Batman #59

Writer: Tom King Artist: Mikel Janin Publisher: DC Comics Release Date: November 21, 2018 Cover Price: $3.99 Critic Reviews: 24 User Reviews: 67
8.2Critic Rating
7.3User Rating

+ Pull List

Caught between Batman and his unseen enemy, the Penguin has to think on his feet to avoid being taken down by either side. If he chooses one way, he goes to jail; if he chooses the other, he ends up dead. Then again, the choice seems obvious. Is Batman ready for a new kind of avian sidekick?

  • 10
    Infinite Earths - J.D. Jr. Nov 22, 2018

    Brutal and Bad To The Bone, this is The Batman at his finest! Read Full Review

  • 10
    DC Comics News - Steven Brown Nov 24, 2018

    Overall this issue was a great read. The dialogue between Batman and Penguin was intense and I enjoyed seeing Penguin's emotional side as well while he confides in the Dark Knight about his personal life. Penguin knows that Bane will kill him for his betrayal, and he still doesn't care. Batman on the other hand seems to be getting more paranoid instead of more aware. Once he confronts Bane and sees his child like state, Batman still proceeds to beat him almost senseless, and then he crosses the line by accidentally hitting Gordon! I really hope their friendship and partnership is saved but I doubt it. Bane's plan is working too perfectly for it to be otherwise. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what's coming next in the Dark Knight's struggle! Read Full Review

  • 10
    Lyles Movie Files - Jeffrey Lyles Nov 21, 2018

    Im really loving this direction of the book and where King is taking it. King is telling one expansive epic thats now starting to pay off for readers looking for the big picture. Read Full Review

  • 9.6
    Forces Of Geek - Lenny Schwartz Nov 21, 2018

    This issue is a major chapter in terms of King's overall story. It's excellent. I can't wait to see where he takes us next. It's sure to be incredible. Read Full Review

  • 9.5
    Comicsverse - Maite Molina Nov 21, 2018

    BATMAN #59 is an electrifying crime thriller that will have your blood pumping up until the very end. Read Full Review

  • 9.5
    FreakSugar - Jed W. Keith Nov 25, 2018

    A Batman tale is never better than when the character is at his lowest valley because that's when we can cheer him on as he climbs out of the darkness. And with Batman #59, King, Janin, Bellaire, and Clowes are setting up for the Dark Knight for a fall that will let us marvel as he gets back up. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    AIPT - Russ Whiting Nov 21, 2018

    Batman #59 continues the trend of last issue with another absorbing, well-crafted installment that looks great from start to finish. Tom King progressing the overarching narrative at such a fast clip is a welcome surprise and the narrative twists are well-played. Does Batman's greatest hope truly lie with the Penguin? And just what the hell does Batman's "unseen enemy" have planned as retaliation after the events of this issue? Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    Comic Book Revolution - Kevin Lainez Nov 23, 2018

    Batman #59 was another phenomenal chapter in Tom King's epic run on this series. The way King continues to write the ongoing war between Batman and Bane just gets more fascinating with every passing issue. The fantastic artwork by Mikel Janin's elevated the story in Batman #59 to another level. If you haven't checked out King's run thus far I highly recommend reading "The Tyrant Wing" arc out as an example of how great this series has been up to this point. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    Dark Knight News - Eric Lee Nov 21, 2018

    This comic proves how meticulous King can be with his plotting. It also shows that he can show a proper pay-off that packs an emotional punch. While the Penguin narrative kind of peters out, the enticing promise of what comes next overpowers any of this issue's shortcomings. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    Black Nerd Problems - Keith Reid-Cleveland Nov 28, 2018

    Issue #59 shows Batman repeatedly attacking the (mostly) defenseless and jeopardizing one of his most important relationships as he tries to find his way out of a tornado of grief and emotion. The biggest question we're left with is just how much worse will things get before they get better? Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    Newsarama - Matthew Sibley Nov 21, 2018

    The issue brings King's run into further focus as is presumably transitions into a new stage of the game being played, all the while showing that there's more than one way to break a Bat. Read Full Review

