Batman: Urban Legends #3 continues to delve into the lives of the Dark Knight's friends and foes, hinting at a bright new future for the Outsiders. With "The Caretaker" wrapping up, I'm looking forward to what the next issue brings and what other creators will tackle in the lesser-known corners of Gotham City. Read Full Review

For years, Jason has been the center of action stories and epic moments but not many grounded stories or human moments. "Cheer" is exactly what he needs to flesh him out and define exactly who he is and what he stands for going forward. You cant give a final score before the finale but for my money, "Cheer" is en route to being among the best Jason Todd stories ever told. Read Full Review

Batman: Urban Legends remains a very strong anthology. The ongoing Red Hood and Grifter stories are particularly good. Read Full Review

Urban Legends keeps deliver solid reads while making great use of the anthology format. Read Full Review

Overall, it's a fun story with some great action scenes, and this issue doesn't really have any weak links. Read Full Review

Overall, the whole book is worthwhile, and it is better than most anthologies out there. Read Full Review

Rosenberg does a great job of making Grifter interesting and layered as a character. While his motivations continue to be a mystery, you are engaged with his journey. The art is amazing and the action is full of energy. Read Full Review

Batman: Urban Legends #3 is uneven as most anthology books are. The art is beautiful on every page. There is technical brilliance here. Once again though, this series was acting as a set up for The Outsiders series coming soon. Sure, I want to read that book, but does everyone? Is this supposed to act as an old school anthology book or is it supposed to be a gateway drug to get people to buy more comics? Sure, it can be both, but sometimes, a story can be just a story. So far, those have been the strongest. Read Full Review

This was a down issue of Batman: Urban Legends for me.  The Red Hood story, usually my favorite, stalled a bit, and while I finally enjoyed the one-shot (a Lady Shiva one this time), the Outsiders story ended with a thud, and the Grifter one left me wanting more. But, if you are already buying this, it's hard not to continue.  I wish I could recommend it to everyone. Read Full Review

Batman: Urban Legends could yet be great, even though it's not risen above "pretty good" in its first three issues. I don't dislike this book, and it isn't exactly a chore to review, but it's difficult to write about because it could be so much more. With some truly amazing creative teams banding together to tell stories about Gotham's heroes and villains, this should be a grand slam. Instead, it's merely okay, just a fine book. Nothing less, and nothing more either, sadly. Read Full Review

Another month, another installment of Batman: Urban Legends in which the first two stories are complex and engaging, while the back half of the book falters and merely just exists. Read Full Review

Even with its flaws this is the best DC comics cannot offer, the Red Hood story is excellent. I think this has been the most honest conversation Bruce and Jason have ever had.

I love little Tyler, I know I should not do it, those of us who have read the applications must be careful since Zdarsky comes to hit us with everything and this number does not make it easier.

I'm reading this only because of Zdarsky's Red Hood story and that didn't disappoint at all.

Chip, I don't want to repeat myself, but please start writing Red Hood.

Excellent!

The first and last story were good. The middle two do not bear speaking about, and I shan't consider them further.

The Red Hood and Grifter stories are great. The other two are fine, just not on the same level.

I expect I'll get death threats again but's sad and pathetic that mentally-deranged morons are slandering Chip Zdarsky for writing Red Hood as a human character with flaws instead of whatever Mary Sue crap he was before.

Shiva's story was heartbreaking. But letting go of those you love is the universal language of life.
Skipped the rest but Red Hood. Great to see the best version of The Dynamic Duo back in action. I am a sucker for this shit.
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Eh, I'm going to "break ranks" with my fellow Red Hood fans here and say this issue seemed like it was stalling. Not a lot going on and the fact that half-way in they switched Barrows' great art with an uglier one cements my belief that this issue was treading water. Also, Zdarsky's pro-drugs approach to the point of Batman saying they're not going to attack "addicts" who otherwise were selling that stuff to other people, making their lives miserable, seemed really silly and even though this issue tries to make Batman the reasonable one and Red Hood the reckless one, it's stuff like that makes me agree with Jason, despite the writers' intention. Really hope that the next issue goes somewhere because it looks like the story is not moving forward very much. The Shiva story was surprisingly good, I couldn't give two flying shits about Brandon Thomas' Outsiders and his weird "will they, won't they, oh no they're just friends but actually not" with Jefferson and Tatsu and the Grifter one would be a lot better if not for the classic cringey Rosenberg dialogue but it's still a decent enough story. more

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• SenpaifenixJäger
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SenpaifenixJäger - May 12, 2021

Yes indeed it is something that I comment and that makes me uncomfortable, I feel that Zdarsky is going on the side of the reckless robin, the murderous Jason, when I have the question of WHO KILLER? since we know that Hood has not done it for a long time and had good deals in the Batclan, so I generated my question to the writer and another person also asked what they based on so that Hood was defeated by Grifter but Matt came out in defense,

SenpaifenixJäger - May 12, 2021

And he said, neither of them had ever read a comic in their life, as if that was a viable excuse. To which I asked. So how do you get to know the character and write a story? since it is the responsibility of the writer to give it a good characterization. Which I got no response.

