Batman #47 was a great read. It shows a world where honestly if Thomas and Martha wouldn't have made the ultimate sacrifice, the world and Gotham would've been way worst for it. I also think King meant for this book to be a baptism of fire for Booster as well. He never intended his meddling with time to go this far, and I think the experience will stick with him for a very long time. Batman and Catwoman look at Booster as if he's crazy while he's retelling the events of the alternate timeline to them–but of course it's pointless. Let's just hope Booster sticks with a more simpler and less dangerous wedding gift next time besides time travel. Read Full Review

Every so often a team takes on Batman, and finds a new way to view the character, new things to do with him. Thats far from an easy task, more than 50 years after the character was created, and with so many talented writers and artists having applied their skills to his adventures. But with each issue of this run, Tom King is showing himself to have achieved a new pinnacle with the dark knight. Read Full Review

Overall, a very well-done issue that readers won't forget any time soon. Read Full Review

King has taken a three part story that seemed like a throwaway and instead made it count and count big. I'll never forget this storyline. The dialogue in the last scene also chilled me to the bone. It will do the same for you. This is a top notch comic book. Recommended. Read Full Review

This story arc's conclusion is predictable but the way in which said conclusion is reached is anything but that; overall, "The Gift" remained thought-provoking and entertaining throughout its run, and Batman #47 offered readers a fitting end to a memorable arc. Read Full Review

I won't spoil the ending, as it's sure to be a major talking point across the comicsverse this week. But know that you should check it out for yourself. Read Full Review

The conclusion of "The Gift" takes the story to a dark place in Batman #47, even darker than we've seen before " and that takes some doing. Read Full Review

Batman #47 drives the storyline towards the wedding weve all been waiting for by adding some tension, drama and a seed of who knows what may come from Boosters idiotic idea for a gift. Kings mastery over these characters continues, and Batman is still a surprising force to be reckoned with 47 issues into his run. To say Im locked in as the title drives toward issue #50 is an understatement. Read Full Review

This was an intense and messy resolution where no one left untouched by Booster's actions, including Booster himself. Read Full Review

A strong final issue to a great story arc. It falls apart some toward the end, but that doesn't take away from how great this story was. Tom King seems to have found his groove with Batman and isn't making a bad issue. Read Full Review

Although "The Gift" is essentially an Elsewords story, the best ones in the category both question what could have been under different circumstances (even if those circumstances seem ostensibly better for the character overall) while reinforcing the importance of our protagonist's existence. This is one of those stories. Read Full Review

Tom King is a funny dude, and the humor present in this story illustrates that quite well. If you are in the mood to laugh, this is definitely a story you are going to want to check out. Admittedly, the very end takes a seriously dark and disturbing turn filled with introspection and parallels, but up till then, it's non-stop laughs. Read Full Review

This arc is certainly not for everyone " there are plenty of people who might say it's too bleak, and they wouldn't be wrong " but honestly, as far as dystopian detours go, I wholeheartedly endorse just how far Batman #47 has gone. Read Full Review

The Gift story arc just didn't hit me the way the rest of King's Batman stories have; however Batman #47 still has quality writing and art to keep my attention. The arc has also provided me some more context about Booster Gold as a character, making me more interested in other stories that feature him. Read Full Review

Despite King's best efforts, the last issue of “The Gift” falls a little flat. The alternate world is underdeveloped and the ending is weird, bordering on crass. Booster Gold and the last scene are saving graces of the comic. However, even that is not enough to elevate it more than mediocre. Read Full Review

Batman #47 brings a surprisingly solid ending to The Gift. This issue is still tonally off and makes Booster out to be near unlikable, but the ending lands some emotional resonance. Plus, Tony S. Daniel, Sandu Florea,Danny Miki, and Tomeu Morey bring some great artwork to the title. I can recommend this one who have been enjoying Tom Kings Batman, and tentatively recommend it to others. Booster Gold fans, however, will still find the comic misrepresenting this great character. Read Full Review

The ending to an arc that is deeply sad and effective yet hard to classify. Not everyone will find this arc engaging, especially if you find King's dialogue trite, but for those invested, this won't disappoint, just merely confuse. Read Full Review

What is the real point to this three-part story? Back before the Source Wall broke, I didn't think I would say this, but let's get to the Bat/Cat Wedding already! Read Full Review

