exactly!!! what was the point of all these build up issues if Superman, Wonder Woman, Nightwing ... even Batman's own Son aren't going to the wedding. this whole thing was just so poorly handled. Tom King has this misconception that Batman is still trapped in his Melancholy 'Year One' mentality. so why reference New52 Zero Year if he's just going to constantly take from 'Year One'? it's a mess.

Yep!! The thing that gets me is that this is such a missed opportunity. Sad, really.

and the inclusion of everyone from the entire run in that last panel made absolutely no sense whatsoever. especially Gotham Girl & Flashpoint Batman. Bane was able to orchestrate ALL of these events??? i don't think so!

This not only betrays our trust, but the LCSs will suffer, and not just with this issue!

the way this was marketed to the LCSs was outright fraud. i wonder if any of the stores that invested in exclusive covers are going to close because of this?

lol DANG spitting FIRE

Tell 'em why you mad, son....

Wow. You are furious good sir.

i definitely was cranky having staying up late for the special midnight opening. i feel like such an idiot. then after reading all those painful pages upon pages of useless prose just to get to that FLOP ending, i was ready to punch a damn hole in the wall !!!! but what really REEEEEALLY lit me on FIRE was that i ordered SO many of the damn variant covers!!!!!

I know. Every writer does this stupid "Batman is so broken, he cannot be happy. He is just a kid stuck in the past." thing. WHO CARES? King thinks he's soooooo clever. No. He's not.

You literally said nothing. It's like if I just said "your bad and stupid, I dont like you, I hate you, you dont understand anything about me or anyone" it's amazing how so many like a review that has no explanation and so little to say. What a joke, and you call Batman the Emo hahaha well he is and always has been, but you're a bigger one.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the moment we have all been waiting for has finally arrived! May I present you to Æther, the comic book nazi.

You can't say that myconius doesn't have a point, whether you like Kings take on Batman or not. It was a cash grab, especially with the preludes. And I think myconius was saying that King is going overboard with damaged (hence "emo") Batman, which is a story that is unoriginal and said in every since King comic.

TheGeekWonder - you see my point exactly. Batman has moved past this feeling sorry for himself so very long ago. but it seems that nobody has told Tom King this. regardless this was a total shameless cash grab! plain and simple. it was falsely advertised, and many people are livid. especially retailers.

Tom Kings run and story are not a cash grab. Thats all corporate DC bullshit, not Tom Kings fault. I didn't read a single tie-in because I have been suckered by blatant cash grabs enough already, they aren't a part of the lead writers original vision.

Tom King has a point, Batman is damaged, he mopes around in a cave brooding, with childish yet endearing hope's to change the world, hes never really grown up. I've never read a Batman comic that has truly been at its heart and core all about Batmans romantic endeavors to this extent, it is very original and more personal than a Batman comic has ever been. If anything can help batman grow up and get over he traumatic childhood, it would be a good woman.

It was too early to give him his happiness however, we are only half way through!! Now we are going to see batman at his darkest, deeply heartbroken, and wont you be excited... most emo. :P haha it's great stuff. 1/10 though man? Seriously if you dont like it fine but 1/10 makes me think you're just on some carpboy bandwagon. I read eternity girl this year, I know what a 1/10 is.

Æther are you seriously that insecure that you need everyone to love the exact same cartoon books that you do?

fyi - didn't even bother reading a single word you just wrote. your opinion means less than nothing to me.

I didn't ask you to agree, only that you explain yourself in a way I can actually understand.

Fyi- I read everything you write, therefore I have better understanding and critique than you can hope for.

you still talking to yourself?

you must love the sound of your own voice.

Are you still all Emo little boy?

You dont use your voice when you write.

https://mentalhealth.openpathcollective.org/anger-management/free-class/

^ Æther check this site out. it might help you.

You would know.

they are there to help you.

You're the one that cant read opinions that object to your own without becoming a child, fuck off. And you call batman the emo hahaha what are you an SJW now also, cause you're acting like one.

You cant get under my ski. With high school level insults ya punk.

don't be scared. it's ok. just reach out to them and they can help you.

Now you're in grade school.

Preschool next?

breath easy now. in...then out. in...then out.

You're the one talking to yourself, remember you cant read opinion contrary to your own because your a man baby. So yes keep breathing, good job child.

excellent. keep breathing. you're doing ok. just keep breathing.

Well gee, that escalated quickly.

Geez, this troll really likes to comment on other people’s opinions. Do you even write your own review? It was a cash grab. Even the pin-up art, which I liked, was bs. Professing their true love only to pull the rug in the end because of a totally ridiculous reason. Bane orchestrated the whole thing?!? How is Joker hale and hearty standing there? For that matter, how is Catwoman? I do not care for King’s Batman. I’m dropping the series. Last time you’ll see me rate this comic until King is gone.

Just stopping by to say I agree with AEther and also love this issue and Tom King. Don't skewer me. Okay, bye. Also AEther is wrong about Eternity Girl, but that is okay.

Actually, everyone is right. Disregard the previous message. Lets hold hands and sing Hakuna Mutate, it's a wonderful phrase.

I don't wanna go...

