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If that was the point of 69 issues, it’s nothing new. I kept telling that people.
The Dark Knight is breaking through the bad dreams and coming out the other side. But is he ready for the culprit waiting through the veil of terror? And what lasting effects might this whole ordeal have on Bruce Wayne's psyche? With artist Yanick Paquette (WONDER WOMAN: EARTH ONE) jumping on board to tackle the art, "Knightmares" comes to a shocking close. This will be the strangest issue yet-a no-holds-barred journey through Bat-man's psyche via the inner workings of Arkham Asylum, setting up the next big chapter of Tom King's epic BATMAN tale. Batman's future starts now!
Overall Batman #69 is a good read and I can't wait to read the next issue! The most action packed scene is the sparring match between Thomas and Bane, but King makes a great effort not to give us any clues as to the endgame of these two villains. I really hope that Thomas perhaps at the last-minute betrays Bane in an effort to save his own son, but judging by his actions so far I seriously doubt it. We'll see how the next issue plays out!! Read Full Review
King's resolution to the issue left me floored. I cried a little bit. Then I couldn't shake it. This is the best issue of King's run, hands down. I am still thinking about it. This is comic book excellence right here. The writing and art are perfect. This run has been great. King just pushed it to the next level. I give an A plus rating very rarely. This is one of those times. Read Full Review
Tom King's Batman will go down as an important run for the character. This Knightmare arc should be pointed at as to why he really gets the character. This is an essential purchase either in issues or in trade, and I can't wait to see where the run goes next. Read Full Review
The art by Yanick Paquette is amazing. The panels depicting Bruce and Selina dancing through his trauma are engaging. They grab the reader's eye and move it across the panels almost in a dance itself. Well done. Read Full Review
The high point of the Knightmares arc, this issue is an excellent encapsulation of the duality of Tom Kings Batman run, alternating between both bittersweet feelings and violent posturing. Read Full Review
Batman #69 delivers a strong, beautifully rendered ending to an overly drawn-out story arc. Read Full Review
Tom King pulled out a Houdini like escape that not only rescues the most meandering and questionable moments of the Knightmares story arc but completely justifies all of it. The art work is poetry in motion. While his entire run has been littered with peaks and valleys, this issue soars above and sits amongst his best issues on this run. Read Full Review
King is at his best when he is without limitations. Knightmares has given him the ability to tell his story without limitations and the result has been fantastic. Read Full Review
King's “Knightmares” ending was a fantastic summary of Batman's character. It may not reveal anything radically different, but King presents it so well. While “Knightmares” ran one or two issues long, but the conclusion was near-perfect. A great ending to a long story arc. Read Full Review
King and Paquette masterfully tie the seven Knightmares together with the rest of the run, as Bruce slowly and painfully wakes up. Read Full Review
Ultimately I felt like this was the strongest issue of Batman during this Knightmare story arc, and I was happy to finally learn and confirm Thomas Wayne Batman's motivations and why he's here. I think this issue low key does a great job at showing us that even when Bruce is trapped in his dreams facing his greatest fears, his mind is always at work trying to figure out the case because he is the world's greatest detective. Read Full Review
Like the previous issues of this storyline, there will be readers who vehemently disagree with my assessment of "Knightmares," that its ephemeral, shifting narrative feels dramatically unsatisfying, for all its outre storytelling choices and all the things King has left unsaid. To be honest, they might not be wrong, either. But given the high concept of this storyline - being trapped in a never-ending series of bad dreams - I think this experimental approach is justified, that that the threads that come together are intentional, rather than an oversight. Read Full Review
We've got about 30 issues left, which means we're entering the 4th quarter. This is where championships are won. I believe King has what it takes to win a ring, but we'll have to wait to see if it happens. Read Full Review
Batman #69 is the final story of Knightmares, and the second half of this bizarre arc has picked up the pace with some twist illusions and a great sense of tension. Read Full Review
Great wrap up on the story and King continues to write some of the best Batman/Bruce Wayne stories out there. Read Full Review
By better juggling character exploration and art with plot evolution, "Batman" #69 is the most balanced issue of the 'Knightmares' arc, offering a full package of story and art to its audience. Read Full Review