BATMAN #47 ties up the unique narrative of "The Gift," but it does so in such a predictable manner that the conclusion is ultimately unsatisfying. Read Full Review

If you are a hardcore Booster fan, you may want to skip it entirely, but as a story progression, it fills the time until the wedding. Read Full Review

While I found this plot interesting and entertaining, it honestly felt more like filler to me than anything. It's like they were stalling for time while they built up hype for the wedding (not that I blame them for building hype " I actually can both see and understand what they're trying to do here). Read Full Review

At least Tony Daniel's art is up to the challenge. I really wish Daniel was able to illustrate a better story as his work is the only reason I'd recommend The Gift. The arc ends on a flat note with more questions that apparently won't get answered. Easily the best aspect of this story line is that it's over. Hopefully King gets back on track next issue, which has the promising teaser of The Wedding and The Joker. Read Full Review

Our time in this alternate universe comes to an end with an open question: how will this impact Batmans future? Read Full Review

I gotta say, this one let me down. It's better than the one before it–it has neat ideas and with the robot back to life, jokes that land–but this entire arc feels like filler. Though with a resolution that isn't really a resolution, I guess I should change “feels” to “is.” Read Full Review

This issue was weird in a really off-putting way, as if the creators had an ax to grind against Booster Gold and wanted to humiliate him. The time travel/alternate timeline stuff felt half-baked for very little pay-off. Read Full Review

This arc finally comes to an end and while this issue is everything you'd expect it to be to get back to our status quo, Booster Gold comes out of this looking like one of the worst characters ever and I just really hope that whoever takes on the character next just forgets all about this arc.  The art is great, but the story is nonsense.   Read Full Review

Honestly, I'm not sure if I'm doing a good enough job at describing exactly how terrible this issue is. You have no idea until you've read it. This is by far the worse issue of the series yet which is kind of incredible because there are some truly awful, awful issues in this series. This is worse than anything we saw in Jokes and Riddles! It's worse than that Swamp Thing issue! This is such a low that I really hope that Tom King can't top this. Read Full Review

Quite messy and pointless. Saved by Daniel's art, which is stunning as always. Still a fun read, but, as I've said, completely pointless. Remember Gotham Girl? Yeah, that was better.

The Gift story arc ends here and Booster Gold will be messed up for a long time by this time traveling shenanigans, unless of course another Booster Gold writer decides to disregard this story completely.

As everyone probably expected by the end of this issue everything is hunky dory. Aside from Booster's PTSD everything seems to be back to the way it was before.

This arc was fun with a really good art from Tony Daniel. But with no apparent consequences it does look kinda pointless. It feels lika a filler that is here to hold us over until the big wedding. Same thing can be said about the recent story with Poison Ivy, but that story was better in my opinion.

Come on Mr. King, pull yourself together. I really hope that the wedding will knock my socks off. more

Minor Spoiler


Missed opportunity at the end Booster should have been holding a cheese tray.

King found a way to make Booster amusing instead of annoying. Daniel's figures are so narrow that I can't figure out if it is genuinely weird or if comic-huge is just too normative. A totally serviceable issue, but it is below the bar set for two years of this Batman run.

As you may have expected, everything we've een in last few issues got resolved - there was no real stakes or tension compared to Flashpoint, which in a similar matter introduced an alternate, dystopian timeline, but even after Barry returned to his time, things were different. On the other hand, King pulled off some real dramatic moments and perfectly captured Booster's goofy personality, with real emotions hidden underneath. It's not something I would compare to 52 Pick-Up, with phenomenal, tearjerking Batgirl issue, but it's a good conclusion to otherwise rather mediocre arc.
I'd love to see more Booster Gold in the future. Not necesarily in Batman's comics, but generally. His character has a lot of potential waiting to be utilized.

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egonnn244 - May 17, 2018

Can you elaborate Jim?

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This issue is a stand-off between angry gun Bruce Wayne trying to prevent the death of his parents, but really descends into an endless skit with Booster Gold being...uh...funny?...well something like that. And we get a bit of the suicide riff King keeps revisiting here to make it more tedious. This sounds like I'm a King-basher--quite the opposite, I've enjoyed his Batman run, in general, more than Snyder's. It's just that Tony Daniels can't stand with some of the other artists we've been getting on this title anymore, and Booster's presence makes this King's weakest arc. But I'm excited for the wedding, regardless of this kind of lame-duck story.

