THE GOOD:

-Wow, Ryan Ottley's art is fantastic! I just loved it.

-The fight scenes were pretty fantastic this issue.

-Nick Spencer has done so much for JJJ in these last three issues. I absolutely loved his character and development in this issue.

-I have to admit, Spider-man chucking the giant Big Man mech out of the building was pretty awesome.
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-I overall liked Spider-Man's speech to JJJ at the end. Not my favorite part, but still good.

-I thought the scene with JJJ and Fisk was great.

-I also liked JJJ at the radio station scene as well.

-Seeing Taskmaster and Black Ant again made this whole issue worth it.

-The end is very intriguing. I'm excited to see where this goes. I just hope they can make this series more focused.

THE BAD:

-I felt like Spidey's monologue recapping the events of the last issues was too long, taking up two pages.

-I didn't like the Foswell Jr. reveal. It felt like it was easy, a cop-out almost.

-The humor let me down this issue. I didn't laugh nearly as much as I felt this series can make me. more

an alright issue.
Tomasi’s first two issues of this run came out of the gate really strong, this one started a lot slower.
it needed to make up for the lack of story from the more action and suspense based storytelling from the previous issues. it’s still a good issue though. still was cool seeing Batman actually being a detective.
even though i understand why it needed to be there, wasn’t crazy about the reminder of the current relationship issues between Bruce and Damian, though i did like that Damian dropped everything and came to Alfred’s aid. i also enjoyed Tomasi’s callback to his first arc on New52 Batman & Robin.

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THE GOOD:

-I love Jock's art, especially with Scott Snyder's writing. I'm glad to see them working together on a miniseries again.

-I really liked that first page. It was well-written, but most of all, it felt really foreboding in a strange kind of reverse psychology way. You know in a horror movie, when something really happy, almost too happy, happens, and you think, oh no, something's gonna go wrong. Yeah, this part had that same kind of feeling.

-I have to admit, the opening chase scene was pretty awesome.

-Not to mention that reveal it led to. At first I was confused, as I was supposed to be, then I realized it was an alternate universe Batman left by the Batman Who Laughs, which is a really cool idea. It's especially cool, because it embraces what should be done with this character more often. He shouldn't be seen. Much like Jaws, if you want your villains to be creepy of ominous, it often works way better if they are offscreen more than onscreen.

-This is kind of a sub point of the previous note, but I really liked some of the specificities of this parallel universe Batman. Like how he had quit after Knightfall, and became involved in civil projects. And most of all, how he was happy. That was the stinger. I also liked how Bruce could identify all of his scars. That was cool.

-I think that the banter between Batman and Alfred was really good in this issue.

-The Grim Knight was awesome. That's it. A Punisher Batman should speak for itself.

-I've already mentioned this, but I really liked how we don't get to see the Batman Who Laughs a whole lot. That was neat.

-He's done it before, but I have to admit, seeing Scott Snyder do that thing where, "this leads to this which connects to this in reference to this." is super satisfying.

-Joker slowly ascending from the water was pretty eerie and cool as well.

-Not to mention him killing himself with a gimmick gun had a very similar effect. I don't believe that was really Joker however. I hope not. I hope that Snyder understands there's no way in hell the f***ing Joker will stay dead.

-The whole end was pretty great and creepy.

THE BAD:

-I was a bit confused on why Joker was in the waterways. That all felt a bit rushed. It's a small thing that was more likely triggered by my stupidity as opposed to an actual issue however.

