All in all, Batman #54 is an engaging, emotional ride from start to finish. Much like Grayson himself, this issue, especially after last arc's melancholy, is like best friend that comes to kick it with you after a bad break-up to cheer you up " one to be grateful for. Read Full Review

This issue is an easy recommendation for those invested in Batman and readers who want to see how far he has come as a character. It is about as perfect a story as anything you will ever read and its not just because of Batman, but also his supporting cast and how they are affected when he is going through emotional turmoil. This is easily one of the best books on the shelves today and this issue is one of the finest to date. Read Full Review

Batman #54 is a standalone issue, but it's another one that taps into King's character-based focus strengths. Batman has been pretty much untouchable since the wedding and continues to be one of DC's must-read titles each release week. Read Full Review

Following the three-part Cold Days arc is a tough act, but the standalone story about the father-son relationship between Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson in Batman #54 pulls it off. Matt Wagners art is fitting and emotive, and Tom Kings script is tonally perfect, an honest look at the emotional fragility of hurt men and how difficult it is to open up. Read Full Review

It's a funny, emotional ride that King and Wagner give us. The story is fantastic. The art is some of Wagner's best. The ending is a little abrupt but I'll forgive it. This is another beautiful issue in King's run. I know it was controversial but I hope this team, much like Bruce and Dick in this issue, work together again for some time to come. Read Full Review

An entertaining issue that's a nice counterpoint to the usual grim doings here. Recommended! Read Full Review

Matt Wagner's art looks great, but he's been very vocal about not being allowed to use his choice of colorist. That's a fumble on DC's part that might keep this legendary creator from working with them again. Shame, because this issue is pretty close to being an all-timer. Read Full Review

This is one of the best single issue stories I've read in a long time. Not only does it fit in extremely well with seasoned Batman fans, but I also think this would be a great jumping on point for anyone who wants to start reading Batman. Tom King shows again how much he understands the family dynamic in this book, and it makes me wonder what King could do on a team book like Teen Titans. This book rates very high with me for one very simple reason: comics are supposed to be fun, and this one is. Read Full Review

Tom King works his magic and writes a simple and wonderful issue that perfectly explains that relationship between Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson; which, I'll admit, is my Kryptonite. Read Full Review

In a world filled with multi-issue, mega-crossover books, this was refreshing and much needed. Read Full Review

"Batman" #54 is an impressive and emotional exploration into one of the most overlooked aspects of the relationships between Bruce and Dick. Read Full Review

This was a warm and comforting issue that will possibly give you something akin to the secure feeling of finding a childhood blanket you've misplaced many years ago and thought was lost forever. It's a nice experience, but is it enough to charm back some lost readers? Nonetheless it's a small triumph. Read Full Review

King has proven that he is more than capable at writing bittersweet stories and this book just confirms it. Too bad such a great book has to be accompanied by some unnecessary baggage in the form of editorial meddling. Read Full Review

While not the best standalone issue the series has seen, Batman #54 is a satisfying celebration of fathers and sons. Read Full Review

Tom King continues to deliver something new and interesting with his take on Batman. Read Full Review

A little light on action, but strong in emotional weight, readers might not claim Batman #54 as a favorite, but it's definitely a turning point and it will be interesting to see where things go for both Dick and Bruce going forward. Read Full Review

Right off the bat, it's easy to fall in love with Wagner's artwork. It's been a minute since the Mage creator took on the Dark Knight but he settles in quickly and Tom King gives him a few funny villains to render as well. Read Full Review

Batman #54 is a heartfelt comic focusing on the importance of Bruces first ward and closest companion. Its about being there for those vulnerable and in pain, and it tells the story well. Its good read and comes with a recommendation. Check it out. Read Full Review

Batman #54 is a love-letter to the relationship between Dick Grayson, and Batman, exploring it from its rocky early days to the two characters learning to trust each other. Read Full Review