SenpaifenixJäger - May 12, 2021

There are things that I like about this story, but nevertheless I feel that there is too much inconsistency. I'm looking forward to the next issue, hoping you fix this. Or it will just seem like a story from an alternate world.

Merlyn - May 12, 2021

If it's true that Rosenberg and Zdarsky didn't read a single comic ever that's very, very disrespectful to the characters they're writing and to the writers of the past who've created these characters. But it's not their fault they get these jobs, it's the editor's fault. Knowing these "jokers" they probably just think this is another way to get attention on that cesspool called twitter, saying stupid shit like that.

Merlyn - May 12, 2021

Then again, I wouldn't be shocked if they're not lying, the standard at Marvel and DC in terms of employing writers is getting lower and lower.

SenpaifenixJäger - May 13, 2021

As you say it is disrespectful for the characters and especially for the fans, it is fine if they do not want to read a comic, but then someone must give them an address about the character or they just launch it to do what they want. Make a lazy writing, I hope these gentlemen never make a historical novel because it would be disgusting.

SenpaifenixJäger - May 13, 2021

Now I understand why Matt got upset when I told him that it was the responsibility of the writer to document himself because then they fall into inconsistencies like these, in the end a good story becomes something that you end up leaving it aside. And that is going to happen for my part, I will stop buying the series and possibly there will be no more DC in my catalog of comics.

Mingthemerciless - May 16, 2021

I recall Grant Morrison talking about how he used golden and bronze age batman stories to create Batman Inc and Batman RIP and he said DC doesn't provide a library of back issues for reference but rather he had to rely on his own past reading and collection. I can excuse Zdarsky for not having access to past work but not for deliberately not ever reading it. I do believe hes doing a good job with his foray into the Batverse but he does need context as well.

Mingthemerciless - May 16, 2021

I do agree with both of you though..with few exceptions DC is experiencing a dearth of good writers and stories. Superman is a mess and as I understand it theyre actually going to try "superclark" instead of superman to phase jon kent in as the premier superman. A pox on Bendis if this is true.

Mingthemerciless - May 16, 2021

I was also reading the DC will try to make future state the actual direction of the publisher. It could just be empty headed blather though. Help me out here was future state that popular for DC? I saw the racks full of FS books not moving. I certainly sat it out waiting for the real continuity to return.

SenpaifenixJäger - May 18, 2021

It is sad that in the great crisis in DC far from making a good plan they are only sinking the ship. I hope this is not the end of the publisher, as they have two of my favorite characters in their stories.

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It is the first time that this issue does not put a stupid story like a in the previous issues, however this book is good because of its main story of Batman and Red Hood.

In this issue we continue to fall in love with little Tyler and the ties he has formed with Hood, but now Batman is taking charge and making decisions about the next steps both with Tyler and in the investigation.

Zdarsky is going down the popular path of the reckless Robin, if it is true what his lawyer Rosenberg says (who answers for Chip for everything) that neither he nor Zdarsky have read a comic in his life (something I do not believe him) then perhaps all these points to highlight are directly from the managers.

In the past as well as in the present they both have different ways of investigating, Jason goes more towards direct contact with the underworld, Bruce more towards laboratory research, what I like is that in the end they both approach their own way. When Batman goes for the doctor who designed Crane's gas, Hood goes for the field research. The ending leaves us wanting to know more despite the slow pace in terms of the action and leans more towards agreements and investigation is still a good story that leaves you trapped.

The other two stories are not bad but they are still not close to the first, but it is refreshing not to see stories like Pamela and Harley or Barbara.

However, this whole situation has left me a bad taste in my mouth and today will be the last issue I buy from DC, I will only read it for free as a lot of you do and while I will go through some Marvel series and I will see. more

Red Hood story was good, the others are complete garbage. Save your money kids.

I really want to like this book but I can't. It moves along at a snails pace and still not a lot happened this issue. A lot of the comic is spent in flashback and the things that actually happen aren't exactly interesting. Characterization for Jason is inconsistent but that's expected from an inconsistent character. At least the art is nice to look at. This issue is inoffensive but far from interesting.

I used to say that the 3 best DC books right now were Wonder Woman, Urban Legends and Nightwing. Now I can say Urban Legends isn't one of them.

The Red Hood story has a good start, Batman being nice to Tyler and actually trying to help Jason instead of attacking him. Sadly, all the great job Zdarsky was doing stops here. It starts slowly with Crane not being the one that created the chemical that turned him into a legend ir with Jason being terrible at investigation even if he spent years working with Batman (you can be stuborn but there are limits). Then we have the most common mistake writters make with flashbacks and Jason, Jason attacking thiefs, I remember three instances where Jason was violnet during Jim Starlin's Batman run: one was with a rapist, one with a pimp and one with a serial killer, all terrible bastards, Jason had to steal to survive for many years, if there is a vigilante that would go easy on robbers it is Jason.

Lady Shiva's story had a bad start because of it's terrible art and dialogue but I must say I liked the ending.

Outsiders was alright, ignoring it's bad ending and Rob Liefeld looking art.

By this time I was 100% done and didn't read the Grifter story, even if the artwork tends to be good in this one. more

This BATMAN series was created to support characters that can´t hold a sold book lmao.