I am so sad this title is ending. It was a press of logic to see the Quietman take on three armed men simultaneously. Damian's argument that the Quiet Man is similar to Bruce was an inter. It's good to see someone take Scarface seriously. He's written as a serious threat. I'm looking foward to seeing how this closes up.

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Another good issue. I wasn't that enthralled with this series at the beginning, but it's grown on me. It's always a reliably good read.

Going back and rereading this entire series from the beginning has really lowered my opinion of It.
I’m not sure what this series is trying to accomplish that has not already been done (MUCH BETTER) by Batman Dark Victory or Robin Year One.
Batman & Robin Year One tried to challenge the idea of is Bruce Wayne truly fit to raise a child? And more importantly, should he be bringing a child into his War on Crime?

Robin Year One successfully showed the stakes of having a boy fight hardened criminals. It’s a great story that still hits hard the MANY times I’ve reread it. Batman & Robin Year One was good when compared to other Batman comics of recent times. But rereading it all in one go, it’s just a mess. It’s very uneven storytelling with massive plot holes.

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For the most part in this series the criminals took it easy on Robin. They didn’t even take his mask off when they captured him. They even left him alone so that he could escape.

Later at the end of this series Harvey Dent/Two-Face has a gun pointing at Robin while Batman has just finished dispatching Clayface. Now that Clayface has been defeated does Batman save Robin?
No. He risks Robin being killed by letting him handle Two-Face all by himself, while he himself cleans up the exploded mess that he’d just made of Clayface. And it’s not like there wasn’t any chance of Two-Face shooting Robin without flipping his famous coin. As he had broken this rule earlier in the story. Regardless, WHY did Batman make absolutely NO attempt to save Robin from being shot? That really hurts this story immensely!

It really is a shame. Because there were some genuinely good moments here. Ultimately this story is rendered moot by the fact that we’ve already got fantastic classics like BATMAN DARK VICTORY as well as ROBIN YEAR ONE.
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Pretty solid end to the series. Fantastic art.

Plot
Zach and Rose pass through the portal opened by Nephilim, where they are offered the chance to surrender their powers. However, Rose convinces Zach that they must keep them to use them to help those around them. It is then that they are attacked by Domino and Beezle, who are defeated by Zach and Rose, forcing them to retreat to their realms. The people they had possessed return to normal.

Zach and Rose go to rescue their parents. The Halos are exonerated, while the Hornsbys remain imprisoned. Zach is invited to live at Rose's house while his parents are released. They now live together and are willing to work as a team. They reveal that their pets, like Sydney, are protective and watchful of their actions.

This chapter concludes this arc where Zach and Rose are no longer stalked by Domino and Beezle. Their lives have changed, and they're going to work together.

Art
It creates a balance between a naive style with somber undertones and rich detail, forging a powerful artistic contrast between the horror of Hell and the blinding light of Heaven.

Summary
Zach and Rose make their final decision regarding their powers, and everything changes after this chapter. more

This isn’t a terrible issue but it has the new author creates the bestest love interest ever that will last for eternity (see Carlie Cooper in Spider-man). It never sticks. Bruce takes Doc out on a date not a date to talk instead of just talking at the office which would be simple and logical.

Doc is dressed in a tight skirt and f#ck me pumps, while driving a John Wick movie breaks out. Bruce saves the day and meets a manga character that turns into birds. While climbing a ladder to get away, the premise is laid out - changing identity tech is scary to villains. Robin shows up and calls Bruce father because he doesn’t see Doc around the corner. Secret exposed.

Like I said, this isn’t a terrible issue, but it has things I don’t like. Author pet introduction. Also character spills the beans in a foolish way that depends on unbelievable coincidence. I mean Robin knows enough to track Bruce down and know who birdgirl is, but doesn’t see the civilian Bruce is dragging around? That is some silver age Denny O’Neil things happen because plot requires it to happen stuff.

The art was nice, but this issue has some of my pet peeves, so ultimately not a fan.