There are comments for a reason, you make it sound like I should stay in a bubble with only those who agree with me. That would be foolish and ignorant, I comment on the most popular post I happen to disagree with so I can talk to the majority who dont share my opinion. I find it interesting and enlightening... at least until you stick your fingers in your ears and scream.

Anyways I disagree, the tie-ins were the cash grab... this is a story of batman being played by some of his greatest villains, thier plan was to distract... and break the bat, who better than Bane to lead this jaunting crusade of vengeance against the batman, I ask you? It's batmans love story, and now the bats heart breaks.

Æther sucks

there you go, Æther! just take it easy. steady breaths. breath in……breath out…….breath in……breath out…….breath in……breath out…….

Holy nightmare Batman, some people really don't know how to have a civil discussion on the internet.

I definitely disagree with AEther, sorry I don’t know how to make it look cool, but I also disagree with how the whole discussion seems to have devolved. However, you did call him some sort of carpboy bandwagon, not sure what that means, for giving the issue a 1/10 when you gave it a 10/10. This is the best a comic can get? Almost all of you reviews of Kings work is a 10/10. That makes you seem more like a bandwagon fan than anyone else.

Or you can appreciate the ride for what it is. Nothing about this story is out of character for the last 49 issues. Dial back the hostility. If you don't like the story, don't buy the book. One thing you can't say though, is that Tom King doesn't understand Batman's character. He does understand, but maybe he doesn't tell a story you want to read or maybe he doesn't tell it in a voice you react positively to. The letters in this book are proof of the conflict Bruce and Selina find themselves in.

You can definitely say he doesn’t understand the character. He’s given no indication that he understands anything about Batman that isn’t surface level. He thinks Batman is incompetent, a broken child, and incapable of being happy despite a huge history that shows otherwise.

"Nothing about this story is out of character for the last 49 issues"? if that's what you'd like to believe, then you are entitled to your opinion. in all my years of reading Batman i have never seen Batman portrayed in such a pathetic self-loathing manner. Tom King very much does not understand Batman. he thinks Bruce being Batman is some sort of form of suicide, seeking 'a good death'. that line was taken out of context from TDKR. his writing feels like fan fiction.

Talon1load - that's an excellent analogy of this character King is passing off as Batman. he's very much a broken child, he's very incompetant, and he really seems to enjoy feeling sorry for himself. i can see why people call him Soy-Batman or Low Testosterone Batman.

Well to carp is to complain or find fault continually, typically about trivial matters. Carpboy Bandwagon, the implication should be clear. As for myself, yeah I'm a fanboy for now, but Im always ready and more than willing to jump off a bandwagon if I'm on one. King honestly just hasn't disappointed me, Night of the Monstermen was easily the weakest but I blame Orlando for that mess.

Thus far I enjoy Kings work, its thought provoking, emotionally engaging, deeply knowledgeable and respectful to which he pays a great amount of homage, and he tells it all in a style and voice totally his own, an insightful and unique tale of our beloved dark knight, of the likes I've never read before.

A lot of you act like you have some sort of ownership over the batman character, and in a very pretentious manner protest you know better than others when it comes to batmans character. I imagine most of you think of batman as this flat macho male stereotype of godlike intellect. King focuses on the flaws, and more human needs of batman, nothing of which seems out of character. Besides, when you write for batman, as Grant Morrison has said, "you must write the character as if he is your own".

Also I wouldn't say kings batman is self-loathing so much as he is selfless.

Breath Æther, Breath......

then again .... it probably is very difficult for you to breath when you're so busy kissing Tom King's ass.

Your trite behavior speaks much of your own chatacter.

so from down there, can you tell us what Tom King's been eating?

Kings Batman hasn’t been selfless. He’s been self destructive, which isn’t necessarily out of character but the stupidity behind his behavior is. People have a right to complain about the poor handling of characters that they like. While us giving every issue a 1/10 may make us seem like haters your 10/10 makes you appear like a sycophant. Neither rating is fully genuine or helpful but they do at least average out to what may be a more accurate rating for King’s run which is a 5/10.

And that’s mostly for the art. Lol

Cut it out with the insults guys. You're making me regret building in review comments. I love that you're passionate about comics and want to debate the issues, but let's leave it at that.

myconius, seriously? Come on man, if you're going to write stuff like this maybe consider not writing at all.

I can explain my 10/10 ratings, I recently started reading his Batman during issue 48. I bought the Batman deluxe edition vol 1 (sucks it has the MonsterMen issues) one day, and on the second day I bought all 5 vols of TPB's, and read them all just as fast. It might work better if you can gorge yourself reading these, I dont know. All I know it's been very enjoyable.

It began with Batman facing his own mortality, as we are introduced to a new pair of heros who further remind him of his own humanity. Seeking justice and confronting the transient nature of his being, he puts together a team from Arkham all for an excuse to free Catwoman. Just like in Batman issue 1 from 1940, he unmasks the thief to reveal the most beautiful woman hes known, his hearts desire, and true love... "Lovely Girl, What Eyes!" He proclaimed, after purposely bumping into Robin to let h

He then methodical plans and manipulates Bane on his own turf, leaving him broken and defeated amongst his own men. While simultaneously opening himself up to Catwoman, exposing his vulnerability and finding her faithful. Bane retaliates hastily, a man whom we are shown has struggled in such a similar fashion as the Batman. A dynamic of nature vs. nurture, and how these two boys of alike ilk were shaped into the men they became due to circumstance.

