good part was the artwork, which is bizarre because I really dislike his artstyle.
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1.5
We go up and we go down, Mommy. Up and down. Up and down.
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