I know we have seen this before, but its nice seeing Bruce and Damian Wayne actually bonding and not fighting each other or be at odds.

This truly is the best Batman comic in a long time. I had no idea Marc Silvestri could write like this. I'm in awe of his art. An Essential Read for Batman fans and comic book fans!

*Please ignore the FAKE low score "reviews" by the same user using multiple accounts.*

Batman used to be an essential buy for me. Not anymore.

I was excited when Zdarsky was announced for this book and I thought his run started really well. More fool me. Jorge Jimenez is wasted on this comic.

I've read all the collected volumes of this series (up to and including volume 6) and I must say that Dan Mora is doing all the heavy lifting here!!!


Waid's writing is just "okay". Nothing amazing, nor anything I'm really looking forward to giving another read. I did however force myself to re-read this first volume not too long ago, to see if it'd be worth continuing with this series. Especially since not all the stories are being drawn by Dan Mora. When they are, it's totally worth staying with just for Mora's artwork. But none of the other artists really make up for Waid's very basic writing here. Again, it's "OKAY", but not something I'd go out of my way to keep spending money on, and nothing that I consider worthy of keeping around to collect dust.

Nezha is a very lackluster villain. He's extremely overpowered, very underdeveloped as far as backstory, and very.... VERY boring!

Such disappointing writing that this absolutely beautiful artwork is unfortunately saddled with. more

Too early to say anything definitive. But I have worries. One of the reasons Robin was created was to give Batman someone to talk to. Now Bats has an AI holographic Alfred. That doesn’t strike me as mentally healthy, especially considering the fact that there are 174,964 Bat family members Bruce can talk with.

This better not be another arc where Bats learns the value of family. Just saying. Gordon is now a beat cop again. I don’t think you can go from commissioner to beat cop. Wouldn’t he just retire. A beat cop that’s well into his 50s is just a bridge too far for me. Your mileage may vary.

Bats spends most of his time tracking down a child-like Killer Croc, who is regressing because he’s is molting or something. It involves dinosaurs and new Batcave trophies, which always struck me as something serial killers do on Dexter.

Bat has new tech, which strikes me as Iron Man, not Batman. There is no detective work and Vandal Savage is creating a goon squad outside regular police channels. Didn’t Tynion already do that?

This seems like more of the same to me. Batman is stuck in a holding pattern, where he keeps getting redone but it keeps getting rebooted to a tired status quo that leaves out charm, fun, and originality. Don’t have high hopes.

Or I could be wrong. more

I was initially blinded by the beautiful art by Jimenez, and it is gorgeous! So are the colours by Tomeu Morey. When I reread the story, I felt it was pretty basic overall. Yes, there's always going to be a lot of set-up in a first issue. But there were no major "wow" moments in the writing. The whole give-little-Croccy-a-toy-dinosaur plot felt a bit dumb on first reading, but after a re-read or two I enjoyed the scene more. Especially the heart-to-heart that Bruce has with Waylon. Croc has a few too many teeth, though!

Ghost Alfred will take a bit of getting used to, but I'm not against the idea. I'd rather have the real Alfred, but what can you do? I'll be giving this at least 3 issues, so I'm hoping for better things in the next issue. more

Dark Patterns #10 is off to a promising start. But I thought the same back when I’d first read issue #7, and I was honestly less than charmed by that arc. Hopefully this final arc will fare much better!!

The opening confused me as I’m not sure if this new villain is supposed to be psychic or omnipotent? Because he has 3 effigies each representing the protagonist of the previous arcs.

This series best moments for me are when Bruce is interacting with Gotham mainstays, Alfred as well as James Gordon. The scene with Alfred tending to the severe injuries Bruce sustained during the previous arc, and Alfred's inner monologue was a pleasure to read.

The new villain is quite creepy, but much about him is left ambiguous. As are the new unsettling discoveries about Dr Sereika. So we'll just have to wait and see how this all plays out.

Fingers crossed in hopes for a nice strong finish to this series!!