Bane defeated, Batman let's down his guard and proposes to Catwoman. He exposes his history, his darkest secrets, his guilt, and Catwoman accepts and loves him for the man he is. They face trails and tribulations, they are separated, they face the world alone, and love prevails. Preparing for a new life together, trouble finds it's way back into thier lives, sowing seeds of doubt. Seeds of which many strings are attached, manipulated by men of dark hearts to hurt the Bat as never before... and t

... and to yet unknown ends...

So yeah that's what I've gotten out of this story and I enjoyed every moment. He does all this while masterfully playing with the DC colorful cast of characters. I couldn't put it down, issue after issue 10/10 for me. And I still have a few issues 9/10. I find it crazy but intriguing so many can hate it with such a fervent tenacity, that's all. It's a love story for a hero we all love, told in a beautiful and meaningful way.

My first paragraph of my explanation got cut off, but I was just comparing how Batman let Catwoman escape in his first issue with that of King cutting her loose. Hes got a weak spot :P

egon244 - get real. if you had this troll harassing you over a difference of opinion over a cartoon book, i'd like to see how you'd like it.

Æther has just posted 7 comments in a row on my review, and has commented over 25 comments in total. look how much he's harrassed William McKelder over his review of Batman #49. ...is that normal behavior? no! it's not! what he's doing is cyber bullying. believe me if there was a block button i'd have used it after his first condescending comment.

I disagree with your review, complain about it. You then freak out and troll me, now you belittle an art form most of us love. It's more than just some cartoon book, it's a great story. I'm not forcing you to engage me either, and to be honest I haven't even been talking to you, I've been addressing other people... not you myconius.

Just wanted you to expose yourself, and it looks like you did. You had a lot to say...

you are a cyber bully.

Bearwitness to the man myconius the boy wonder who calls someone a nazi, ridicules them, trolls them, and then plays the victim. All I did was ask for an explanation because your review was hollow. Get over it.

cyber bully.

it's too bad this site doesn't offer a block button.

The story you describe does sound intriguing, the problem is that it has been so poorly executed. Batman Rebirth starts right after the New 52 ends where Batman has already faced his mortality and come out stronger. But beyond the broad strokes, the stories are just poorly done. King’s attention to detail is severely lacking. He somehow and for some reason rides the back of a plane while whining about dying. He’s been in way worse situations so that doesn’t make sense.

The entire run is built around wow moments that are not executed well. So your 10/10 shows that you’re not looking at the details and you’ve already said that you don’t care about them anyway but that’s what writing is, it’s the details strung together in an interesting manner to make a coherent story. King fails to do that.

In one of the issues Catwoman and Batman remember different dates in regards to when it was they first met. They are both right, it's just about how you look at it. I thought new 52 was a mess stirred up by Dr. Manhattan. This should be the perfect time to take some creative liberties and tell a fresh familiar story. Throughout comic history artists have picked up the works of others and spun new tales. Familiar characters, similar situations, but slightly divergent.

These writers should have a chance, an excuse, to tell a tale of thier own, would we really want complete copycat writers? People who write in someone else's voice? Telling that other persons story? King is lifting ideas from the stories that he knows will enhance his own, catwoman stories, mostly. This is a new dream.

Also I do care about the details, just not all of them is what I said. Trivial flaws I dont mind, the story here is too engrossing. Why so hard on the Bat, he was just pondering the quality of his death while on that plane, and maybe this time it just got him questioning the quality of his life? Kings Batman is not so invincible, I get it... I guess he's really fucked now.

A democracy is a society in which people have a say in their government and elect their leaders. The opposite is totalitarianism: a totalitarian society is usually ruled by a dictator, and there is very little or no freedom. In totalitarianism, the government controls almost every aspect of life. There is no free speech or freedom of the press: certain religions and ideas may be banned. George Orwell's novel 1984 was a brilliant look at a world of totalitarianism.

Yes in issue 20 like you said we see batman has already grown up. Hes overcome his parents death, hes come out stronger for it. They will always be a part of him, they have been imprinted upon his heart. He will always fight for the people of Gotham no matter. Happy or unhappy, he has greater reason to be the Batman. Catwoman got fooled into thinking she was doing the right thing, she's wants to be the selfless hero like the man she loves, she wants to do the right thing.

A mistake, now the villains take advantage.This sort of heartbroken is new to Batman, hes opened himself up like never before, and is then rejected. This is what he truly wants above all else, a different sort of hurdle. He is vulnerable, unbalanced, and alone, a perfect opportunity for enemies, and for us to be entertained. Hes a smart guy tho, I'm sure everything will work out fine. We already know they grow old together, and he has had love, from the first to the last.

It's cool that his story might evolve or change, taking on a different shape in time. I'm pretty sure he knows what the grand plan is, adapting with time sure. Plenty of time for things to be resolved, I wouldn't worry so much. It's like a 100 issue comic book arc lol.