Matt Wagners art has not aged as well but his function in this story was to refer back to an older mythical time in the past. That he does well even if the art looks a bit gauche in 2018. This is what he was supposed to do. He was not expected to draw like the current crop of artists. Read Full Review

Overall Batman #54 is an enjoyable read. Although we don't have any real follow ups shown to the Freeze case in this issue, I did want to know how Bruce was actually coping with the wedding to Selina ending how it did. The last few issues we saw Bruce immediately going back to work as Batman, without merely a thought or comment as to what happened, so when we finally see Batman break down while working on case, especially during a joke–to me it says a lot about where he is mentally right now. Everyone needs someone to talk to about their problems sometimes, apparently even Batman. Read Full Review

This issue will probably be brought up by Batman and Nightwing/Robin fans for years to come. It encapsulates everything their relationship should be at this point in their lives. Tom King seems to be getting better and better at deconstructing Batman as a human being. Read Full Review

Matt Wagner returned toBatman in this issue and the vastly different art style works. In a way, it's reminiscent of the older runs of the series that make the flashbacks seem even more rooted in the canon of the story. Read Full Review

Batman #54 is an excellent issue that continued to explore the aftermath of the failed wedding between Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle. Tom King does a fantastic job showing how much of an emotional toll that event took on Bruce. Bringing in Dick Grayson to help Bruce deal with his emotional and mental state showed how strong of a big brother-little brother relationship these two have. Seeing King delve into this key relationship makes Batman #54 a must read for every Batman fan. Read Full Review

Sometimes filler is good. From my experiences, King has always excelled in this area. This specific issue I have a soft spot for. Growing up with Batman reading his comics to now having the great honor of reviewing them for you there has always been one constant the dynamic duo that pulls at my heartstrings. The importance of not allowing yourself to face the pain alone, no matter how much you think you have, having at least one shoulder to lean on can a big difference. No matter how super of a hero you are you're going to feel it. When the time comes, having someone break your fall can make the difference between being a dark knight or psycho killer clown. Read Full Review

Catharsis is on the menu tonight and it's something I think we all need with the recent storylines. King gives us a one-shot that focuses on a more intimate aspect of Batman's life in a way that's less melodramatic than Bruce Wayne ranting at strangers, and more satisfying than the emotional shut-out I think we're come to expect from the Dark Knight. Read Full Review

King and Wagner's one-shot starring Nightwing is a sentimental journey of two men. It is subtle and fun at the same time. However, in the context of King's run, it is also superfluous. Still, while it is not able to hit all of its emotional beats, it still resonates well enough for fans of the dynamic duo. Read Full Review

BATMAN #54 tries hard to be heartfelt and resonate with those who are still feeling the effects of BATMAN #50, but the issue ultimately ends up falling flat and failing to make an impact. Read Full Review

A touching issue examining Dick and Bruces relationship at a troubled time. Read Full Review

Awkwardness abounds in this issue which just stumbles at every opportunity. A story which relies on emotional connection doesn't give us any reason to care for a character's well-being and connect with them. They're cold and leaves the reader much the same. Read Full Review

If you're looking for a refresher into Dick Grayson's origin or an issue where Dick Grayson comments on lame villains than look no further because this is the issue for you.  If you're looking for a decent Batman story though, then you're going to be a tad disappointed.  There just isn't much here besides awkward dialog and forced moments and at the end of it all, the art is the only thing that I really enjoyed about this issue. Read Full Review

Filler. Nothing more. I'm sure plenty of people will find depth in this, but I do not. It's just things that happen. And the dialogue is, like, atrocious.

do yourself a favor...
just read 'Robin Year One'.

i really had high hopes for this Bruce/Dick team-up.

it started like it was going to be interesting, but nosedived quick.
that's not to say that this issue didn't have a it's moments,
but all of this has already been done (MUCH BETTER) in other stories by more capable writers.
and i was expecting a lot more from Tom King with his use of Dick Grayson as well.

the art....
normally i really enjoy Matt Wagner's art, but this looked very rushed.
i might blame this on hastened bi-weekly release schedules, but that's just my guess.