(side note) AGAIN!!! I had way more written in my review, and all the blasted pop-up adds made the page hiccup, and everything i spent time typing was erased!!! 🤬 more

There are some wonderful father/son moments in this issue. As Well as some great character moments for both Bruce Wayne and Damian.

This new artist is phenomenal!!! I only wish that he had gotten to illustrate the cover instead of the previous artist. The new guy’s art is so much more action packed and dynamic. The entrance of Batman and Robin into this issue is explosive!!! Immediately after having read the issue I had to go back to the beginning just to marvel at the art.

This is definitely a story that has me extremely excited for the next issue!!!



Minor spoiler ………


I really loved the touch of Bruce telling Damian just how proud he was of him. It’s moments like this that really make me fall for comics in the first place. Bruce suggests that he and Damian go to the movies. Damian seems surprised and almost hesitant to utter the words “Monarch Theatre”. But his sheer excitement to enjoy a bonding moment, enjoying going to the movies with his father gets the better of him. As they are approaching Monarch Theatre Damian can sense that his father is nervous. They both are. Bruce reassures him that everything will be fine. Just then there is a poignant moment of Bruce gazing over towards the street light where his parents were murdered.

It’s moments like this that really make me grow fonder and fonder of PKJ’s writing.


Side note……

I previously had a MUCH longer review written.
Thanks to all the damn pop up adds and how buggy this site is being, the page hiccupped and I lost EVERYTHING that I spent my time writing!!!! GRRRR 😖 more

I don’t like the constant renumbering of comics back to issue one … so I was already suspicious of Batman #1 even before I bought it, that being said I liked it. The main drawback is that it fails as a first issue - no explanation as to why Gordon is a 60 year old beat cop, or how Vandal Savage is the new police commissioner. Also it’s clear that Alfred is dead and only appearing in Bruce’s subconscious … so I think some explanation is needed there. They could have dropped the DC KO preview and used those pages to get a lapsed reader up to speed.

I will say Killer Croc was very VERY well done and made for a great one-and-done story. The writing was nice and tight and the art was absolutely beautiful. Outside of the few issues I have already mentioned, this was a solid book and a fun read. While not perfect I will still recommend this new Batman - I am adding it to my pull-list. more

Gratuitous.

I'm not sure how much I buy the premise of replacing everyone with, well, hired goons, but the big switch from the rather bland Grimaldi to actual big name villains has really kicked this comic into overdrive.

it's shocking on how spread out Mark Waid is right now. Justice League unlimited, Worlds Finest, and this. But I genuinely like this series, it's my favorite out of the bunch. I hope this series runs for at least 24 issues.

This story is okay. But it will read much better in trade form, which it clearly seems intended for.

This really doesn’t read all that great in month to month format.

No issue issue in particular from this series really stands out. Everything just feels like one long drawn out single plot. Robin Year One was much more memorable and compelling with its episodic presentation. Each of the four issues was its own theme and had its own distinct tone.

That being said, as before, this is okay. I’ve read worse. If anything, this just makes me want to reread Robin Year One again. more

DC shamelessly slapping a number 1 on this is disgraceful. It’s nothing but a blatant and misleading marketing stunt.

This is in no way shape or form a proper relaunch/reboot. This just follows the same old story from the last renumbered issue #1. That being said, I had to really slog my way through this comic. I didn’t find the writing even remotely enjoyable. I’m sick and tired of dank and depressing mentally unstable Batman. Especially if this was DC’s great idea of a relaunch.

I also cannot say that I’m a fan of the writing style in general. I just found this to be very uninspired and very mid. Absolute Batman for any faults I may have had with it was a much more compelling story. At least I was hooked enough to get through that comic on my first read. Matt Fraction just reads pretty dull. Even hearing him talk in interviews he just seems very unenthusiastic. Sorry to keep bringing up Scott Snyder. Read any of my past reviews about his work and see I’d been very critical of him at times, but hearing Scott Snyder talk about Batman and you can clearly hear his passion for Batman and his world. Matt Fraction just sounds bored and that really translated to his story.

Jorge Jimenez did all the heavy lifting here. Same as he did with past mediocre writers he’d been straddled with. But even his very polished art cannot save this story from being the typical slop that DC has been hashing out.