Dude, nothing about this is new. Batman has gone through this so many times. People keep saying this is something new when it isn’t. Hell, he purposely gave up happiness for his mission in the New 52. He also opened himself to that Ukrainian pianist who died. He’s been through shit like this with Vesper, Silver, Vicki, and so many others that there is literally nothing new to explore with this direction. He’s been left before. This is just lazy writing.

the writing is incredibly lazy. it defies all logic and reason. especially the last panel of this comic. there were no indicators that Gotham Girl would be in league with Bane. Flashpoint Thomas Wayne being among the villains is even more ridiculous. it’s gimmick writing done solely for cheap shock value.

Talon1load - oh yeah! the Ukrainian pianist from Batman The Dark Knight. her death definitely was telegraphed. very predictable. i recently tried re-reading 'Batman: Blind Justice'. that also had yet another disposable love interest that finds out Bruce's identity. as much as i enjoy 'Strange Apparitions' the Silver St. Cloud parts are so cringy.

I couldn't finish new 52 Batman, not my thing. But if it had Batman giving up his happiness, then he is already the selfless Batman King started with, but this time he decides his Batman is gonna take happiness for himself, time and events have changed his thinking and drama ensues.

So Batman has experienced romantic endeavors before, but were they this deeply involved with Catwoman? And played out to this extent? No way. This is special, look how worked up everyone is, how excited we were for this union to take place. This is not just some little heartbreak, this is Batman and Catwoman!! This is literally a 100 issue love story, this is Batmans definitive love story in my mind. We have had our own hearts broken with Batman at this juncture, it should have you engaged.

This is all new. And anything is familiar it was likely ment to be. Try to have some fun with it, we are in the middle of an interesting sort of spiritual successor to the Banes Knightfall story. Sucks if you cant enjoy it.

Their story is deeply involved though. You never really get anything that tells you how they really feel. The entire thing is built around how iconic it is but there is no depth to it. It comes off as extremely forced.

yes. very forced. very contrived. superficial at best.

I think you’re reaching with that logic.

i dunno .... i just get the feeling that we'll be seeing yet another DC reboot somewhere down the line.

But your assertion that they wedding was moved to accommodate has no basis on anything other than a date.

i don't think tom king would even worry if his story lines up with Doomsday Clock, when his own stories don't even line up with each other. in issue 49 Catwoman slashes Jokers throat, Catwoman gets shot point blank in the gut with a revolver. now in issue 50, Catwoman is walking around just perfectly fine.

Why need for 100 issues if there were no plan?

DC Stuff - well we know they definitely had one thing planned for sure. ..squeeze every last red cent out of their customers pockets.

Ahhh gotcha. Yeah, they are definitely milking everyone.

Let him speak for himself, start at 6:57 or around the 7 min mark. https://youtu.be/31Vd_kItfDc I'll take his word for it, it's all coming together as one big story, it would be strange if it weren't. Events from issue 1 will affect issue 103. He says it himself.

Talon1load - but they decided "why should we stop at just milking customers? let's bamboozle the retailers as well! we'll kick them right in the teeth, and they'll thank us for it."

I can see objectively, I just happen to disagree, and express my reasoning. I dont really care about sales numbers and so forth, I just want an entertaining story. They were getting married, lots of people say they are going to get married... and they dont. It was an event nonetheless, if you dont want to see how all the puzzle pieces fit... then stop reading.

Not surprised corporate DC promoted and published extra matieral. That's is thier job, to make money, and they just happen to be taking advantage of Tom Kings wedding event. I think it's fun, this stuff happens in real life. People say they are going to have a wedding, all this money is involved, people spend so much time preparing, everyone waiting and watching, but no one can find the bride? Lol and you are all acting like the upset guests... it's just Banes fault.

DC Stuff - you're speaking far too much logic & reason. the mentality of some fans is why movies like BvS was able to sell so well despite having a complete train wreck of a plot. eventually the other shoe has to drop and then a financial disaster like the Justice League movie happens. eventually followers of the hype train grow weary of all the gimmick story-telling and the comic sales will drop. it always happens. and the company will just announce another reboot. sell all new #1's.

Myconius all you do is praise and regurgitate the ideas of whom bias you share. Tom Kings fault for BvS and Justice league? Get this non sequitur junk outta here. Also I would rather it always started at #1 when a new writer gets the job to write a character. Unless someone's previous work was left unfinished.

Hey now, I really liked BvS. Don’t try to tarnish that by associating it with Tom King. Lol

Talon1load - you're right! to be fair, i really enjoyed BvS when i saw it in the theater. i even bought the blu ray as well. but it definitely is a guilty pleasure. i can admittedly see it for all it's flaws. but as you said, it DOES NOT deserve to be lumped in with the filthy mess that is Tom King's Batman. lol

good point! but how about this... do we really want Batman and Catwoman's wedding to be written by a slobby Tom King too drunk to know what he's doing?

Yes. It's the only way.

having Bane as the mastermind of ALL of this just feels so very lazy and contrived.

Bane is a methodical villain who has been actively involved in this story from the beginning, how is that contrived? All feels very natural to me. Banes didn't make the proposal happen or make them fall in love. Batman and Catwoman did that themselves, Bane is just taking advantage. Important details have always been explained later in the story. People were panicking about Holly, o but it's clear she turned herself in now. Just let everything unfold before freaking out.