  • 8.8
    IGN - Jesse Schedeen Nov 21, 2018

    Batman #59 is every bit as rock-solid a comic as one would expect from the Tom King/Mikel Janin pairing. It's expertly rendered, with art and coloring both helping the ease the many transitions between past and present. It casts Penguin in an unusually sympathetic light. And best of all, this issue explores why darkness and violence aren't always the answer for Batman. If he's going to dig himself out of this hole, he has to find a better way to beat Bane. Read Full Review

  • 8.7
    The Super Powered Fancast - Deron Generally Nov 21, 2018

    Mikel Janin's art is great in this issue and there are some beautifully brutal moments between Bruce and Bane. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    On Comics Ground - Travis Tucker Nov 21, 2018

    Definitely pick up this issue as soon as possible. A bi-weekly release of each issue is good for us to keep, but that doesn't it's not flying by. Coming into thanksgiving you all should have very many Batman related things to think about. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Henchman-4-Hire - Sean Ian Mills Nov 24, 2018

    Tom King ups the stakes and makes some neat character choices as his overarching story moves along steadily. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Monkeys Fighting Robots - David DeCorte Nov 23, 2018

    Batman #59 is an excellent new chapter in King's ongoing run. If you're not already reading this, you really should be. Read Full Review

  • 7.8
    Comic Watch - Bethany W Pope Nov 24, 2018

    This is a well constructed issue designed to reveal the cleverness of Bane's machinations that largely succeeds though it is marred by a slight flaw. Read Full Review

  • 7.5
    Comic Book Corps - Clayton Hinojosa Nov 21, 2018

    It's finally happened, again, for the third time? Bane has broken the Bat. Bruce taking the word of another villain lunatic, Penguin, confronts Bane in Arkham and is done with the charade. Batman even goes as far as attacking Gordon convinced by Penguin's word. Read Full Review

  • 7.5
    Weird Science - Jim Werner Nov 21, 2018

    Tom King shows the reader how far Batman has fallen as he begins to reveal how committed Bane is to breaking the Bat.  I like that King is connecting some dots, but I really wish he would ease up on the choose your own adventure storytelling.  This is far from a perfect issue that others will no doubt proclaim, but it is one of the better Batman issues in quite some time and I am very happy about that!  Let's hope it continues and maybe someday I can give a perfect score and get invited to all the parties that I no doubt have been missing out on.   Read Full Review

  • 7.0
    Comic Crusaders - Daniel Clark Nov 23, 2018

    With Batman #59 Tom King's breaking of the Bat continues. There is a conundrum as his stories are as affecting as ever considering how all these continuous thematic threads are beginning to converse, however, the transparent certainly of where the narrative is eventually heading does bring with it a level of frustration. That coupled with the distraught of watching Batman emotionally crumble can make it a tasking read. If you can invest into this journey there is plenty to appreciate in how King is pushing the character of Batman into uncomfortable places. If the potential that is building is paid off this will go down one of the best characters studies into the figure that is Batman. Read Full Review

  • 7.0
    The Batman Universe - Ian Miller Nov 21, 2018

    Despite Penguins betrayal, Bane continues to undercut a deeply enraged Dark Knight. Read Full Review

  • 6.0
    Geek Dad - Ray Goldfield Nov 21, 2018

    Tom King's Batman is quickly finding itself in a very interesting spot, where I admire the quality and craft that goes into every issue while disagreeing more and more with the direction. Read Full Review

  • 5.5
    Batman-News - Elena Carrillo Nov 21, 2018

    King takes the train off the tracks and hurls it straight down the side of the mountain in this second stop on "The Tyrant Wing" express. I can't tell you what's more frustrating: leaving the Alfred event just blowing in the wind, suffering through a couple of mindless Bat-beatdowns, or the fact that King felt the need to put us through all this while also playing timeframe games in an attempt to ratchet up the tension. Just not falling for it here. Well executed book, but it's mostly just exposition and, I suspect, misdirection, and may leave you with a taste like ashes. Read Full Review

  • 4.0
    ComicBook.com - Nicole Drum Nov 21, 2018

    Batman is at his darkest, most unrestrained worst this time around, to the point it's getting nearly impossible to want to root for him in any capacity. To an extent that's the point, but the deeper we get into King's run the more and more this bleak fall from grace into utter darkness becomes a chore to read, and that's especially evident here. Read Full Review

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