I just hope that this unhinged version of Batman doesn’t bleed over into the Batman & Robin series. That book has been decent since launch. This new release, not so much.

Maybe they’ll get it better in their NEXT relaunch Batman issue #1? 😂😂😂 more

Decent conclusion to this story arc. Though I think memento definitely wore out as welcome. The story could’ve easily fit into six issues rather than have been spread across 12.

Overall this arc could have been tighter and more consistent.
And Damian at times has seemed out of character.
But this is a great issue. And better than anything we’ve seen in the main Batman title in a long time. Looking forward to the finale.

This was a satisfying conclusion to the story. But I definitely feel it overstate it’s welcome. I’m just glad that it finally concluded.

There were some decent moments for both Batman as well as Robin in this issue. I don’t really love this series as much as I used to, but it’s still worth continuing to collect. So I must admit up until this point I was buying more than one copy of each single issue just to support the series. Not to say that this is a terrible series but it’s just not something that I feel I need to put on such high pedestal.

All that being said, I will still continue buying this and single issue form as well as when the trade paperback comes out. It’s definitely decent. It’s just not amazing. more

Thank God Johnson saw the writing on the world. If he didn't close it up next issue, I was going to drop the title. I'm so tired of Momento. I really thought that girl detective was secretly Momento, that would have been a good twist. This is Robin fighting alongside the Lost Boys that have a stupid name. The issue was average at best alongside a very elongated and tired storyline. I'm looking forward to this wrapping up.

My Comic Review Channel - https://youtu.be/_lfqj-W5haE more

I didn't like the twist in this one. Felt like it came quick and wasn't very impactful. Overall, it's still a fun little story with some great art.

Well, this was an intriguing read. I can’t say this is a story that I’ll look forward to rereading again. At least not anytime too soon. This was definitely a gross ugly story. Yes it’s subverted expectations and certainly caught me off guard. But again it was extremely gross and extremely nasty.

I know that crime stories can usually get pretty hard hitting but…


SPOILERS

SPOILERS

SPOILERS

I don’t really enjoy seeing a kid shot and killed in a comic. Even if it is only accidental it’s still pretty gross. And then to watch the kid’s crooked old grandfather (evil as he was) have a heart attack and die….

END SPOILERS

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I honestly can’t say that I’m looking forward to the final arc of the series. The first arc was the best one. The second one was just EH. And this one was just plain rotten.

Whatever.

more

Wow!! That was a massive subversion of expectations! Not at all what I was envisioning. But that is definitely not a bad thing.

Not a lot really happened in this issue. The plot moved just a little. But we did have quite a dilly of a cliffhanger. I’m not really expecting a whole lot from the next issue.

********** Spoilers **********

********** Spoilers **********

********** Spoilers **********

Even with a bullet wound in his back, I’m not expecting Batman to have too much of a problem dealing with an old man with severe health issues and two young boys. Especially when this arc is set to wrap up in the next issue.


Hopefully next issue can surprise me like this one did. more

I enjoyed this issue much better than the previous. I'm also glad that Memento is a supernatural entity. I honestly love when Batman stories delve into the occult, and powers from beyond. Not enough Batman stories do, IMO. So with this issue, PKJ has really piqued my interest!

I also really loved seeing Etrigan. Any time a writer can incorporate a Jack Kirby character, we ALL win!

The addition of "The Irregulars" is also a nice touch! I love seeing writers explore this side of Batman, that he has a soft side for kids down on their luck, and checks in on them and gives them stuff.

Looking forward to seeing where this all goes. But to be honest, I am curious if PKJ will be staying on this title? or if DC is planning on a new creative team and doing a whole other soft-reboot of this title, like they did when Williamson left? more

The fanboy in me wants to rate this as a perfect "10". But the realist in me knows that this is closer to an "8" or "8.5". But I'm sticking with "8" because I'm not really a fan when people continually give comics perfect scores. It taints the credibility, as I know for myself there are very few comics from my personal favorites that I'd honestly rate as "9.5" or even "10".