Holly was really the one that got the cat to run. But yeah that was the only thing Bane really wanted. Was to break up the two,joker played a part as well, probably drugged em hah idk. So much pessimism, hes pumping two of these out a month while writing other comics, not an easy job.

in this world there are those who enjoy the taste of kool aid ...and those who do not.

well there is always just reading it off the shelf then putting it right back. xD

Not by King. By Bane. Sucker.

You’re high. It was all by King. He’s the one who wrote this crap.

Talon1load - exactly! taking the blame off King and placing it on Bane is delusional. Bane is a fictional character. he only does what Tom King scripts him to do.

and then he kicks those blue balls!

I liked this issue a lot and like Tom King, but man that is such an accurate way to put it. Lol

What is Tom King doing? Is this really not obvious? It's a juxtaposition between two of batman's most interesting and iconic villains, a fascinating character study bursting with fresh perspective. This is not rocket science. Wont batman be mad at catwoman? SO WHAT. Do you not remember Catwoman recently stole her wedding dress, just because she's getting married doesnt mean she is changing who she is as a person. She's still got claws, and she had more reason to take joker out then ever before.

When did Batman get poisoned? Might it have been at some point while Batman was knocked the fuck out? Does Tom King really have to hold your hand like some toddler as he tells his story? Stop writing batman so inept? The joker is good at making batman inept, if he wasn't he would be a bad boring villain! He showcased perfectly how good joker is at taking advantage of Batmans weaknesses, exploiting him with his chaotic insanity.

There is nothing wrong with being clever or meta, especially when it's done well like it is here. Stop reading comics that aren't ment for you if you cant handle it. Tom King respects your intellect, why don't you respect his.

I think someone's feeling were hurt by this review.

My brain was hurt.

Hehe. One could argue it's the same thing.

These are the definitions of the words used in context. Argue away brain brān/ noun plural noun: brains intellectual capacity. "I didn't have enough brains for the sciences" synonyms:intelligence, intellect, brainpower, IQ, cleverness, wit(s), reasoning, wisdom, acumen, discernment, judgment, understanding.

feel·ing ˈfēliNG/ noun plural noun: feelings 1. an emotional state or reaction. "a feeling of joy" synonyms:love, affection, fondness, tenderness, warmth, warmness, emotion, sentiment

In other words that means you could argue it, but it would just make you an asinine snark.

Haha! Ok, “airwaves,” I guess trolls are gonna troll. You’re obviously a pretty big Tom King fanboy. I don’t really care that you like his version of Batman, but I prefer him to be at least somewhat competent and not a complete idiot. Plus, if King is so clever how does he write a story where the villain fires 15 shots from a revolver. Also, Cat and Joker sit their chatting like long lost pals after mortally wounding each other. Who does that?!? They were never friends.

I’m pretty sure your hero has no knowledge of the history of the characters he’s writing about. It’s very apparent in the way he portrays almost everyone.

So I'm an asinine snark, ok. Thanks ÆTHER for keeping the internet a place where having a civil conversation with people is damn near impossible.

Revolvers are not allowed to shoot more than 15 shots now? It's pretty clear Joker had extra cartridges in his friggen pocket. Can you not imagine he easily reloaded as she was ducking behind the benches, or picked up his second revolver? Again why must our hands be held like babies, the total lack of imagination is astounding. Besides it would be the artists fault for not drawing an actual reload, but to be so nitpicky is ridiculously silly. Definitely not worthy of criticism.

Would it really be more interesting if they sat around yelling obscenities at one another? They didn't seem like old pals to me either, they were obviously trapped in a situation, and behaved just as I would expect. To me these are two criminals who never cared for each, but very plausibly might have worked together, since they have/had a common enemy in Batman. King is in charge and gets to write/enrich their history, and it work. It's all about doing something new and original.

can't you guys see? you both made Æther cry!!! ;n;

Boring ad hominem is hypicritical, since most of you wrote reviews open to the public crying in the first place.

call it what you will. a shyte comic is still a shyte comic.

ÆTHER, no one is crying. It's about the fact that you literally attacked someone, in a very condescending way, for having a different opinion than you. "a shyte comic is still a shyte comic" - that's a good summary

Another criticism I have is how King very obviously states that Batman is in full body armor. This includes his cowl. Yet when Joker points a fun to his head he just stops and let’s the lunatic rant some more until he shoots him. Why not go for the gun or just duck. Then when Joker points the gun at his own head he inexplicably stops again. Now I know the Batman doesn’t kill, but would he be all that concerned that the Joker shot himself? So, Batman not only stops, but kneels next to the Joker

And raises his hands like he’s praying. Out of character. Then, Joker blows up the dais and the one wearing full body armor is more affected than the guy in a regular suit?!? Plot holes all throughout King’s Writing. It makes no sense. I really enjoyed “Sheriff of Babylon.” I think that’s because they were King’s own characters. He just hasn’t done the research on what makes a Batman fans tick. Anyway, have fun trolling.