The circuitous narrative spooled out over the last several issues comes to fruition, here, when Batman finally finds the key to freeing himself from the labyrinth of fear. The art is stellar, as is the narrative. This is one to pick up. Read Full Review
Despite some serious hiccups in the overall story arc, King reminds us that he has a story worth telling, and he does so backed up by some great artwork. Read Full Review
Ultimately, Knightmares never managed to avoid feeling like a massive stalling tactic. Fortunately this issue looks to get the book back on track as King seems ready to get the story rolling again. Barring another prolonged time-killing arc like this one, Batman is about to get interesting again. Read Full Review
Yanick Paquette is a competent artist and I always loved his version of Dick Grayson as Batman. I was afraid that he would overpower and change the story because his style is different from that of the other artists that have shaped Kings Batman epic. However, Paquette tries to stay in the same line as that of the other cartoonists. His Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle look very familiar. Thats good. Now, what I dislike is his version of Batman. It worked for Nightwing but it does not appeal to me here. Read Full Review
BATMAN #69 seems to answer (at least for now) one of the core questions behind Tom King's run. While some of the story gets pushed into exposition towards the end, the issue is strong overall, getting readers back on track from a narrative perspective. Read Full Review
Working well only as a transition issue, Batman #69 marks the end of 'Knightmares,' and with this end comes the promise of a Batman story worth reading. Read Full Review
Do heroes hurt? It's a question Tom King has been trying to answer through the vessel of Batman. I haven't always enjoyed the ride but I do have respect for the process. That time is over now. No more introspection, no more Bat/Cat cringe-worthy rhyme innuendos. It's time to ramp things up again, to take Batman back to his roots. Maybe even, oh I don't know, have the World's Greatest Detective actually detect something for a change? Maybe figure out once and for all what's at stake between Bane and his father? Just no more naked Bane wrestling, please? Read Full Review
BATMAN #69 maintains some gorgeous artwork and some new revelations in regards to Flashpoint Batman's presence. However, the issue still falls short as it continues to drag on the "Knightmares" arc. Read Full Review
Batman #69 was an improvement to the "Knightmares" arc that came way to late into the game. How long it took Tom King to get to this ending just further cemented the fact that "Knightmares" was a filler story arc. In the grand scheme of things this is a story readers can skip and still grasp what King is doing with his Batman epic. Read Full Review
We are finally at the end of the "Knightmares" arc, but while Batman #69 does serve to shift the narrative towards the next chapter in an engaging way, it really only illustrates what readers know and editors should have: the entire "Knightmares" arc was a long stall, filling issues and pages for no redeemable purpose bt to extend the run. Read Full Review
Finally! Finally, we can move on from "Knightmares" and get back to the story at hand. King has milked this concept for way too long, and it's time for us to actually get some plot progression. This issue has some nice scenes, so I don't want to take away from that, but none of it is new, fresh, or original. It's felt like King has just been phoning this in for months now, and I desperately just want to move on. Read Full Review
The Knightmares are over and that is cause for celebration all on its own! Tom King does give some answers here, but it's wrapped up in a been there done that feeling issue that wasn't as satisfying as it should have been. Read Full Review
Amazing! This was beautiful :)
nice
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS
There were a lot of hints throughout the nightmares that Batman and Catwoman's love was false and this reveal has once again thrown this run over on it's head. Although it makes me slightly uncomfortable to see Batman tearing up because he realized he was in denial about false love, it is still a very human and relatable thing and makes it a pretty heavy plot point.
This time King uses a dance to tell the readers what's happening and push us forward to the story. Something that I like is that for the first time in a long time, We can see Batman actually reasoning and evaluating his situation like a detective would do, in fact he's thet world's greatest detective, so is good for me to see a thinking Batman, more or less.
There is some interaction between Bane and Flashpoint Batman but real answers will have to wait to issue 75. The thing with Catwoman fits with the story and there is some sort of revelation (I don't know if I can trust what Batman says since this is a nightmare and I don't know what pretends King). I like very much the way how king portrayed Thomas Wayne. He looks insane. I d more
The thesis of this (....let's say difficult) arc, distilled into one issue, and it's pretty good! Some trademark Paquette layouts and fantastic Fairbanks colors in the the Bat-Cat dance across the decades are the highlight, with the Bane-Thomas interactions feeling secondary.