That being said.... This issue was FANTASTIC!!! Very few comics can draw me back in right away to read a second time within the same week. This issue, I've went and read a total of THREE times since it came out. I truly am LOVING this series!!! This is really on par with some of the best "early" style Batman tales, up there with the original (1989) comic run of 'BATMAN: LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT'. I truly mean that!

The art is really spectacular! and the writing is really brilliant as well. Thank goodness this new arc seems to stepped back up the tempo, as I feel the 'Scarface' arc wasn't as strong. I love the Gotham history added within this story, and it was wonderful to see Alfred aiding Bruce in his investigating the current case. The added lore to The Red Hood Gang was truly chilling and brutal!! I also really loved the VERY obscure nod to Grant Morrison (Morris & Son Launderette & Cleaner) We even get treated to seeing a brief cameo of Grant holding the bucket of bleach. I mean, that was either Grant, or I was experiencing some Pareidolia of my own?

What is "Pareidolia", you might ask? Read the issue and you'll find out!


Here's a fun little esoteric tidbit! "Pareidolia" is a bit like "Apophenia". And as the cameo holding the bucket had composed some years ago- "every time I try to think outside his toybox, he builds a new box around me. ... I've been driven literally in.sane. trying to get him to loosen up." <-- Bonus points if you get that reference. 😁

Anyway....

All that being said, I wouldn't mind if DC decided to change this from 12 issues to 15 issue. HECK! it'd be amazing if they decided to eventually bring back writer Dan Watters & artist Hayden Sherman for another 12 issues with a "DARK PATTERNS part 2". Better yet, make it a trilogy!! 😁 more

I definitely enjoyed this issue a lot more than the previous. I don’t think I’m really enjoying this direction as much as the series debut. This Memento arc really is beginning to wear out its welcome.

I just really dislike how many times we’ve seen Bruce and Damian‘s relationship continually strained. It feels like we’ve taken a massive back pedal even from where we were with Joshua Williamson, the previous writer who just concluded his run at issue 13. Here we are just a few issues later and it feels like Bruce and Damien‘s relationship is even worse off than it was with Williamson. DC editorial is asleep at the wheel.

Maybe this arc will end on a really high note and I’ll be proven wrong? But right now I feel like if this series doesn’t pick up I might just drop the title. more

While I will admit this even did have a few (very few) cool moments scattered throughout....

This event was SUCH a massive.... hulking..... MESS!!!

The tome was all over the place, the issues of the main series were nothing more than re-caps of re-caps, the tie-ins lacked focus, the overall story just DID NOT FLOW, there was no focus on the entirety of story (from Metal, to JL, to Death Metal)

Justice League toiled at building up Perpetua just so we could see The Batman Who Laughs simply do away with her and once again steal the spotlight.

And here I'd though The Batman Who Laughs was just the worst idea ever! But lo and behold, The Robin King! more

Despite some very cool moments, this was a bloated mess. So many redundant stories that really made this a chore to get through.

The Batman Who Laughs is just a really bad idea that was poorly executed. "What if Batman was the Joker?" ....YIKES! And all the masses of Evil Batmen of the Dark Multiverse? ...DOUBLE YIKES!

Would have been a lot better had it actually had a proper ending, and not just been a launching point for Scott Snyder's Justice League.

....and Maybe even that would have been more tolerable had Snyder's Justice League felt like it suffered from ADHD. And even that was nothing more than a launching point for Dark Nights Death Metal, which was even worse than it's predecessor. more

This comic epitomizes what is wrong with DC. You have two mercenaries in Snyder and Williamson leading the pack of mundane and uninspired writers. These are cannibals, picking at the feet of their betters, scraping the tombstone library of story-past for any epitaph to sustain an event or story arc or whatever you want to call the derivative droll they put out.

Long gone are the days of wonder, the imaginary beyonds of Fox and Broome and Haney and Kanigher.

Julie Schwartz would be turning in his grave. Jack Kirby too.

There is a reason for the alienation of true auteurs in this industry: Morrison, Moore, Gaiman. Because even as they try to bring comic books back to their roots of poetry and mythology, the Empty Hand manifests itself to reap. They came, they conquered, and they departed after realizing there were better things to do than play back & forth with the carrion crows who run DC.