I'll take that one. While I think that the armored cowl would stop the bullet, the sheer force of the hit might have scrambled Bat's brain.

i for the life of me will never figure out why Batman knelt down to pray with the Joker. Batman obviously didn't really care that Joker just killed all those people. in a way i wish Batman's cowl wasn't armored when Joker shot him in the head. it would have been a mercy kill.

Batman didn't know what kind of ammo joker had, hes lucky they weren't armor peircing rounds. I believe Batman would definitely care if the joker shot himself, especially if he was the cause. Batman Hope's all criminals can be rehabilitated, he prayed and complies with the joker only because he is being threatened also. Batman would definitely say Amen to no more people getting shot also.

Joker is a broken man, he probably wanted a peice of paradise in his life but he seems to have lost it to the chaos, even though he was likely heading "true north" as his mother advised him. But she was wrong and chaos stole his life, and he has become its insane avatar.

Sure King may have taken some creative liberties with Batman being knocked out by the explosion, while joker made out just fine. What can I say "Everything else is just chaos" , that was the theme. I appreciate the story thats being told more than counting "Bangs" or being hypercritical of details that hardly matter, especially since the plot is so damn interesting, and it's just plain fun to see the characters interacting in such a manner.

you enjoyed the comic. fine. other people did not. that's just life.

If you don't know how gun ammo works don't pretend you do. You can do a quick reload with a speed loader, which is essentially a "magazine" for a revolver. They even drew him using one, secondly if you put a bullet in your gun it wouldn't do shit. A bullet is only the metal tipped part of a cartridge. A cartridge is the metal casing containing the explosive charge with the bullet still attached on the open end. I've been shooting guns since I was 10, you are obviously ignorant.

Why didn't the GCPD show up? LOL are you kidding me? This is Gotham... HELLO ever heard of, o I don't know... the bat signal? Lol omg the police are probably the ones that sent batman holy shit people. There is nothing wrong with reinventing and retelling stories, artists do it all the time, as long as you bring something new to the table. It helped create character depth and perspective very specifically between joker and catwoman.

Catwomans eyes look blue from further away on one page, glass wasn't drawn broken... ok if this was anyone's fault its all on Janin and Chung. Not even Tom Kings fault, maybe they should stop pumping these out every 2 weeks? Or maybe you can get over a few minor flaws that happen in almost every comicbook. Seriously pathetic, shallow carping brat.

DC Stuff , you bring up so many excellent points. people that are showering Tom King's run with praise and perfect scores completely overlook the obvious. this series is horribly flawed, it's completely phoned in and uninspired. but as long as it's Batman it'll continue to sell. i just wonder what's going to happen to this title post issue #100. they'll just hype up the next writer as the best thing since sliced bread and the masses will all love and praise it.

Yeah the guy that thinks you only need a bullet to fire a gun... bravo amazing points... Not.

I feel like it's pretty clear now that most of you just have total lack of imagination. If king doesnt literally show you batman on the GCPD rooftop being informed of the situation, you just cant even imagine it can you? Despite the fact this is how Batman and the police how operated for DECADES. I'm at a total loss for words, its actually amazing another person thinks that was a good point he made, fucking jaw dropping astonished.

the only thing that is abundantly clear is you need to get over the fact that there are people in this world that don't love Tom King's Batman the wat that you seem to.

Trust me, I'm not surprised at this point.

why would i ever trust you?

Lol

So because the GCPD May have sent Batman they just don’t bother to show up? DO you realize how dumb that sounds? No one needs their hand held or has a lack of imagination but the story needs to make sense and Tom Kings don’t.

O yeah cause it wouldn't definitely be smarter to endanger a bunch more lives rather than let batman take care of it, cause you know it's not like Joker had the place rigged or anything... /eyeroll. How do you know Gordan and the members from the GCPD weren't watching from a distance either? And guess what they are going to see Batman and Catwoman dragging out the joker now. No extra lives had to be endangered, if you were in charge I bet a lot more people would have died unnecessarily. Good job

Not you all not remember the joker in Snyders run was literally turning the lights on and off snapping neck one at a time... this was INSIDE the department. Lol if you wanna talk stupid, talk about that.

You realize it is the GCPD’s job to take on the Joker, right? They’d have snipers set up to take him out, stuff like that. I’m glad you’re not in charge of a police department, people would be dying left and right. And for $4 an issue, you shouldn’t have to write half the damn comic in your head.

Your vocal cords are actually pretty high up in your neck behind the Adam's apple. Getting an artery cut open in the middle portion of your neck wont necessarily take away your ability to speak. Also it's the police job to take down the joker in a Batman comic now? What the fuck ever man.

I personally love the fact Tom King doesnt waste my time. I like how he leaves minor things up to the readers imagination. He let's us fill in the blanks, forcing me to think and become engaged with the story as few have done. He gives us all the meat, and leaves us to find our own drink to wash it all down, I appreciate his unique voice. Also It's a comic book you have to actively become a part of the story, like any book, you are the narrator.

If you read it like a shit, no surprise its gonna be shit. Massive failure of the imagination is all I chalk this discourse up to. Sorry.