-As a whole, this issue could've been scarier. That was my expectation at least. There were certainly creepy moments, and given the title character and the creative team's past works, this could've been a lot scarier. more

Batman is called the world's greatest detective for a reason, we know that, but we rarely have an opportunity to see his detective, forensic and investigative skills being put to proper use. Usually his comics are following the basic patternn: hero gets defeated by a villain who uses their weaknesses against them, then hero learns from their mistakes and overcomes their weaknesses to finally defeat the villain in the last, final fight. That's a classic trope, and I don't have anything against it, but as I said, we rarely see Batman using his unique skill set in step 2: overcoming his weaknesses. Most of the time that comes naturally - he makes a plan we don't know about, executes it and gets the upper hand against the villain. That's it. Tomasi has put emphasis on Bruce investigating what's happening, and how his current nemesis targets his...or its victims. We kinda know its methodology, but we don't know what's its ultimate goal, who will it target next, where does the story go. And that's something I truly appreciate about this issue. It builds the mystery and allows Batman to think, forces him to look for ways to outrun the enemy for once, be a step ahead of it. But he can't.

That's one good build up, and while some may perceive it as a bit lacking in terms of sheer action, I would say we need only more comics like this one. Tension feels real, stakes are high, no one's safe, and the mystery is still a mystery. more

It's almost disappointing to land on a 9 here, because it could have been perfect. The first page, complete with nostalgic Snyder prose IS perfect. I'll never forget that page. But two big-time cringes (page 3 with the syringes and leaning HARD into the Bullock science mumbo-jumbo) felt like glaring, albeit brief, missteps. However, the elevator scene and last page, bringing Snyder-Jock full-circle, is undeniable, irresistible, and tantalizing!

PS: Batman briefly begging was actually pretty cool, and I wonder if he has ever been reduced to no options but to beg before? (Not that I want to see him humiliated or anything...just wondering) more

This was just great!

The twist about Eddie's past was great and that ending really caught me off guard. All of that made even better with Ryan Stegman's magnificent art.

Just get it, it's really worth it.

Another fantastic issue.

I really liked the detective stuff in this issue. I felt a lot of tension and a sense of mystery unlike anything else I read in a while. The part with Henri Ducard was great and unexpected, Damian being in this issue was also a great touch and the ending have me intrigued. Combine all of this with Mahnke's top-notch art and you got yourself one of the best comic books available right now. more

"LITTLE PIG... LITTLE PIG..."

King and Gerads team up for the first time after mister miracle and it's pretty damn good.
This issue didn't expand on the big story, so if you expected something like that you might be disappointed.

In this issue, we get to see the thought process of Batman while he's trying to figure out how to handle the situation. It really puts you in Batman's shoes and I was so immersed by that.
But all of this wouldn't work without the art, which is the highlight of this issue in my opinion. It was so damn good. So good that the art alone is almost enough for me to tell you to read it. But luckily, the writing was also great.

That being said, the cliffhanger was a bit confusing and even after a second read I don't really know what it means, But it sure is interesting.

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OH NO! LOOK OUT! IT'S SPOILERS!

THE GOOD:

-I'm loving Doug Mahnke's art. It is some of the best art I have seen in a Batman comic in a while.

-Wow. Leslie Thompkin's death was great. Sorry, that sounded wrong. I mean, her death was really beautifully written, her last words just really hit hard, as does Batman's desperation to save her, along with the flashback pages. Dramatic, tender and touching. This issue really showed me the right way to put emotion into a Batman comic. This issue had me close to tears.

-Seeing even Alfred react to Leslie's death was pretty touching as well.

-Super great callback to Year One with Alfred ringing the bell. I dug that scene.

-This issue shows how to correctly progress a mystery, with the Zorro thing that happened, something that this weeks Heroes in Crisis really let me down on.

-Yes, I already mentioned the art, but the way Mahnke draws the rogues gallery was just super great.

-Seeing the effects of Leslie's death on Batman as he visited Arkham was great, and shows that Tomasi truly knows how to accurately infuse emotion into a Batman comic.

THE BAD:

-My only complaint is that we could have gotten more of the detective Batman from the previous issue. more

Oof. I really wanted a few more pages - Bruce's reaction to the traumas he is witnessing is compelling and makes me want to pick it up again in two weeks. Mahnke wasn't as A-plus as #994, but there was great visual storytelling here. Tomasi (so far) is committed to the ground-level detective angle, which should be a crowd-pleaser for many.

