Batman #82

Writer: Tom King Artist: Mikel Janin Publisher: DC Comics Release Date: November 6, 2019 Cover Price: $3.99 Critic Reviews: 23 User Reviews: 69
7.4Critic Rating
5.7User Rating

+ Pull List

"City of Bane" part eight! Batman and his allies wage war on the City of Bane, but an unexpected turn of events will send everyone reeling. Will there be another death in the family, or can the Dark Knight break Bane's iron grip over Gotham City?

  • 10
    DC Comics News - Derek McNeil Nov 17, 2019

    Batman #82, like many of the proceeding issues (and the outstanding Annual), proves that Tom King is a master writer who gets what the Batman is about. His entire run is sure to go down as one of the most iconic Batman sagas of all time. Read Full Review

  • 10
    Word Of The Nerd - Josh Sykes Nov 6, 2019

    King has cemented himself amongst the great Bat-writers of the 21st century with "City of Bane". He also reminds us that you cannot ever attempt to expect what happens next on his titles. Janin, as usual, works well with King and helps punch home every piece of this phenomenal story. Read Full Review

  • 9.6
    Forces Of Geek - Lenny Schwartz Nov 8, 2019

    The art by Janin is great, too. I love this story and I can't wait to see how it ends. This has really been a really great storyline. I can't wait for the next issue! Bring it on! Read Full Review

  • 9.5
    AIPT - Vishal Gullapalli Nov 6, 2019

    With fantastic art and tight writing, this issue is a satisfying climax to a conflict that has been building for years, with an ending that changes the entire dynamic of the story in a meaningful way. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    The Batman Universe - Paul Shanly Nov 6, 2019

    This was a tight issue with a well-executed fight that we have all been waiting for, but I think the more interesting part of the story is how clear it makes who the big bad of the title has been all along; in this case, the main characters own father. Ive long advocated that Thomas Wayne has the makings of becoming one of the true greats of Batmans rogues gallery which I think is something we are seeing more evidence of as this story reaches its conclusion. Im looking forward to where this is going. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    On Comics Ground - Timothy Quail Nov 6, 2019

    Tom King's Batman run continues to fire on all cylinders, near the end. There is some great moments with Batman and Catwoman here, and readers finally get some resolution to the City of Bane. The last three issues are going to pack one hell of a punch, if it continues this way. Read Full Review

  • 8.5
    Geek Dad - Ray Goldfield Nov 6, 2019

    But the problem with this narrative is that for all the hype over City of Bane, it doesn't feel like Bane is the ultimate arch-villain of this story. This showdown almost feels like a Mini-Boss, with Thomas Wayne lurking in the background. Read Full Review

  • 8.4
    The Super Powered Fancast - Deron Generally Nov 6, 2019

    Mike Janin delivers some beautiful art in this issue. The art falls in line perfectly with the pace of the story and moves seamlessly between the A and B story. Read Full Review

  • 8.4
    Monkeys Fighting Robots - David DeCorte Nov 6, 2019

    BATMAN #82 is a tense and captivating read. The book keeps readers guessing about who will come out on top right up until the last two pages, delivering another shocking ending, and all brought to life with fantastic artwork. Not to be missed. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Comics: The Gathering - Wes Greer Nov 6, 2019

    If you have kept up with this series and have been waiting for some kind of exciting action, this is the one! Make sure you do not miss out on this one. Batman 82 is available as of today, so head down to your local comic shop or purchase it through your favorite online retailer and be prepared to get pumped. Just do me a favor and stay away from that venom stuff. I’ve heard it’s not good for you! Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Lyles Movie Files - Jeffrey Lyles Nov 6, 2019

    This was a stronger installments than most recent Batman issues as King has to clear the decks for the end of his run so its time for the buildup to end and the final act to begin. Read Full Review

  • 7.7
    Sequential Planet - Alex Marks Nov 9, 2019

    Batman #82 is a grudge match between Bane and Batman, all the while Thomas Wayne is plotting his next move. Mikel Janin's art is amazing, as usual, and Tom King's writing is pretty solid throughout. It's just felt short, though the ending will have you eager to see what happens next. Pick up this issue if you've been reading King's Batman. After all, with only 3 issues left, why quit now? Read Full Review

  • 7.4
    IGN - Jesse Schedeen Nov 6, 2019

    Batman #82 finally gives readers the showdown they've been waiting for, but it's forced to cover too much ground. Read Full Review

  • 7.0
    Newsarama - Pierce Lydon Nov 6, 2019

    Batman #82 is a decently crafted comic, but not one that speaks as directly to the approach of its writer's past work. Read Full Review