this issue almost won me over for nostalgia points alone,
but then again i'd much rather just re-read 'Detective Comics #38', 'Robin Year One', 'Dark Victory' or 'Legends of the Dark Knight #100' rather than this story.
this issue even makes 'All-Star Batman & Robin' look good by comparison.

btw...
if you have not yet read 'Robin Year One' you really owe it to yourself to do so. more

The art was okay. Dialogue was terrible, again. I’m starting to wonder if King has ever actually had a conversation with another human being. Also, not every bad guy needs to be a murderer. Just stop. Let the goofy ones just be goofy.

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myconius - Sep 7, 2018

seeing Matt Wagner's art deteriorated like this makes me sad. i like it, but it's... it's not as good as some of the art he's done before. i completely agree with it not being a good idea Condiment King is now reduced to a murderer. ...it's just cheap shock value just for the sake of shock value.

Talon1load - Sep 7, 2018

Yep. That seems to be all King has is cheap shock value.

myconius - Sep 7, 2018

i really got tired of all of Scott Snyder’s cheap shock gimmicks when he was writing Batman. i was hoping for more from the new writer that would take over. …but here were are… more cheap shock and awe. …part of me would like to think that things will improve once another writer eventually takes over Batman. but i can just see DC getting yet another flavor of the month, johnny-come-lately shock schlock writer.

Talon1load - Sep 7, 2018

For the most part I liked Snyder’s Batman. I’m not as big a fan of his work sense then but I likes his Batman. I can not stand King’s Batman since it isn’t recognizable as the actual character. Add to that shitty storytelling and dialogue and there is nothing redeeming about this run.

myconius - Sep 7, 2018

i really loved the very first issue on the Snyder/Capullo Batman. i think it lost it’s charm for me upon re-reads. so much of the exposition is just painful for me to get through. Capullo’s art is amazing though! Tom King’s Batman seems like a practical joke to me. the dialog sounds like malfunctioning robots trying to communicate with each other. and King’s Batman is so incompetent. if Batman wasn’t my favorite character i wouldn’t even bother sating my morbid curiosity.

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wow. terrible art and no story. a complete and utter waste of pages.

my "baseline" score for a book is 6, if it doesn't do anything to draw me in or push me away. a fluff/filler issue. etc.

starting from the 6, the 1 rating comes because:

-1 because: the art was distractingly bad.
-1 because there was too much stupid humor.
-2 because: an ugh storyline.
-1 because: the author is the enemy here.

"I HEAR WITH YOUR THIRD ABSURD VILLAIN YOU GET A FREE KITE MAN"
Poor kite man can't get a rest.

Overall it was a fantastic issue, really fun to read.

Utterly fantastic - sentimental, yet genuine in its depiction of PTSD and post-relationship adjustment. Wagner is a nice change of pace...more enjoyable as a deviation from the usual style than as an ongoing artist.

Finally a good issue. Perfectly shows relationship of Batman and Nigthwing.

Beautiful story that will make you smile, no matter how filler-ish does it feel.

I'm very sad to report this, but it's a filler issue. Filler-filler, because King made few outstanding non-filler-fillers in the past - just to mention the Rooftops micro arc, and murder mystery involving Swamp Thing. This week, however, there's nothing to keep us engaged and interested, especially after rather underwhelming 12 Angry Men inspired arc.

The story goes nowhere, really, although the general idea showing Batman and Nightwing's relationship back then and now, one helping another, seems really nice at first. In the end, however, it fails.

The art is pretty bad - last few months weren't too kind for Batman, compared to what we've seen in the past, but this time it really looks like a rushed, low budget comic, not DC's flagship.

Unless you're a completionist, skip this issue. more

I'll keep this short. This is not a terrible issue and has all the strengths and weaknesses of King's writing.

First the strengths. I am hard on the man and it's only right that I give him credit where credit is due.

