King and Finch remind us there is no story if it doesn't connect to the human condition. All of the characters in this comic feel something and it's evident by their actions and emotions. If you enjoy meaningful character moments you can't do better than this. Read Full Review

This issue shows that Tom King has a little more in store than just giving us a book with heroes and villains chasing each other around.  Even the concept of "villain" is thrown into a gray area by how you look at things and Batman is caught right in the middle of it.  Right now it's Gotham vs Gotham and I'm not sure who is going to come out on top. Read Full Review

Batman #4 is easily the best issue of the series so far, with the creative team giving us some bold and captivating twists. Not only do they give some big changes to Gotham's attitude, but they also hint at the upcoming “Night of the Monster Men” crossover, whilst setting up the finale of “I am Gotham” in an exhilarating fashion. Read Full Review

As I said, the first issue flummoxed me some, but Batman is hitting its stride, falling plane aside! The blend of art and script is really, really strong, and I look forward to this title arriving every two weeks! Read Full Review

Tom King's done a great job of giving us a memorable story arc early on in his run as the head writer for Batman. He's further developing Batman's character on multiple fronts " as a mentor, a symbol, a myth, and, now, a seasoned veteran with his eyes on a future where he hopefully isn't as needed. Read Full Review

That, and many reasons more, is why Batman is my favorite superhero. I loved that this issue highlighted these aspects of his character and let us see how he reacts in the face of an ally gone rogue at the hands of Gotham, a city known to corrupt and contaminate. Read Full Review

Once again, the creative team of King and Finch put forth a story that both resonates and impresses in completely unexpected ways. I genuinely love how the story is just going all over the place. Like, I think I know what is coming up next, and then, "BAM". I'm blindsided by something completely different. It's also really nice getting some twists thrown in there that are for more than just shock value and actually add to the overall story being told. Can't wait to see what happens in #5! Read Full Review

Batman #4 continues the high quality set by the previous issues. It remains one of the best titles on the shelves thanks to creative storytelling, compelling action, and relatable and sympathetic villains and heroes. The threads of a great tale are taking shape, even if Batman and his villains don't seem to be around for the entirety of the story. The focus on the supporting cast and new characters seems an odd choice but King is a master at creating unique story elements and intriguing backstories. Some cameos and appearances can feel unwarranted and unwanted but it's apparent the focus is to create an all-around excellent comic with nods to new and old. The true success of Batman #4 comes by way of the excitement and humor it brings about. It makes it next-to-impossible to wait for the next issue. Read Full Review

Our favourite moment in Batman#4 isGeneral Lane insisting Batman couldn't get into the building, only for Waller to tell him that he was stood behind him. It's a brilliant moment that just perfectly captures everything great about the Dark Knight. Of course he can get in, he's Batman. The issue itself is a brilliantly drawn piece of art. With some of the pieces throwing back to the noir style in classic comics. The Batman story is only getting better as it goes along. Read Full Review

As a chapter in the overall story, this issue serves well to show the foil characters of Batman and Gotham, setting up for a future conflict. As a standalone issue, this is one of the less exciting issues of Batman that I've read. Those of you who have been following the story will definitely want to pick it up, and if you haven't been, you'll want to catch up before reading issue four. Read Full Review

As bizarre as it is to see this story arc suddenly skip forward several beats, that increased sense of momentum definitely helps the series. Tom King's voice becomes more pronounced as he explores the losing battle Gotham and Gotham Girl are fighting to remain uncorrupted by their city. And in a time when few Rebirth titles are maintaining consistent art teams, this series is on;y looking better after two months. Read Full Review

Batman #4 does not reach the heights of its preceding issue due to some wonky set-up but it remains a good comic nonetheless. Tom King is using this series to explore the relationship between Gotham and its heroes in a fascinating manner. David Finch draws an astounding comic with haunting visuals and phenomenal character work. If King could just make this book’s plot as interesting as its themes, it could be one the best Batman stories of the decade. We’re not quite there yet but issue #4 gives the feeling that King is inching his way there. Read Full Review

Batman #4 is a compelling read that sees things go from bad to much worse. An elaborate twist is to be found that cements this arc as a "can't miss." Read Full Review