Or I could be wrong. more

It’s sad for me to see my favorite comic book hero gets such a mid reboot. DC comics has not been very kind the Batman. He’s had a rough goal of it ever since DC Rebirth. And unfortunately, it doesn’t look to be improving anytime soon.

There’s a new sheriff in town. By that I mean a new top mobster who has taken over, much to the surprise of the other crime lords and Batman, who learns about by threatening a scared punk, way to stay on top of things Bruce.

Also, Fraction writes a diatribe about the death of the daily newspaper industry. I have news for him, daily newspapers started dying after WW2. Most big cities were down to one paper long before the Internet or cable news.

Also Bruce meets a wacky female scientist. I am sure humorous adventures will ensue but she will also play some major role in fraction’s long term plan. Her brother will be the masked villain or something like that. I really look forward to a story where the villlain is a complete stranger to the hero.

Also, story elements that should be huge are dropped. The cop shooting, Gordon as a beat cop, Tim Drake and whatever he’s up that’s the problem. These elements were set up opin previous issues, only to disappear. This story arc is running in Six different directions all at once. The result is not much gets done in any issue. Even writing for the trades, this is real molasses territory.

Good art. Scattershot story. Or I could be wrong. more

Fun comic, but it's kind of dragging.

Plot
Zach and Rose's parents are arrested thanks to a trap set by Domino and Beezle, whose goal is to leave them stranded in New York City.

Zach and Rose are riding the subway when they sense a strange energy that stops the train, leading them through a magical wall in the subway tunnel. There, they meet Yogi and Nephilim, a half-angel, half-human being who is the guardian of the Elector, the protector of both celestial and infernal power.

No sooner have Zach and Rose stepped off the train to meet Elector than Domino and Beezle arrive and confront Yogi.

Sydney/Adjudicator has yet to escape the moon, but he has acquired NASA's lunar rover, which may help him escape.

This episode continues to build tension regarding the upcoming revelation involving Rose and Zach in the war between Heaven and Hell, slowing the fast-paced narrative, which is otherwise full of action, suspense, and mystery.

Art
It creates a balance between a naive yet somber style and rich detail, forging a powerful artistic contrast between the horror of hell and the blinding light of heaven.

Summary
Zach and Rose are about to meet the Elector, while Domino and Beezle's plan unfolds flawlessly. more

Feral is STRONGLY holding the spot of my favorite comic book series in a very very VERY long time!!!

I’m really loving the direction this series has been taking. Sure, it’s following many of the classic tropes of a George Romero zombie movie. But that’s honestly a GOOD thing!!

I was thrilled to see Elsie’s Spirit Guardian Cat show up again. Especially in what might have been one of her lowest points (where we had seen her at the end of issue 19) Elsie has really had a hell of a good character arc. And if you ask me, she has made up for any past mistakes. At least as far as her abandonment of Lord when he was just a kitten.

I wasn’t surprised at Lucky’s failure as leader of Pet City. Nor was I surprised that the humans showed up to break up the gathering at Pet City.

I’m glad that we are finally moving forward in the story. But more important, happy that we’re seeing Elsie finally getting fleshed out as a strong character. It’s great when we can see her lament the loss of her household member, Patch. But it’s also mysteriously wonderful to see her interact with her Spirit Guardian Cat.

As always, very much looking forward to the next chapter. Looks like we’ll have a bit of a wait until the next issue releases. But I don’t mind. It’ll give me the chance to once again reread the entire series from the beginning. I haven’t done that since before issue 16 came out. Will be nice to dig into this story from beginning to end once again. more

I absolutely loved this issue! I have much to say, but will try to be as brief as possible. Spoilers ahead!!!