"BROS BEFORE HEROES"

Probably my least favorite issue so far.
Nobody seems to grieve about the fact that a lot of heroes died and Harley Quinn is just too
sexualized (page 16, for example, was just not necessary) But overall the art was great as usual.

Booster and Blue Beetle parts were awesome and I liked the ending, seems to be going in an interesting way.

That's it, not a lot happened to be honest, but I had fun reading it for the most part.


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"I WANT YOU ALL TO THINK OF THIS PLACE LIKE A CARNIVAL FUNHOUSE TONIGHT... EXCEPT THE ONLY MONSTER IN HERE WITH YOU... IS ME"

Wow, this issue has it all. Badass batman, one of the most touching moments in a comic book I read in a while, gorgeous art and an interesting story.

Pick this one up. I can't recommend it enough.

BE WARY TRAVELER…. SPOILERS AHEAD!

THE GOOD:

-Joelle Jones always has great art. It's the most reliable thing about this series.

-Catwoman is pretty well characterized. This series definitely gets her character, at least.

-I really liked those silhouetted fight scenes. They were new and unique.

-I'm glad to see Maggie in it again. She's a great character.

THE BAD:

-Raina Creel was a great villain, its a shame her defeat was so cliche and undeserving. I hope to see more of her.

-There was some really confusing paneling towards the end there, during the scene where Raina shoots her son.

-This story arc really went out with a whimper rather than the bang it could have had. I was super disappointed.

-And that last page… Apparently Jones ran out of pages, so she use stuck on some half assed page of Selina sitting in front of a taco place. What the f***ing hell?! more

good stuff.

This time we go deeper into jonah's past and explore his relationship with spider-man. It's well written, well drawn and i'm interested to see where this is heading to, especially after the reveal at the end.

Well... nothing really happened this issue.

This issue is a sequel to issue 38 (an issue I really liked) so we get to see the kid who wants to be batman again. The problem is that this issue, unlike issue 38, relies too much on next issues to come and doesn't stand on it's own. The reveal at the end is pretty good and the art was great (matthews face in page 20 is a good example). The only thing that connects to the main story is that bane might use matthew for his big plan, but that's not really exciting to be honest. more

THE GOOD:

-Doug Mahnke's art was pitch perfect. Every character is drawn to perfection. Even the f***ing bat signal looks cooler than before!

-Just the entire concept of the reenactment of Bruce's parents murder was amazing. I don't know if it's ever been done before, but it was executed brilliantly here.

-Much like the art, the writing feels spot-on for every character. No joke. Every character.

-This series finally lives up to its title, making Batman a detective. This is my favorite depiction or angle on the Batman character. I'd take a clever, mystery-investigating Batman over a typical bad-guy-punching Batman any day. This issue extremely satisfied in that area. It is the first time in a while Batman has felt like this, and I am super happy.

-If this series is consistent, it could go down in history. This was one of my favorite debut issues in a long, long time. It typically takes a while for me to adjust to a series' tone and direction, but I latched right on to this issue.

-I really liked the format for this issue. Half as a slower investigation focused on setup and mystery. Another as a fast-paced, high octane action scene. I'll talk about that action scene very soon.

-How about right now? Anyways, it does use the rushing in order to save someone in peril cliche, that we can all safely say almost always ends with said person being saved. Not always, but many, many times. I don't think anything did it better than the Dark Knight, but this issue makes a strong case, upping the tensity and using great writing. I don't think anyone doubted Leslie would die though.

-That mystery villain was really cool in my opinion. It might just be the art. That's fine. He was pretty threatening and mysterious, a great combination.

-That ending was good. Unpredictable and surprising, albeit one that's been done before.

-Maybe Tomasi is just the master of taking things that have been done before and showcasing them at their best. There was still a lot of new stuff in this issue, though.