Though I'm sticking with Batman for a while to come to see what the team will do with it, more so once past this arc and getting into the rhythm of the character, I'm finding myself a little middling on it at best at this point. I like what Finch and the art team are doing and I like what I see of King's approach to Batman so far, but I'm still feeling off about Gotham and Miss Gotham – and their names, too – and how things have moved at an odd pace so far with how quickly Batman has been working with them. I'm intrigued to see how Hugo Strange and Psycho Pirate will play into it as the monster men storyline progresses since I really like both of those characters. But at this point it doesn't feel like the series has gelled quite yet. Read Full Review

Tom King and company have really got a good thing going with their fresh take on Batman and the city he protects. Readers will find themselves completely immersed in the harsh realities of Gotham City, as Batman finds himself racing towards a problem he certainly doesn't already have a solution for in his utility belt. While Detective Comics has been focused more on the other members of the Bat-Family, fans will have a steady bi-monthly Batman book focused on the caped crusader from here on out. Read Full Review

"I Am Gotham Part 4" is a great read! King makes up his lack of action in the previous issue and gives it to us here in spades! Finch makes every page look fantastic as we finally see Batman confront Gotham who has superhuman powers himself. I'm looking forward to see how Batman actually handles this situation from all fronts, with Strange and Psycho Pirate, then also having to deal with a crazed and emotionally broken Gotham. Then to make matters worse, what does Batman do when he figures out the government is involved? It seems that the plot really got thick in issue 4 and it definitely makes me excited for number 5!!! Check out Batman #4!!! Read Full Review

Batman is throwing a lot at the reader, but all of it is really interesting. It's a book that seems to be always building towards the future. However, the main story, in this issue, is a tad lacking. Regardless, this fantastic creative team is really delivering some great moments and a story that mixes the old and the new. We highly recommend checking this series out. Read Full Review

I think some of the issues I'm beginning to see with the comic is due to it's twice monthly release which has slowed some things down, and sped others up. But, it doesn't feel like the right things are slowed down and the right things are being sped up. I want to get to know Gotham and Gotham Girl so I care about them before they're predictable broken down and/or turn. It'll be interesting to see how things continue. But right now we're seeing a few cracks in things. Read Full Review

Batman #4 isn't the strongest issue of the series thus far, but if King, Finch, Hope, Banning and Bellaire stick the landing for the arc it will be a solid chapter in the story. The plot is interesting and the team executes the intensity and tension of the situation well, and if the inconsistencies in the characters are fixed this will be one hell of a series going forward. I'll definitely be reading more Batman to see where this team takes this story and the Dark Knight. Read Full Review

A Suicide Squad namedrop felt like overt product placement for the movie that "just so happens" to release days after the issue hits stores, but the story content surrounding it was still worth while enough to not be too distracting. Just like he did in the premiere, King is using his personal knowledge of government agencies and how they operate to paint a somewhat militaristic view of Gotham and its goings-on. It's a new look for the Bat, and while I'm still getting used to it, I haven't been displeased with the arc so far. My only hope is that the payoff surrounding the new heroes in the city is a big one, and this issue at least leaves us believing it will be. Read Full Review

This issue goes for it all in a high-risk, high-reward plot jump. In the long term, I feel that it's the right move, but it might be a little too jarring for some. Finch and Bellaire once again mess well in Batman #4.  Read Full Review

Even once Batman takes care of the super-powered hero run amok, he's still got to find Strange (who I'm sure has his own plans for the city, and Batman). Worth a look. Read Full Review

Maybe I'll come back when the Dark Knight is "reborn" in more upbeat, heroic stories. Read Full Review

Batman #4 is the perfect example of the type of book that comes to mind when I think of comics that are just Ok. It's a decent enough Batman fix, but outside of that, it doesn't really do much that's super interesting. It's a very paint by numbers story with a scattershot cast and solid art. I certainly don't hate it, but it's not something I'm ever going to be enthusiastically recommending. Read Full Review

As a fan of Tom King's prior work and the "Rebirth" era Batman so far, issue #4 is a real letdown. With its laborious scripting and an ill-conceived turn for Gotham Girl, Batman #4 is the very picture of a misstep for a title that had just started to really shine. Couple that with David Finch's haphazard layouts and you have an experience that is likely to be one of the more disappointing reads this week. Read Full Review