DC has been hanging under the fangs of the Empire of Mammon since the Golden Age, when Liebowitz and Donnenfeld stripped the company from its original owner, Major Wheeler-Nicholson.

What's happening now is more insidious. An ultra-pollution of the narrative, a sacrifice submitted to strobe-torture before being disemboweled. These people are going to ruin everything just to feed their wallets.

If you don't believe me, read this book:

"WHAT IF EVERYONE JOINED THE JUSTICE LEAGUE?"

"WHAT IF DARKSEID AND THE SPECTRE MERGED?"

"WHAT IF DARKSEID FOUGHT EVERYBODY AND BEAT THEM WITH HIS LAZER BEAMS?"

"WHAT IF HE MADE A BAD UNIVERSE WHERE EVERYTHING IS BADDER AND MORE BAD?"

"wait, don't we already have Earth-3 and the Antimatter Univ-"

"WHAT IF EVERYBODY WAS A DARKSEID AND THEY HAD HIS LOGO?"

"WHAT IF EARTH ONE WORKED OUT BECAUSE IT WAS WRITTEN BY US AND WE MADE EVERYBODY TOTALLY EDGY AND ULTIMATE AND MARK MILLAR AND METAL AND FRANK MILLER AND BRIAN AZZARELLO AND SO COOL?"

"DO YA GET IT? 52 DAYS EARLIER? 52 DAYS LATER? REMEMBER THAT WEEKLY BOOK WRITTEN BY TALENTED WRITERS? REMEMBER THAT PUBLISHING INITIATIVE THAT FUCKED EVERYTHING UP?"

"WHAT IF DARKSEID WAS MAD ABOUT BEING DARKSEID, BUT WHAT HE REALLY WANTED WAS TO BE DARKSEID IN DARKSEID LAND, WHERE BEING DARKSEID WAS COOL?"

"WHAT IF ALL OF OUR CHARACTERS EXPLAINED EVERYTHING THAT WAS HAPPENING AND SAID EXACTLY WHAT THEY WERE THINKING AND FEELING AND THEIR MOTIVATIONS WERE SIMPLE AND EASY TO UNDERSTAND? MAN, WRITING COMICS SURE IS EASY!"

"HEY, IT'S THE MIRACLE MACHINE! REMEMBER THAT? I READ A GRANT MORRISON COMIC GUYS! I LOVE LOOKING AT ALL THOSE PRETTY PICTURES IN THAT GRANT MORRISON COMIC!"

"DARKSEID DARKSEID DARKSEID OMEGA BEAMS DARKSEID APOKOLIPS I DIDN'T REALLY GET FINAL CRISIS BUT I READ THE DC WIKI PAGE DARKSEID DARKSEID DARKSEID!"

If there is one redeemable quality, it is the art. Sampere and Craig are very talented. It's a shame they have to waste their time drawing absolute nonsense. At least they get a check. more

The creative bankruptcy of modern superhero comics epitomized in just 25 pages, arbitrarily squishing together elements you remember from long ago, playing Weekend at Bernie's with the corpse of your lost childhood. No purpose to anything except to swaddle you in memories of when you used to buy comics because you loved them, desperately hoping that you'll pay to chase those fading traces the way an addict endlessly reaches for the beautiful feeling of that first high. Sometimes I worry that superhero comics are dying as their aging readership does; reading this comic makes me feel like it's time to take them out back and put them out of their misery. more

The whole Matches Malone thing would have been better had he not been some late entry insert. Don't refer back to events from issue #1 when the character had not been introduced into the story yet.

Making many of Batman's classic rogues gallery from the comics into his childhood buddies feels a bit to much like the Smallville TV series. It's just funny to see Bruce Wayne taking life lessons from "Killer Croc". 😂

I did however really like how Scott Snyder subtly spit in the eye of Tom King's concept of "Batman being a Suicide Mission" within this issue. That definitely raises the score a point.

The art in this issue (and last) really lacks the flare of Nick Dragotta. Hopefully the next arc with Bane will bring back some of the raw energy of the series debut. more