  • 7.0
    But Why Tho? - Charlie Ashby Nov 6, 2019

    Overall, despite an intriguing cliffhanger ending, Batman #82begins to feel like it's crawling to the finish line. Read Full Review

  • 7.0
    Black Nerd Problems - Keith Reid-Cleveland Nov 7, 2019

    I held out hope for quite a while based on the pedigree of this series' first 50 issues. But, overall, it's seeming like the payoff for everything after the wedding isn't going to quite match the hype. Read Full Review

  • 7.0
    Henchman-4-Hire - Sean Ian Mills Nov 9, 2019

    A seemingly short, quick issue has some great art and some nice character work, but it feels overall anti-climatic. Read Full Review

  • 6.0
    Comic Book Revolution - Kevin Lainez Nov 7, 2019

    In comparison to the previous issue, Batman #82 was a step up for the "City of Bane" story. Tom King and Mikel Janin finally gave us the showdown between Batman, Catwoman and Bane that fans have been itching for. Unfortunately all the problems that have persisted throughout "City of Bane" put way to many speed bumps in front of Batman #82 to be able to avoid. Hopefully the remaining chapters of "City of Bane" can turn the negatives into positives to wrap things up in a satisfying way. Read Full Review

  • 6.0
    ComicBook.com - Nicole Drum Nov 6, 2019

    If you can get past the threadbare cliffhanger approach once again, though, the use of orange tones in this issue tells a story all its own and is a real treat for the reader. Read Full Review

  • 6.0
    Dark Knight News - Eric Lee Nov 9, 2019

    Batman #82 was set-up to be a climatic battle. Unfortunately, pointless scenes and a lame, predictable twist ending drains the climax of its emotional weight. King seems more interested in allocating the drama to the Thomas-Bruce Wayne conflict. If that is the story that King really wanted to tell, perhaps he should have made it more focused and not crowd it with so many useless ancillary characters. Read Full Review

  • 4.0
    Weird Science - Dan Mayhoff Nov 6, 2019

    One big long fight scene is a pretty common staple of the comic book industry and sometimes they are done very well and other times they are done poorly. This one kind of falls somewhere in the middle. It's not particularly amazing and the art is a bit weird but we finally have reached a major plot point of this book and we are finally moving forward. To top it all off, we get a pretty interesting cliffhanger to end it all off. This book is heading in the right direction, but I'm worried that it won't get there fast enough for the finale. Read Full Review

  • 4.0
    Batman-News - Joshua McDonald Nov 6, 2019

    Look, it's more of the same. You either love it or you hate it. I'm in the latter category. If you're enjoying Tom King's Batman, I'm genuinely happy for you. Read Full Review

  • 2.0
    Impulse Gamer - Matt Fischer Nov 13, 2019

    I have defended Tom King through 82 issues of Batman. Regardless of the wedding (which I just knew wasnt going to happen) and Dick losing his memory (not his decision) I stuck by him. I stuck by him after Alfred died, and I even defended his ridiculous reason Bruce hit Tim that we got last issue. But this finally broke the straw clean in half. This was a fight that built up for almost 4 years. Ever since the first issue where we saw Bane standing in the shadows of the rooftop watching Bruce save that plane full of people, this fight has been about the two of them. Bane deserved his comeuppance. We were denied that and that is infuriating. Read Full Review

  • 10
    LunaMoody Nov 6, 2019

    There is a lot that I liked about this issue. I liked the twist ending of Thomas shooting Bruce and Bane. I hope Bane is dead but I doubt that will happen. The fight between Batman and Bane was good. Loved Catwomans part in it. It was cool how they tricked Bane into fighting fair only to double cross him. Wicked cool. I loved how it appears I was right about it really being all Thomas's show and that he seems to have been playing Bane all along. I was hoping that was the case because I have always thought Bane was a pathetic weak character. I am Bane. I broke your back. I'm the smartest biggest bad of all. Catwoman got it right with the ....blah blah blah. I totally loved the banter between Cat and Bat during the fight with Bane. It added m more

  • 9.5
    Another Nerd Nov 6, 2019

    I'll be damned, King is going to land this thing. Sad to see his run coming to an end. Aside from the breaking of the Bat, which was a bit of a narrative mess, it's been a hell of a ride.

  • 9.5
    Anotherfan Nov 6, 2019

    Loved it

  • 8.0

    Short but action packed. It is quickly becoming evident it will be impossible to tie all loose ends in 3 issues, maybe DC should have let him finish his run.

    + LikeComments (1)
  • 8.0
    Linkush Nov 6, 2019

    This issue is pretty much a one big fight scene between Batman and Bane. And because of that, not much happened up until the end where Thomas steps in and changes the story in a meaningful way.
    It was short but a fun read due to the fact that it's one big fight scene. And as usual, Janin's art is great.