The highlight of this issue was definitely Batmans meeting with Amanda Waller. The sequence is classic Waller and Batman, and it makes me wish that King would get a shot writing Suicide Squad. I feel this way because I have the utmost faith in King as a writer. His work on The Vision for Marvel is currently the best mainstream comic book on the stands and his Sheriff of Babylon monthly from Vertigo is an underrated genre delight that rivals Showtimes Homeland as far as real world military intensity goes. But on Batman, King has not yet hit the stride he is oh-so-capable of. Maybe a story that tightly focuses on the Dark Knight rather than the new playthings in the toy box will go a long way to get King to the lofty heights he is capable of going on Batman. Read Full Review

Tom King is a good writer who is capable of better work, but I'm beginning to worry that for whatever reason he may simply not be a good fit for the character. His Vision books functions largely based on his freedom to craft a wholly unusual, iconoclastic story with a bit character. His Grayson issues relied on a certain insular sense of adventure befitting the smaller scale of story it was. And Sheriff of Babylon is a deeply personal work with a gritty sense of realism. Batman is none of these things, being instead a flagship character, coming off of a popular run, with more storytelling baggage than any franchise this side of Dr. Who. Perhaps King will improve the book as it goes, but for the moment, things are looking like a clear swing and a miss. Read Full Review

I have no idea what King is going for with his Batman series. It's disjointed and focused on entirely wrong things, with a Batman who relies more on his myth than being an actual man. And Batman #4 brings out the worst in all of the already obvious flaws in this comic. Read Full Review

This first Batman story-arc is starting to get hot. After a slow (but still enjoyable) start, everything quite literally explodes in this comic at the start, and the stakes are raised higher than ever before. It's Gotham vs Gotham now and the Monster Men are looming. Combining strong artwork, beautifully sombre colours creates the dark gripping feel of this slow-burning but meaningful chapter in the Batman series, with plenty of moral questions remaining unanswered. If there was one issue with this, the panelling seems a bit cramped at the end, as if they were trying to squeeze in a lot of text in at once at the end of the issue. Overall though, this story is hotting up and I for one am very exciting about the Monster Men crossover event looming ahead. more

The story is getting more interesting.

Way to get really dark again Mr. King. Fantastically dark issue, that I think proves that King knows how to write Batman as more than an action hero.

Story is going along nicely.

Not bad, but the turn of events was hella predictable. At least we now have a clearer understanding of what was going on in the previous issues, and yet the anonimity of the "Gotham brothers" makes it hard for the reader to care about their possible, probable demise.
Art is still really solid, if a bit too standardized.

Here is my very good written review approved by Comic Booger: https://comicbooger.com/2016/08/05/batman-4-2016-review/

a boring and empty story, in 2 days you can easly forgive. expected much more by King.

Considering the turnaround time between issues, the artwork is still good but isn't popping like the previous issues, I'm starting to see signs of the schedule burden. The plot is serviceable, I would have liked to see the brutal slaughter between issues, there seems to be a lot of time passing between each issue so far and it distances the reader from getting immersed. The nod to the Suicide Squad felt shoehorned in, undoubtedly to coincide with the film release. If it doesn't play any meaningful part in the story, I see no reason to waste pages on a Suicide Squad cameo. Despite reading Gotham's origin, it's really difficult to identify with his character, he still feels like a shallow plot device, which contributes to my difficulty getting into this story. I'm looking for something to grab me and I'm just not finding it. more

She's apparently a villain, as revealed in issue 50. Sorry. Spoiler.

Pretty mediocre.

i'm really conflicted! i keep coming back for David Finch's amazing art. his Batman drawing skills are especially Kick-Ass!!!! . . . . . . . . . but this writing is just weak sauce. . . . . . . .
i get a sense for the story that Tom King is trying to get across . . . . . but the execution feels way too underdeveloped. . . . . . .

the detective clues and solutions were just silly boarding on ridiculous! . . . . . mcguffin, mcguffin, MCGUFFIN!!!