- Last issue my favorite Elsie was mostly unseen, but here she more than makes up for it! I've heard some people in video reviews giving Elsie a hard time, but she's a cat and has many cat-like characteristics. If you're a cat owner and have several kitties, then you'll know what I'm talking about. Most cat owners aren't so fortunate when bringing another cat (or new kitten) into their home to have their resident cat welcome the newcomer. Most typically feel threatened and will act aggressively. (this is why Jackson Galaxy makes it a point to advise slow introductions when bringing a new cat into the home) Anyway, Elsie has made some awesome character progress as of late! ESPECIALLY within this issue!!!

- Elsie had many a badass moment. "Moosh, SIT!" and "I'm fixed, you idiot!" both were real fist-pump moments for me cheering on my girl! 😸

- I was absolutely heart-warmed to hear Elsie and Lord talking about their dearly departed friend, Patch! Patch was a character i truly grew to care for, and was absolutely heartbroken when he'd met his untimely end.

- Even though the Pet City cats are truly messed up, I still feel awful seeing them hurt. I even felt bad for Mother Helena, when Lucky had her executed. A few of the Pet City cats met with a terrible end when William came back as "bad kind". I'm really eagerly anticipating what will happen in the next issue.

- I was warmed to see Elsie open her heart to Lord, but very much crushed when Lord told her that she should leave, but that he didn't want to go with her. Seeing her leaving Pet City on her own really tugged at my heartstrings. But I know that there is something great in her future. She's just too awesome a character for this to be the end of her story!

ABSOLUTELY Looking forward to the next issue!!! more

Not my favorite issue of the run, but still very enjoyable.
The whole thing requires a reread.

This was an excellent conclusion to the series. The art was some of the best in all of the issues. There was one beautiful homage to a classic Neal Adams Batman that brought a smile to my face. It was the famous splash page from Batman #251. Sherman homages it in the sequence where it’s being said- “Fire does set the lizard brain alight”. Look at that Batman figure in comparison to the figure Neal used on the cover of Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams vol 1 and you’ll see what I mean.

Anyway….. beautiful issue!! Cannot wait to double dip into the collected edition! Hoping for a nice hardcover! Deluxe edition would be lovely!

* EDIT
It makes me a little sad that this series has been pretty low on the radar. It’s honestly the best Batman story we’ve gotten in recent years. I’m hoping it takes off once the collected edition gets released.

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Still the best Batman book out there. I wasn't happy with Fraction's last issue, and then I read this. We have a mystery, a viable threat, and a father-son budding relationship that is hampered by duty. I hope that he doesn't draw it out like the Momento story. Six issues is good. Love the Penguin in here as well.

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The mystery with the Quit Man deepens as we get a few more reveals into what and who he might be after. Throw in more great character work between Bruce and Dick, and an appearance by Two-Face, and the end result is a very solid chapter in an intriguing storyline.

This was such an excellent issue and shows what PJK is capable of. I like his writing but find he gets so bogged down in lore that it often kills any momentum to, or even interest in, his stories yet his character work and general concepts are fantastic. If he learns to consolidate the lore to his stories and tighten up the amount of issues for a story, he'll be a great writer.

I felt this issue was really firing on all cylinders. The character work between Bruce & Damien was fantastic, all the character voices were authentic, the pacing was perfect, the angle of Damien & the "strays" continues to be awesome, the concept of the quiet man is cool & the reveal wasn't brutally dragged out (like the last story), and the Penguin, Harvey, & Ventriloquist are 3 of my favorite Bat-villains so really enjoying how this is going. more

This is a good start. I am so glad the Momento story is over. By the end, he was dragging a corpse through a minefield filled with barbed wire, and the conclusion was poor. I really hope he can close this up in 6 issues. IF he goes a full 12+ again, I'll probably drop it. I love the way the Penguin is drawn in here and the action is good. Keeping my fingers crossed.

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The father son moments with Damien are fantastic and PKJ has a great understanding of Damien so I really appreciate him continuing Williamson's work at fleshing the character out. The new villain is interesting and I can never get enough of the Penguin so really looking forward to where the story goes.

Great art. But I just don’t like the story. The cop shootout last issue gets a flashback where we see a youth recording it on a smart phone. During the issue, we see him him go to a guy at a diner who is a newspaper reporter. It seems the kid also recorded Vandal planting a batarang to frame Batman.