Tom King, like you, had done nothing but waste our time. He doesn’t leave minor portions of the story to your imagination he just fails to write a coherent story. And if you have a slit throat, whether it severes your vocal cords or not, it’s pretty damn difficult to speak because it’s more than likely opened up your airway but thanks for the anatomy lesson. It goes right along with your bullet critique. Was the Joker shown with a speed loader?

Oh never mind, that’s another part of the story we have to fill in for King. Hell, if I have to fill in half the damn book for him then he should be sending me a check.

all this talk of imagination... i think all of these things you are reading into the comic, are just you imagining them.

Yes joker was drawn with a speed loader in hand... literally. Go back and read when he got up to shoot Cat, he obviously had all his cartridges preloaded. Also the jokers dialogue box had more wiggles in it after his throat was cut, I imagined joker talking with greater difficulty and more of a rasp when he was speaking during these scenes. The dialogue box was drawn in that way to imply that's how he was speaking. For people who are so overcritical of details, you sure miss a lot.

i also like how Tom King's Batman is solely limited to whatever little box Tom King writes around him and disregards everything anyone else has recently done or is doing with the character. Peter Tomasi wrote an Annual for Super Sons and included his own Wayne family pet Titus that he created, as well as King's version of Ace. Tomasi even includes Morrison's Batcow as well as Alfred the cat. King barely even addresses characters or situations of his own making.

King constantly contradicts himself! even in the first issue- Batman flies an ejector seat up to an airplane, effortlessly mounts jets under the wings, and rides it like a bronco. Batman does all these impossible feats yet were supposed to believe that somehow the landing will kill him??? GTFO of here Tom King!!!

i bailed on this run long ago. i eventually stared reading again once they announced Batman & Catwoman's wedding. a pairing i've been very eager to see since i've ever started reading Batman comics all these years. and or course! wouldn't you know it! it's being written by potato.

Man, you guys went from semi-coherent argument to full blown nitpicking just to prove your point. King's run isn't the best thing since sliced bread nor is it as terrible as people say. It's just uneven as hell. It has great story arcs like War of Jokes and Riddles and Rooftops and mediocre ones like I am Bane or the one with Wonder Woman. It also has really good issues like #9 and 24 and the double date with Lois and Clark, but it also has issues like this one and the previous one.

Why wasn't Batman arrested leaving Kadym? You're right the justice league and the U.N. should have been there to give him a good spanking, thrown him in jail and locked away the key. Or you can assume their actions were forgiven, superman clearly wasnt letting anyone else in though.

As for Catwoman being a mass murderer, well some my still think that, but anyone who can actually get to her (namely Batman) likely already knows she isn't responsible. So why would they bother? also Holly is likely going to take responsibility at some point, Catwoman just wants her to confess willingly, and not forcefully, she loves her.

What would King have to resolve with Johnny Suntres from the Everybody loves Ivy arc? Ivy was hiding him somewhere cause she wasn't able to control him due to his allergy to "greens" once Batman saw he wasn't under Ivys control in his house, he knew his hunch was right, end of story.

As for the issue with the Gentle Man, they said the portal can only be opened from earthside, sure. This must only apply to humans entering and leaving however, the Demons were obviously not bound by such rules, thus they needed to be continually faught back. Not that big of a stretch to come to the conclusion that mythiological creatures don't have to play by the same rules.

Also being the world's greatest detective Batman probably figured out he wasnt aging in that realm after 30 some years, he probably realized there was some sort of time distortion of some kind. His last good memories before entering that realm were of Selena and Ace as well, I would like to think about them often if I were in such a situation to give myself some respite also.

Booster Gold probably took care of Bruce Wayne and his own dead body, realizing his plans went to shit. He wanted to show our Batman how happy he would have been had his parents lived, but in a twist of dark humor alternative Bruce Wayne blew his own head off before he could do that lol. So his gift just became a story to tell Batwoman and Catwoman, I found it all sorta twisted and goofy, it was a nice change of pace though.

Anyways, most of these details you're so worried about aren't even a big deal either, as there were major themes at play in these issues telling a rich interesting story, which is much more important at the end of the day.

He was not shown with a speed loader when he fired 14 consecutive shots but if you like to assume the best then have at it. As for details not mattering, that’s his job. To give details. To write a coherent story. You’re such a King fanboy though that you’ll argue anything. So you enjoy the continued nonsense while those who care about a well written story keep criticizing this crap writer.

He was shown with a speed loader at the end of issue 49 the very same issue he shot the 14 shots that are driving you all mad. So yes you can assume all his ammo was prepared as such. To assume anything else would just be silly, you'd be stubbornly assuming the worst even against the evidence. He's given me all the details I've needed, and his story is coherent me. I've explained all my reasoning clearly.

Also I said THESE details, as in the ones the rest of you brought up, the ones I addressed. That does not mean I think details matter not at all. I just prefer writers who dont coddle me in an overly convoluted style as most comic writers do. You're free to criticize all you want, and I'm free to tell you you're being silly. So what.

Other members of the legion have used the time sphere to travel in time besides Booster, I assumed he wanted to show alternative timeline Bruce Wayne how he would have made the world a better place by becoming Batman, and the Batman we know would have seen the man he could have become. It was a gift of perspective and understanding, it wasnt my favorite arc but it was fun. Time travel stories are always a little iffy in my opinion.