I don't know how to feel about this issue. On one hand, things did indeed happen. On the other hand, most of the revelations were not revelations at all for this reader. On some mutated third hand, I'm glad that this Bat/Cat relationship seems dead as Batman admits to himself that it was never love. I never felt it was genuine and I'm happy that feeling was validated. Unless it's just a nightmare, of course, and he will love her by the end of this. I don't know. Images of a naked Bane towering over/straddling a defensive old man aside, I actually liked this issue. Could this be a turn of the tide towards me liking Batman again? Let's give it a few more issues.
Finally, a good issue.
So that's it, we are finally done with Knightmares.
To be honest, I expected more. yes, we got some answers to what "Knightmares" was all about and we finally got to see Thomas again so there's a story progression, but the issue still left me unsatisfied. I wanted to see Batman actually breaking through the dreams to face Scarecrow or his father but instead I got to see Bruce explaining to Selina what was Knightmares all about. While I did enjoy reading it, I still wish we got something else to close the arc. Whatever I'm just happy the arc is over and we can finally get to the main story again.
Art was fantastic, the highlight of this issue for me, especially the parts with Bruce and Selina.
Overall, I enjo more
idk if me having to read an explanation makes this better or worse
It's finally over....hopefully.
To be honest, it was pretty okay. Doesn't save this arc being terrible, but at least this was okay and not annoying or feeling like filler. Art was great and writing was passable, a bit messy but not bad. I get what King was trying to do, but it was executed pretty badly.
But this arc took way too long. 8 issues is too much for so little story that feels so disjointed.
Honestly probably the best issue in a while in the sense that something happened and a lot of our expectations were explicitly vindicated. But the fact that we had to drag it out so long to get here is annoying, as is the fact that we all knew what was coming here.
Question 1: Why does Batman like Sophie Tucker? Who listens to that? The song is creepy, and old, and does make you feel lonely.... sure... which Batman is BUT, who even knows that song and why is King tying that song into this dream? Again, how many people know they song? I can thank my grandma for that knowing that song but 1/10 readers will get that .... AND it doesn’t really add much to the story other than show that King is trying to be poetically deep.
Question 2: Why does Bane like to fight nude? Why would someone want to fight him nude? Thomas Wayne clearly was ok with it. And how would Bane not realize Thomas had a gun in his pocket? He was wearing pjs. That gun would have fired in his pocket while fighting or wrestli more
Batman #69 - Why is Bane Naked?
Writer: Tom King | Artist: Yanick Paquette
Cover by Francisco Mattina
Review ✍
Tom King’s Knightmares is a very weird story arc. It doesn’t start with a bang, doesn’t have any shocking reveals and there isn’t much of a climax. The arc just ends like sex in a loveless marriage.
As this issue progresses we get more “Bat-Simp” as Bruce uses his connection to Selina to pull himself from under the influence of Scarecrows fear toxins. This aspect of the comic is written as a below-average romance with Bruce pining after a woman that left him at the altar. The fact that even in a dream Bruce can’t get the girl without groveling is kinda pathetic.
more
THE GOOD:
-I didn't hate this as much as the last few issues, so I'll give it that.
-The art is magnificent. Yanick Paquette is super talented.
-I liked some of the nostalgia with Batman and Catwoman dancing, like their classic costumes, and King's constantly overused Year One/boat outfits.
-King admitting that Batman doesn't love Catwoman was super satisfying. I hope this issue is the last one with mopey Batman.
THE BAD:
-Bane and Thomas Wayne's scenes just didn't interest me. And Bane fighting naked is as weird and gross in a bad way as everyone says it is.
-I'm not a huge fan of the dialogue. I wasn't mad at it this time, just kind of indifferent. It definit more
"It's time to wake up"
Finally! Yes, please. Let's wake up from this drawn out Knightmare that has lost any semblance of substance months ago.