We see Bruce try to visit Tim in the hospital, but he is intercepted by Bernard, who points out every time Tim gets together with Bruce he gets hurt. We also see Bruce turn down great profits by not building weapons. Bats also captures Riddler,who can only communicate with riddles. And we learn that Arkham is experimenting on patients - again.

I guess my problems are two-fold. One - it reads like a greatest hits story. We Have seen a lot of these elements before. The arms thing was done in Batman Begins. The Arkham thing has been done in Telltale games. You see where I am going.

Two - the “realistic” elements aren’t very real. In this day and age more than one person would have recorded the shootout. Everyone has smart phones. And a police shooting site would be surrounded by 25 tv news crews. There would have been a huge crowd in front of the police tape. Finally, the police photographers would have taken a lot of photos long before Savage ever showed up. Also, the reporter in the diner was reading a physical newspaper. No one does that these days. Also, the kid would have posted the video on YouTube or TikTok or wherever.

By trying to be “real” the story becomes more fake. I get the feeling that Fraction has one foot in 2025 and one foot in 1999. It’s really hard to stay up with the latest trends and old timers can easily be left behind.

Finally, Bernard. The kid actually has a point. The problem is “handsome young man who is gay ends up with a lot of bruises every time he goes away on a weekend with billionaire Bruce Wayne” really raises Jeffery Epstein vibes. It really brings up all those bad Batman/Robin are more than friends cartoons. By bringing this up, Fraction creates a situation that can’t be handwaved away. We know what is going on, but it makes Bruce look like a real creep, and that isn’t a good look. Again you can’t have it both ways - brining real world issues but have comic book results.

Also, since when did Batman need a high tech stealth suit to beat up the Riddler? I guess I am just not digging Fraction’s Batman. It doesn’t bother me the way previous writers’ work has. But it just doesn’t do anything for me. It just doesn’t strike me as good.

Or I could be wrong. more

If you’re having trouble sleeping, then give this comic a try.

Nice art. Story? ……….. ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzz 😴😴😴

So far I’m really enjoying this new direction of the series. The world and characters that PKJ has created is one that I really like spending time in. Especially when Damian introduces Jon to the Gotham Irregulars.

Both story and art this is the best ongoing Batman title at the moment. And I’m standing by my claim that this series has been far more entertaining than the new supposed Batman relaunch. more

A quick read that had some emotion to it. It just didn't feel as impactful to me as it was intended.

Im very very late. But this is great. I will be looking to get the entire series

A good ending for an overall great run. Parts of the plot felt rushed but other than that, excellent writing and amazing art. samnee is a beast!

Overall, this was a decent conclusion of the series. Some of the plot points throughout felt like a needless retread of Robin year one. But overall, I’m looking forward to getting this in collected hardcover.

The writing for this series has been decent. But it was the artwork that really made the series shine. This and Batman Dark Patterns have been the best series to come out from DC comics in a long time. But I strongly feel that dark patterns is definitely the better of the two. The series was good. But the art is really what carried it.


*edit* going back and rereading this entire series from the beginning I have to lower my score. Looking at this series as a whole I’m not sure what this series is trying to accomplish that has not already been done (MUCH BETTER) by Batman Dark Victory or Robin Year One.
Batman & Robin Year One tried to challenge the idea of is Bruce Wayne truly fit to raise a child? And more importantly, should he be bringing a child into his War on Crime? Robin Year One showed the stakes of having a boy fight hardened criminals. Batman & Robin Year One showed that criminals will always take it easy on a kid. They won’t even take their mask off if they should capture them.

At the end of this series Harvey Dent has a gun pointing at Robin while Batman has just finished dispatching Clayface. Now that Clayface has been defeated does Batman save Robin?
No. He risks Robin being killed by letting him handle Two-Face all by himself, while he cleans up the exploded mess that he’d made of Clayface.

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