Not sure I understand why this story was published a couple of months before the wedding, unless something in the “permanent” timeline was changed as a result of Booster’s meddling, and thus effects the wedding. If ultimately this storyline has no impact on the timeline, then it was just not very good. Daniel’s art was great, though.

I like to write a review fresh after reading an issue, but honestly i'm not sure what I just read. To me this was the epitome of a filler arc and it didn't end well. Maybe i'll go back and read 45-47 and see if it's more cohesive - the art is great so it wouldn't be that bad. But as many have pointed out it seems like we're spinning our wheels until #50. On another note King's Joker story in DC Nation #0 was insane! Don't think i've ever been as creeped out by Joker as the one panel where he looks over with his yellowish eyes. Give us more of that leading up to the wedding!

Booster Gold is so annoying in this arc. I really don't have much to say other than I am glad it's over. Although, it did raise some neat alternate timeline type questions it was very unnecessary.

I did a line of cocaine before reading this issue, so of course it made perfect sense and I can't wait for more of these types of stories on my most beloved comic book, Batman. I hope Batman remains likes this until the day that I die... BANG! (Ok I just arrived from the future via time-travel and shot the version of myself who snorted that line of cocaine and enjoyed this issue of Batman, the world is saved...consider this my gift to my old high school math teacher who finally worked up the nerve to ask Ms. Bossert, the French language teacher to ask her to marry him and agree to only bone each other for the rest of their lives) Can Bendis write Batman instead, it can't be more phucked than it is now anyways...

i'm not sure who this comic makes look like a bigger idiot,

Booster Gold or Tom King?

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egonnn244 - May 17, 2018

Now that's a little harsh.

myconius - May 17, 2018

i really hope the next arc is MUCH better. i've been looking forward to Bruce & Selina getting together since Jeph Loeb's 'Hush' as well as Paul Dini's 'Heart of Hush'. but with all the senseless murder and violence, this comic is starting to feel like it's just going for cheap shock value. i’m starting to worry that the wedding (or some time after) might just be setting us up for a horrible gut-punch. also, i'm no fan of Booster Gold but he REALLY deserved better treatment than this.

egonnn244 - May 17, 2018

Just like me, when I read Hush I was immediately sold on the idea of those two together. My greatest fear is that King himself or someone after him will scrap the marriage. Generally speaking I enjoy King's run, but it has flaws and some ups and downs. I really liked when he and Time Seeley where on Grayson. That was a great series.

myconius - May 17, 2018

i also really enjoyed Grayson very much. it'd been nice if King and Seeley could have been kept on the book till the very end. i could be wrong on this, but the way this series keep throwing shocks out left and right has me worried something tragic is planned for the wedding (or some time after). like i said i hope i'm wrong, but it's just a trend i've been seeing in the run since the beginning. i think the worst was seeing Holly cut Batman's throat. that felt very contrived.

egonnn244 - May 17, 2018

The throat cuting was unexpected. And ending to Grayson was a bit "meh". It's a shame that King and Seeley couldn't finish it. Tom King goes sometimes for shock value but he does things like War of Jokes and Riddles or Batman and Superman double date and I just continue to read for stories just like those. But I could live without Bruce and Selina calling each other Bat and Cat constantly, because that is a bit on the silly side.

myconius - May 17, 2018

yeah the "Bat Cat" thing has gotten pretty old. i just wish he wouldn't keep pulling out the shock value trope. i will say King is not as bad with the cheap shocks as Scott Snyder was, but still there are ways to write entertaining stories without having to rely on gimmicks. so far i think the Superman double date was the most i've been entertained with Batman since rebirth. well we've only got just a few more issues till #50. i'm just going to hold out for hope that they don't pull a fast one.

egonnn244 - May 17, 2018

We'll see.

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Tom King continously proves he doesnt give a shit about what other characters are supposed to be. He writes them how he wants them. This whole series is a joke and I can nit wait to drop this after 50

There are good and bad things about this issue.

Good: Art was nice. And the major good thing about this is that it's finally finished. FINALLY.

Now the bad:

EVERYTHING ELSE. MY GOD WAS THIS AWFUL. JUST SO BAD THAT I CANNOT EVEN DESCRIBE IT. DON'T READ THIS. AND MAKE SURE KING NEVER WRITES BOOSTER AGAIN.