  • 6.0
    mrDovydas Nov 8, 2019

    This would be fine if not for the majority of dialogue. Or with Bane being slightly less brain-dead than he is portrayed here. Nonetheless, the end is nigh and hopefully it will be better than this.

  • 4.0
    Psycamorean Nov 6, 2019

    Well, I'm glad Bane went out like the chump he truly is. I would probably be less enthused if I cared about Bane as a character, or... maybe that would depend on how far down the Tom King rabbithole I was. I prefer what happens at the end of this issue to, like, 90% of the book previous to this. It doesn't really fit narratively, but I guess if you want to subvert expectations, that's one way of doing it. I mean, it quite literally is spending years building up a villain (Bane/Snoke), only to have him be taken out by the... other villain (Flashpoint Batman/Kylo Ren). Yeah... that's the best descriptor for Thomas Wayne at this point. I will laugh and laugh if this next issue is yet another issue of exposition and reveals. Somehow, rectifying more

  • 3.5
    egonnn244 Nov 6, 2019

    "BANG"

    "City of Pain" part eight! In this issue, Tom King is continuing his plan to put Batman fans through the biggest crucible he can think of. To see just how much bulls*it they will endure in order to follow "the adventures" of their favorite hero.

    If I am any indicator, they will endure a lot.

    That is, as long as you put the name Batman on the cover and have a guy in a cowl with pointy ears inside the book.

  • 3.5
    waltgator93 Nov 6, 2019

    Over use of panels, ridiculous! You can see that he stretched this issue out instead of adding more to story. As well as by the end, you get a sense that King is in the corner of trying to tie up everything and have a sense that next issue he will bullshit it. The fact that you see him wreck the Bat-Family is even more ridiculous. He isn’t a fighter.

  • 3.0
    DarePool53 Dec 25, 2020

    All 3 points are purely for the excellent art.

    The dialogue is CW levels of cringeworthy and the plot is the stilted, juddering nonsense that has increasingly come to characterise King's run.

    3 issues of this bilge to go!

  • 3.0
    M1sf1r3 Dec 1, 2019

    Prelude:
    Well, Batman and City of Bane was improving all up to last issue when it fell all the way back down again. Let's see if this issue improves on that.

    The Good:
    Mikel Janin's art is great in this. Really well done.

    Bruce's manipulation of Bane works well.

    The Bad:
    This blatant playing up of Catwoman at the cost of detracting Batman and Bane is infuriating. This isn't Catwoman's city, she isn't the main character, the story isn't meant to revolve around her actions.

    Also King continues to misunderstand Bane and his power. Bane is one of Batman's smartest and toughest villains. He should have seen this coming.

    Thomas continues to be overpowered and out of character. more

  • 3.0
    Spacey Medicine Nov 15, 2019

    I love how he had Batman even call out the parroting of dialogue that both characters were fully present for. And yet he still did it.

  • 3.0
    REYNARD Nov 6, 2019

    Tom King has officially turned bane into the biggest fool in Batman's rogues gallery, while simultaneously leeched all of the tension out of this worthless event.

    What the fuck was the point of these past 8 issues if Batman and CatGod are just going kick the shit out of Bane with ease? Even better is the witty banter between Cat and Bat while they fight the so called "ultimate villain" of King's entire run, the one who apparently planned every single thing that has plagued Batman for 85 issues.

    But wait... Bane isn't actually the ultimate villain because Thomas Wayne just goes BANG BANG BANG and now lets do a "Button Part 2" so King can explain how he came back.

    Janin's art is pretty good in this issue, but more

  • 3.0
    Nihilist Nov 6, 2019

    You know the archetype of an empty blockbuster action movie? It's shallow, so shallow in fact, you have to completely turn your brain off while watching it, to enjoy anything. People like Michael Bay and to a degree Zack Snyder built their careers on this. Oh, here's an explosion, and there's fire, and a car crashing, oh, oh, and some CGI monstrosity, you have fun already, have you forgot there should be some, any, story, dialogues, character development? Apparently many people have forgotten, because trash like Transformers, Justice League or Black Panther have been making decent profits for last 20 years, becoming more and more common each season.

    King's Batman has become pretty similar to them in it literary shape and form. It more

    + LikeComments (13)
  • 3.0
    Quinn Nov 6, 2019

    I liked the art. Unfortunately, the words wrote a check the story couldn't cash. I think I finally figured out what about King's writing bothers me. There's no fear, no struggle.

    The characters just talk at each other, but at no point do they struggle or show fear or desperation. They just do exposition to pictures, so there's no immediacy to the fight. We always know the hero is going to win in the end, but we never see him or her sweat for it.

