Batman: City of Madness #1
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/1.webp "Batman: City of Madness #1")
| Writer | Christian Ward |
| Artist | Christian Ward |
| Cover Price | $6.99 |
VISIONARY CREATOR CHRISTIAN WARD UNLEASHES A COSMIC-HORROR EPIC, FEATURING THE COURT OF OWLS! Buried deep beneath Gotham City there exists another Gotham. This Gotham Below is a living nightmare, populated by twisted mirrors of our Gotham's denizens, fueled by the fear and hatred flowing down from above. For decades, the doorway between the cities has been sealed and heavily guarded by the Court of Owls. But now the door swings wide, and the twisted version of the Dark Knight has escaped...to trap and train a Robin of his own. Batman must form an uneasy alliance with the Court and its deadly allies to stop him--and to hold back the wave of tw more
CRITIC REVIEWS Back to Top
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10
AIPT - David Brooke
Oct 10, 2023Batman: City of Madness is riveting, eye-catching, and authentically nightmarish. There's an inventive take on Gotham and all that comes with it while spinning an impressively rich and entertaining narrative. Read Full Review
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10
Dark Knight News - Steve J Ray
Oct 10, 2023With an intriguing plot, great side characters, flesh-crawling horror, pitch-perfect characterization, and stellar art, Batman: City of Madness #1 has ticked a lot of boxes straight out of the gate. I came in a little bit nervous but now cannot wait to see where the story goes next. Read Full Review
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10
Monkeys Fighting Robots - Zac Owens
Oct 10, 2023Batman: City of Madnessis nothing short of a masterpiece. It does exactly what you want it to do it delivers terrifying images and a deeply foreboding script but it also rises above expectations. It's intriguing, experimental, visually stunning, and provocative. Read Full Review
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10
But Why Tho? - William Tucker
Oct 10, 2023Batman: City of Madness #1 is a visual masterpiece. It’s a fascinating story that is venturing into nightmarish territory. Read Full Review
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9.5
Geek Dad - Ray Goldfield
Oct 10, 2023This is a wildly ambitious first issue, and its concept slowly unwinds in a way that makes it almost unbearable to wait for the next issue. Read Full Review
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9.2
Comic Watch - Anthony Bergamini
Oct 10, 2023Batman: City of Madness #1 truly lives up to its title, offering a completely unique look into Gotham. The connections to established continuity are strong but not hingent, with homage being paid in a respectful way that maintains this storys status as a standalone series. Read Full Review
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9.2
The Super Powered Fancast - Timala Elliott
Oct 10, 2023The Story: The introductory chapter of this limited series was exciting to say the least. Ward does an amazing job of not only setting up the plot and characters but creating tension. Its not easy to interconnect seemingly different storylines, but here it is done skillfully and without confusion. This story feels fresh and different, even though it invokes scenarios similar to others in the DC Universe. I am already invested in this work and eagerly await what happens next.This is a really good-looking issue with an interesting styling that plays with realism in such a way that at times it invokes a dream-like quality. However, its attention to detail and color schemes are what really emotionally connects the reader to the tale. I would also like to give praise to Otsmane-Elhaous lettering as the multiple voices and narratives are very clear and easy to differentiate. Read Full Review
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9.0
The Comicbook Dispatch - Dispatchdcu
Oct 10, 2023I said it with my opener and I'll say it again, Batman: City of Madness #1 is the perfect story to kick off this Halloween Season. Ward single-handedly molded the writing and art together in a way that provided this hauntingly authentic thriller with Batman and the Court of Owls at its epicenter. Read Full Review
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8.8
Graphic Policy - Brett
Oct 11, 2023Batman: City of Madness #1 is good. It's really good. There's so much going for it from the story, to the dialogue, and then how the art brings it all together. It's the perfect Batman story for the spooky season and one to absolutely pick up for fans of Batman or horror. Read Full Review
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8.4
The Batman Universe - Adil Syed
Oct 10, 2023The art in Batman: City of Madness #1 speaks for itself. I would also recommend this book to anyone who enjoys some horror elements in Batman stories as well as psychological thriller themes and secret societies with mythical connections. Read Full Review
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8.0
Comics: The Gathering - Wes Greer
Oct 11, 2023You can pick up Batman: City of Madness #1 today at your local comic bookstores or buy it digitally through your preferred digital retailer. Read Full Review
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7.0
Batman-News - Aaron Ray Jr.