Richard Grayson sticking around to cheer Bruce up after filling in as Batman is a right and proper plot. Showing how Bruce worked with young Richard after the Flying Graysons had their lethal dispute with gravity is not terrible. (Though I've seen this in Batman The Animated Series and Robin Year One, so not a lot of new ground plowed here).

Showing Richard has a cheerful person, also nice. Contrasting the two personalities makes sense.

But that takes us to King's weaknesses as a writer. A lot of his stuff is conceptual. In interview he talks about theme and such. But a theme is not a full story. There are things like dialog, show don't tell and structure that help make a story great.

Slavish devotion to any one of these literary conceits can result in an off-kilter story.

In this issue we get parallel story lines. We see Richard recreating the circumstances of Bruce helping him when he first came to Wayne Manor.

But this time it's Richard cheering Bruce up.

Short aside. I am not calling Richard Grayson Dick. The reason is not because Dick is slang for the penis. It's because no one under the age of 65 is called Dick anymore. Maybe the penis thing killed it, but if Richard is, say, 25, no way he's called Dick. Get with the times DC.

Back to critique. So we see King write a highly structured story, but without better dialog and without better exploration of character what we get is basically "Richard cheers Bruce up by recreating past."

What we don't see is Bruce actually break down and say thanks for being there my son. We don't see Richard say you were there for me, I'll be there for you. It's all allusion.

For example, we learn when Richard first came to Wayne Manor, he didn't like cucumber sandwiches. But Bruce said stick with them, you'll learn to love them, that's what my dad taught me.

Get it? Work hard and you'll overcome your awful past as illustrated with cucumber sandwiches. Get it? Get it?

Of course Bruce's lesson could just as easily be the stalker's creed. Wear someone down and they'll love you.

What we don't get is Bruce actually having any sort of epiphany. Richard gets him to laugh because he bets a penny that he bounce his billy club 36 times. (Physics doesn't work that way). Richard then says he wants the giant penny in the Batcave. Bruce laughs. This refers to an earlier flashback where Richard wants to bet a penny that he can stand on one hand longer than Bruce. Bruce said he doesn't bet. Richard said that his parents would make penny bets and a penny is a small thing. Bruce says not all pennies are small.

We don't see Bruce acknowledge that he is down. He doesn't realize he's not alone. We get almost zero sense of forward emotional growth.

What I didn't like. Again, King really likes killing people. We see Nightwing and Batman tackle Crazy Quilt and Condiment King. Nightwing mocks them for being losers. Batman points out that Condiment King has killed three people in seven robberies in a week. Again, told, not shown.

Why is this bad. Well as I've said in the past, death for the sake of death in a story depresses me. This is supposed to be a light-hearted issue and the Condiment King was absolutely created to be a joke. Making him a mass murderer isn't a joke. It harshes the buzz of the story as the kids who won't stop playing on my lawn say.

King loves his obscure joke villains. Fine. Just don't make them killers. Because being a killer is no joke, despite what you've seen in "A Fish Called Wanda."

Also, I found Nightwing's banter to be lame, but I will concede that is more a matter of opinion. (Though a review by its very nature is all opinion. I get confused).

So not a terrible issue. The art by Wagner was great. I guess the real problem is that reconciling the boy's adventure Batman of 1940 with the mass murder Batman of 2018 is difficult. It needs a light touch, and say what you will about King, you must concede he is not a subtle writer.

That's why I think it's best if Batman stories from different eras remain separate. Trying to reconcile different styles under one roof, as it were, hardly ever works.

But it was nice seeing Nightwing and Batman together, especially showing they didn't hate each other. (F*ck Teen Titans TV's F*ck Batman. That's what I say).

Or I could be wrong. more

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VanillaCone - Sep 13, 2018

David is ashamed of you

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We often see Dick Grayson (Nightwing) as a goofball that doesn't take much seriously. It has been said for decades that the Robin character kept Batman from going over the edge. 