Also even if the dead bodies were left behind, again big deal. I've worked in a graveyard for 5 years, if we dont know who you are and were found randomly dead just lying around... well, we just bury you in the back of the graveyard in an unnamed grave marked with a number, end of story.

I enjoyed Tom Kings version of Booster Gold over all though. He strikes me as a rash guy who doesnt think things through very well, a goofy humorous hero, not just another generic one. Any probables you had with the story should probably be explained by Boosters ineptitude. It was all in good fun.

I think all of the improbables are explained by King’s ineptitude, not Boosters. And you don’t think Bruce Wayne’s dead body would cause an issue? They don’t just find bodies and say “oh well” they run finger prints, dental records, face matches, all sorts of shit. That is the dumbest thing you’ve said so far.

Yeah and what sort of finger prints, dental records, and face matches do you think they would have for two guys who haven't even existed in their reality yet smart guy. /facepalm O right, they wouldn't have a shred of evidence as to who these individuals were.

I actually dont know that much about Booster Gold, and yeah I have heard people say he was written out of character. I can sorta understand the frustration there, but at the same time I liked how Tom King wrote him as such a dork, I felt like it worked, even though I think that Arc was honestly his weakest. Again not a fan of the time travel/alternate timeline stuff. I still enjoyed it, but cant totally understand how others might not, especially since he made Booster the butt of the joke.

Bad choice of wording on my part. Clearly the demons of that realm were not bound by such rules, or yes they would have been of no threat. Clearly they were a threat that needed to be handled though... that all I needed to know, to come to the conclusion they had other means of escape.

Selena sentence was changed after I am Bane correct? This was before Batman even knew about Holly then, I think we can assume he took her under his wing once he did however.

Didn’t exist? It was Brice Wayne? Regardless of whatever reality he was from he was Bruce Wayne. He has the same damn prints. You can’t honesty be this dense.

poor William McKelder. his inbox must be getting FLOODED with notifications from all this mumbo jumbo! x'D

Yes it was Bruce Wayne, they are gonna see a 35+ year old males dead body, do you honestly think they are gonna run those prints with babies that have been born less than 12 years ago? It souldnt make sense, and this is a time before computer tech has become so advanced, you'd have to cross check the hard way. This is a stupid non-issue. They would throw his body in the back and be done with it.

If it ever came to Batmans attention in the future I'm sure his response would amount to little more than an "O, Booster" since he knows the story already.

Yes Selina sentence was changed from from death to life during the rooftops arc, in that same arc Batman learns Holly is the one actually responsible, so why continue to hold Selina responsible? Batman does what he feels is right, and Its batmans responsibility to detain and bring catwoman in, why would he do that now that he knows for fact she is innocent? If any of his superfriends questioned him dont you think he would have explained her innocence?

Batman doesn't just blindly obey laws either, I think that's pretty evident just by him being Batman. If he takes you under his wing, I think it's safe to assume your gonna have a hard time catching her as well, especially since it was likely Batman who caught her in the first place. These are all minor hiccups also, not worth being so concerned with.

Bored...I’m bored. This conversation has gotten fairly pointless. I don’t think anyone is going to change anyone else’s mind. Aether is obviously a troll that has drank the Tom King cool-aid. Some people like King’s Batman and others do not. I do not. I will continue to think that way and rate his comics that way. At least until he changes my mind.

Tom-king cool aid? I didn't even like Omega Men. His only other comic I've read. So far he's 1 for 2 in my mind. also yeah, I'm done with this thread, we got way off topic. We should just stick to talking about issue 49.

for serious, man! there is some baloney being shoved in our faces right before one of the biggest events for Batman in years! i doubt having Batman getting married to Catwoman was even Tom King's idea in the first place. it was probably something handed down from editorial.

The whole thing is messed up. King has really good concepts, but the execution is just horrible. No substance! He just builds an arc around a wow moment. And this series dosen't humanize Batman at all. He let Alfred tell his son(s) that he was getting married!

i agree. it's all just lazy set-up for a cheap shock moment. no, this Batman definitely does not feel humanized. the way he let Joker just kill the last hostage then still mindlessly went to pray with Joker. he feels more like a Zombie or a Robot.

This is clearly a very divisive run. Everyone should keep their head about it. Some people like Tom King's style (me) and others don't. I do understand some of the complaints about his characterization of Batman, but I personally enjoy King's writing enough to ignore it. It is a different Batman, but that is okay imo.

i found the funniest part of this comic not in any of the Joker’s jokes. no. not at all. what made me laugh was how spectacularly Batman failed at everything he did in this issue. Joker kills everyone right in from of Batman, and Batman still wants to kneel down and pray with Joker, but gets blown up. that was hilarious! :D

And what demographic is that?

teenagers.

Well since the book is rated T for Teen you could say it's for teenagers, but I disagree.

Good eye! that actually never even occurred to me!

Sarcasm, society's greatest virtue.

you probably aren't going to believe me, but that honestly wasn't intended to be sarcastic.

I choose to believe you :)

^u^

i'm right there with you! it's like hope for the best, but don't DARE hold your breath over it.