Oct 10, 2023City of Madness can be a mixed bag at times. Although I totally enjoy Ward's messy but expressive art style, it could possibly be a divisive look. Not all the figures have a lot of detail nor is the style all the way legible. In spite of this, I believe Ward's work to be a beautiful example of a marriage between art direction and writing. As for the writing, Ward includes a lot of surprising twists and interesting developments. I especially like the Family naming convention Ward uses for the Court of Owls. However, besides the overall wonder, the story lacks coherency between it's many plot devices. Sadly, I think even some of the coolest moments like the sequence with the Court unintentionally burden the story with too many details. Going forward, it could benefit from a tighter narrative with more control over the character direction. Read Full Review
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7.0
ComicBook.com - Christian Ward
Oct 11, 2023Set apart from mainstream Batman continuity, this new miniseries brings back a few popular villains while introducing a new darker version of Batman from the Gotham Below, a strange twisted version of Gotham from a new dimension. Ward's art is the highlight of the series, but it remains to be seen whether this comic can stand apart from other recent Batman stories involving either alternate versions of Batman or dark eldritch terrors. Read Full Review
USER REVIEWS Back to Top
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10
While they're tones are completely different, I couldn't help but compare/contrast Christian Ward's Batman: City of Madness to Rafael Grampá's Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham. They're both Batman comics from creators better known for their art than their writing and they both pull elements of established Batman lore to tell new stories. Where Grampá's story never felt like it was ready or willing to introduce a new twist or layer to the Batman franchise, the first book in Ward's story three-book tale sets itself apart with an entirely new world full of fantastical monstrosities below Gotham ready to wreck havoc on the city. Ward packs a ton of story into this first entry without ever making the book seem bloated. Batman, Alfred, Two-Face, t more
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9.5
The art is astounding. The representation of Gotham is visually interesting and proves a new perspective on familiar environments and characters. Christian Ward produces a story as well crafted as his artwork. The use of the familiar character of Two-Face and the Cort of Owls is great, while also being a little different. If that wasn't enough, the introduction of Batman Below with Lovecraftian overtones is stunning. Alfred's narrative of suffering and isolation starts getting a little repetitive and makes it clear that, at the moment, Batman is lacking. Batman questions of the ease with which he apprehends Two-Face, but not a great more happening with Batman. However, so much is happening elsewhere in this stunning first book, the flaws more
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9.0
https://youtu.be/btBQZk9eUrY?si=5JUplwhzBKFPQfLb Review at (:31) in video
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9.0
Really cool intro. Art was great if you like Christian Ward's style, which thankfully I do. Writing was impressive for someone who makes their living as an artist. I love the Court of Owls so their appearance here was a big plus.
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8.5
I don't understand the harsh criticism for this book. Some reviewers are complaining that it's all surface and no depth. Yes the art is excellent, but it's not just about the art. Ward might touch on some well-used Batman tropes, but at least he brings something new to the Batman universe. I'm a sucker for some cosmic horror and the Gotham Below idea is intriguing. I also really like Ward's take on Harvey Dent/Two-Face. It's one of the most interesting interpretations of the character in a long while.
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8.0
Cool first issue, sets some exciting and new ideas we haven't seen in a batman book before or atleast that I can remember which is saying something considering how many bat books we get.
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5.0
How can people possibly give this a 10? A masterpiece? A classic? This feels like it's written by a college student studying creative writing still. Art is OK.
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4.0
You're just here for the visuals, because this is all fluff and no substance.
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9.0
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8.5
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8.5
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8.0
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8.0
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7.5
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4.5
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