-Honestly, this issue gets credit just for completely reversing the quality of the series. I overall enjoyed Tynion's run. It was imperfect, and there were some bad issues however. I never read Hill's run, and I caught the tail end of Robinson's. Of those, this is the most impressive issue of the Rebirth era of this series, and a perfect debut.

-Even outside the context of this series, this was a damn near perfect Batman debut. I'm pretty sure I like it more than any of Tom King's issues, definitely #1 of that series. I might even like it better than Snyder's debut, which is saying A LOT considering Snyder's run might have been not just the first Batman but also the first run of any comic I loved. Hopefully Tomasi's is yet another in that now long list of comic book runs I have loved.

THE BAD:

-This is pretty nitpicky, but I've definitely seen the whole, recap the backstory in one page, then have a splash page of the main hero looking badass before, and it's growing a little old. The two others that come to mind are Grayson and All Star Superman. I would be surprised if there wasn't more however. This was close to breaking "The Good" column, but its cliches overpowered the effect a bit more than other elements of this issue. It really pains me though, considering I really, really, really want to give it a 10. I enjoyed it more than any of the other three 10's I have on this site. Oh well. My calculations have it at 9. I'll give it a 9.5.

EDIT: Y'know what, screw it. I love to love comics. For a while, there were very few I loved. Then, all of a sudden there was a lot. I'm supposed to give 10's sparingly, but the some of the comics I've been reading lately have been some of the best I've ever read, including this one, so despite it having its flaws, I'll give it a 10, just for thoroughly entertaining me, and giving me an amazing experience. more

Wow! Not only is Mahnke making Gary Frank/Dave Gibbons classic-style epicness, but Tomasi brought his A-game. Save for one syllable ("my...Martha" I guess the idea is Bruce is so thrown off he is imperfect in the moment?), this is pretty much a perfect issue. Batman detective-ing. Batman hero-ing. Flashbacks that aren't tiresome. I can't wait for the rest of this arc.

Heartwarming and unique story about the relationship between bruce and alfred that will make you appreciate alfred even more.

Damn, tomasi did not disappoint.

The detective stuff were really well done. Art is great and this was one of the best issues of batman I read in a while.
And that ending! I can't express how much I want the next issue already. If you are looking for
a batman comic other than the main series, than this one seems to be the best one (at least according to this issue).

THE GOOD:

-Alright, I'll admit it. I loved this issue. I can understand the negative reception, but this issue was a powerful best issue in the series.

-I didn't even know Lee Weeks did the art, but I will admit, I enjoyed it more that Mann's. It seemed to capture the emotion really, really well.

-Speaking of emotion, this issue evoked a true emotional response in me. King used his dialogue to the advantage of portraying those broken characters suffering from PTSD, and it truly felt real and tragic in a way that is relevant today.

-I have not cried in a long time. Lagoon Boy's story made me.

-I do think Harley is a red herring. I don't think this series is the type of mystery that will give away its killer 1/3 of the way in. I really like the theory that Nemesis is the killer, because if so, it would make that last panel such a nice and subtle bit of foreshadowing.

-The whole flashback idea was pretty great. I enjoyed it a lot.

-The bookends of this book were awesome. The best use of the therapy sessions I have yet to see.

-"Is this enough, Wally?" Such a cool line!

-This issue, for me, really made it feel like the mystery elements were kicking into high gear.

THE BAD:

-I actually found nothing wrong with this issue. I am super surprised, considering I found the previous issue to be just okay. more

While some may disagree with Superman's choices in this issue, I think this is as much action and development as you can get in a mid-arc issue. Reading it was like holding a sand castle in your hands and it just crumbles and crumbles no matter how quickly you try to re-build it. What an intense ride.

Solid cliffhanger by King.

Overall this was a well paced issue and I enjoyed Penguin's interactions with Alfred as well as Batman attempting to hunt down multiple criminals to find out the conspiracy with Bane.

I understand that people have a certain distaste with this run but I genuinely love this like the Scott Snyder/Greg Capullo run.