Let's start with the two, not that important, questions that still linger in my mind:
- Why is Bane naked? It's the same question I've been asking while reading "I am suicide". Just why?
- In all the scuffle, in all the fighting Bane didn't felt the gun in Thomas' pocket? I get it, suspension of disbelief, showing how Bat-dad is different from the Bat-son, but still. They were wrestling, there was... touching of things. And it wasn't a tiny pistol.
But like I said, it's not important.
What is important, is this. After months and months, there is, final more
We finally learned what Batman's greatest fear was and boy I am so glad this is last issue of the story arc. More interested in the Bane and Thomas Wayne stuff which still feels out of characteristic for Thomas to be doing this. It looks more like they are either equal partners or in Thomas's mind he's actually in control.
So, we're done with Knightmares. About damn time! What was the point of the entire arc, aside from being practically nothing but filler? I don't know, but comparing this week's issue with those preceeding it, I can confidently say it'd alone be enough. Yay, we got some predictable answers, and we got some, any, story progression. That's more than all previous issues combined.
The art is good and consistent, so if you're looking for a comic that looks decent, I could recommend this one. There's a nice, psychodelic element to it, but it didn't feel abused and overused for the most part.
Overall "meh" - can't call it a bad comic, like its predecessors, but it's still not enough to make me even remotely interested in what' more
What the hell is going on with bane? Shame
This arc had more filler than a gas station hot dog.
Glad it's over.
This issue pisses me off even more than the rest of the filler nonsense. One, why does King keep having Bane fight naked? This was never a thing before. Suddenly this master tactician thinks it’s a good idea to fight with his dangly bits hanging out? Stupid. Second, why is Thomas here? There’s no explanation and it makes zero sense. Third, this damn dream sequence is just annoying. Holy hell, get over the break up already. I honestly don’t understand how anyone could still want a relationship between Batman and Catwoman after King’s run. He has made this pairing toxic. We were treated to the usual terrible dialogue and the lyrics to a song that probably no one knows. Also for the grand finale of the Knightmare arc and Batman is more
Best thing about this issue. This abysmal, asinine, and utterly pointless arc is finally over. The next one should be better because the bar has been basically placed on the ground.
This book states that Batman is incapable of emotion and that scares him, more so than anything else. Being incapable of love due his vow is his biggest fear; too bad we’ve seen him feel so strongly he eschews all reason in more than a few instances. such as Robin Rises and when he pursued the KGBeast after he shot Dick Grayson and ruined the Nightwing title. We’ve also seen him shaken to his core after he believed he lost Tim. Not to mention his pursuit of Talia Al-Ghul when he wanted to let her know he would be getting married. I mean, that is h more
All these dream issues lead up to Bruce telling dream Selina, who keeps changing form into the various Catwoman depictions made over the years, that his greatest fear is that he does not love Selina.
The other part is Old Thomas Wayne scrapping with NAKED Bane. (For the record, fighting with your testicles and penis hanging out to flap around is really a had idea. That's how sopranos are created).
Old Thomas beats Bane and walks away only to be grabbed and thrown down. Old Thomas, when at Bane's mercy answers the age-old question of "is that a gun in your pocket or are you glad to see me?"
It was a gun. Funny how a regular-sized hanggun in the pocket of a sweat pants showed no outline or evidence of existenc more
there’s no reason for this to plot to get dragged out so much.
aside from each issue being inconsistent from one another,
what Batman run in history has ever needed this many issue to tell it’s story before?
at the conclusion 'Knightmares' the meandering plot has barely even progressed.
Awful issue. Does King ever research the characters he is writing or does he just force his story on them? I’d say the latter.
The nightmares Bruce is having, turn out to be a fear gas illusion indeed as it was mentioned some issues ago. However two things are really wrong here: Normally Batman can only overcome the fear gas by either facing his fears or enduring them until the fear gas wears off. Sometimes he realizes it’s just an illusion& he can overcome his fears. In King‘s story it is stated, that Batman can overcome them, if he is just afraid enough, what actually contradicts every Scarecrow story ever written. The worst fear usually destroys people& that’s why Batman is so special, because he can deal with his fears. A more
Even King has no idea what he is doing. Fanfictions are better than this.
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