    And that's what happens here. Batman tricks Bane into disconnecting his venom rig by saying face me like a man, Catwoman is staying out of it. They fight shirtless. King really likes it when his male heroes fight with no clothes on. I wonder what that means. Batman pulls a Bruc more

  • 2.0
    superstan52 Nov 6, 2019

    That's it? Just another Bat-Bane brawl after all this time? No sign of "broken Bat?" No psychological trauma, no physical rust? No reaction from Bane, seeing his mater plan unravel? And just asking, but isnt it the villain who's supposed to fight dirty? And does Bane really get so weak being disconnected from his juice for 10 minutes? No sense of triumph after all Bruce's tribulations.

  • 2.0
    Talon1load Nov 6, 2019

    Why does King continuously have Bane fighting guys who are almost naked? Gotham is Catwoman's? Since when? Batman once again needs Catwoman to jump in and save his ass? Shocker. Batman yells that he's going to break Bane's back? Never heard that before. Thomas, who never had anywhere near the amount of training as Batman or his people, walks through a room littered with Batfamily bodies and appears to now have zero marks from the battle with them? Sure why not. I'm convinced that all of the positive reviews are just King under different accounts because there is no way that anyone that actually can read would find this enjoyable, let alone good. The art is good and the only reason this is rated as high as a 2.

    + LikeComments (3)
  • 2.0
    Afre Nov 6, 2019

    I am a big Bane fan. For me, Bane has always been the best Batman villain, along with Joker. So of course I was excited for King's Knightfall.

    And what a disappointment it has been. Not because of art. I love Janin's style and he really sold this fight for me. Which is why this comic isn't a 0/10 or 1/10.

    But the writing. Why.

    -First of all, this reminds me a lot of WB Montreal's Arkham Origins. TN-1 = Super Venom.

    -And Bane talks like he would be injected to TN-1. He talks like a dumbass. He talks in two-word sentences at the beginning. WHY. His dialogue feels way off. The only dialogue I liked is when Bane yells "NO YOU RICH JACKASS. WE ARE NOT DONE." That felt like Bane to me,

    -Bruce more

    + LikeComments (3)
  • 2.0
    OracleJack Nov 6, 2019

    Yet another filler issue.
    The good: The art is excellent in every aspect. This is a beautifully drawn book.
    The bad: #82 is pretty much a big fight scene and it STILL fills like a filler issue. Even the "twist" is something everyone expected from #81.
    We have three more issues to go and we are presented with a filler issue.
    The editor should have combined #80, #81 and #82 into a single issue.
    Definitely better than #81 but still the plot is not moving forward. Or better: there is no plot. And... the... dialogue... we... get... it...
    I'm afraid King is saving everything for Batman/Catwoman.

    + LikeComments (1)
  • 1.0
    SnakeWilson Nov 7, 2019

    since the writer for this clearly didn't put any effort into writing this, i'm not going to put any effort in this review as well.
    BUT
    making batman cheat in that situation only makes him look weak and stupid, also, the people behind this comic know that this is a batman comic so gotham IS batman's city? they think they are making a catwoman book or something?

    + LikeComments (1)
  • 1.0
    KittyNone Nov 6, 2019

    My least favorite issue of my least favorite storyline of a run that at its best was my favorite Batman run of the 2010's. Batman and Catwoman beat Bane with an uncharacteristically cheap trick which King insists on having mostly happen off panel while the character explain to the audience what the comic doesn't show. And the big showdown itself is static, anticlimactic, and too easy, not in any way feeling like the payoff to 7 issues of buildup, much less the payoff to 81 issues of buildup but also happening weirdly abruptly. And there's a *ninth* part to this? Really? I'm really only reading this comic out of sunk cost now, each issue is a bigger disappointment than the last.

  • 1.0
    Sup3rsa1yan1990 Nov 6, 2019

    Just two more months and hopefully this trash will be retconned

    + LikeComments (1)
  • 1.0
    NoName97 Nov 6, 2019

    No comment

  • 1.0
    myconius Nov 6, 2019

    TRASH!
    EXTREMELY decompressed
    typical Tom King Garbage dialog.

    still ridiculous how Tom King thinks that Flashpoint Batman is well enough trained to take down the entire Bat-family by himself. Tom King also is under the misconception that Bane is nothing more than a muscle-headed oaf. the explanation for why Bane has it in for Batman is weak at best. barely even a reason.
    i did fid it extremely comical how Bane just left the Bat-a-Rang stuck hanging out of his cheek the entire time.

    the way the fight ended between Batman and Bane was a bad parody. so damn stupidly ridiculous! this will go down in history as one of the worst Batman runs in existence, because Tom King can’t write a Batman story worth a more

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