What's often lost is that Dick Grayson is that Richard's origin is just as tragic as Bruce's. Both parents were killed in front of him and he was left orphaned with no other family to speak of. It's a wonder that Dick Grayson was able to remain as grounded and optimistic in light of the circumstances.

Batman #54 shines the spotlight on the relationship between Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson. Dick comes to Gotham to support Bruce as he deals with the pain of being left at the altar by Catwoman in issue #50. 

We have interweaving scenes of the characters teaming up to take down minor villains. These scenes are interspersed with scenes of Dick dealing with the immediate aftermath of his parent's murder. 

In the flashbacks to Nightwings childhood, we see that he didn't always have an optimistic outlook. He had difficulties coming to terms with his parent's deaths and even being Bruce's ward. Bruce never gave up on Richard and was always patient while he worked out his issues. 

The empathy bleeds back to the present. We see Dick being patient with Bruce as he tries to ignore the pain that he is obviously feeling over the rejection. The entire issue overlaps past and present and what we're left with is Bruce Wayne & Dick Grayson that love each other and are bonded by circumstances. At times the relationship blends between father-son, partners, brothers but ultimately as a family.

This issue is fantastic. 

I'm not a big of a fan of the art as with previous issues but its very strong in a couple key areas. Most of the transitions in the issue begin with Grayson either as a child or present day and Matt Wagner captures the age and de-aging perfectly. There was a lot of pain in Grayson that he had to overcome and Its rarely covered in the comics. This issue provides a lot of context for the character and the relationship between both men.

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A touching issue of everyone's favourite duo helping each other through tough times. Any other time I would be disappointed that Matt Wagner's art doesn't live up to the standards of the run, but for this story his style was perfect in capturing a nostalgic feel.

I thought the story was perfect and well written and this book would have gotten a perfect 10 but the artwork for this book disappoints on every level.

Not Wagner's best work

Entertaining break from the last few issues.

"Watch your language, chum"

When Tom King is not trying to be overly profound and metaphoric he can churn out some nice comic book.

This one takes a reader on a little trip down the memory lane. Just like Bruce once helped Dick, now his former sidekick turned friend is trying to help his former mentor. And his former mentor has been through a lot recently, like a lot lot. And on one of the pages, we can finally see it taking its toll. I know some people might hate the idea of Batman acting like a normal person (being hurt and having emotions) but I appreciate both Kind and DC for showing this.
They did talk a little too much about cucumber sandwiches, but ok.

One thing that bothered me was the art. I didn't like it. more

Yeah, I can't say I enjoyed this issue very much. My main problem stems from King's characterization of Nightwing, whose dialogue comes off as juvenile. As for the art, meh. Putting aside the fact that Matt Wagner has worked on great books (Trinity, Batman and the Monster-Men), as well as the controversy surrounding his son as colorist on the issue, I didn't enjoy the art. I can't tell if it was rushed or if it's a preference of style, but Wagner's art didn't really mesh well with king's writing (which was also not the greatest).

I see where he was going with it, but it didn't all land quite right. kind of like dick grayson's parents.

THE GOOD:

-The opening for this comic was quite good, it had a cool effect and was very dark.

-The dumb villain lineup was surprisingly satisfying. One of King's funniest moments to date.

THE BAD:

-This issue was a bit too bright and happy for me. It didn't really have enough emotion or darkness that the first two pages captured well. Although it was effectively heartwarming, the issue just felt like it was missing something.

-I wasn't into the art. The stiffness and lack of detail were not a good combination.

-I didn't like the writing for Nightwing at all. There were no layers to the one dimensional joker that they turned Nightwing into. And any issue that characterizes Nightwing worse than the current Nightwing ongoing series has a problem. more

Even though admin really wants to silence me for some reason, I'll keep trying to express my opinion.

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Dan - Sep 5, 2018

Expressing your opinion once is great. Creating multiple accounts to bomb ratings is not.

Batman Jones - Sep 6, 2018

Troll

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Terrible, like all the time