Very fun read

Very great start to a very interesting story. You can tell Johns is pulling from several different types of stories for inspiration but still feels fresh. I really enjoyed it

These two are like Batman and Robin, this book reads smoothly. Art work is excellent, story flows nicely. This was my favorite read of the week. Although some of the stuff (no spoilers) had me asking myself questions, hopefully those questions will be addressed next issue.

Art 10/10
Story 9/10

What can I say? King's weaknesses as a writer are out in full force in this issue.

We are now a third through this story line and we know virtually nothing. Andrea Beaumont, for all intents and purposes, is a new character and we know nothing about her, her relationship with Bruce and her relationship with Selina. There is the movie, but this is her comic's debut and it's been a long time since I saw the movie. King is absolutely wrong in having her back story explained in another medium that came out almost 30 years ago.

We have the new Batwoman, who is Selina and Bruce's daughter and we know nothing about her except that she's gay, like the old Batwoman I guess. Maybe that title comes with certain sexual preference requirements.

We know that Selina killed the Joker and that in the past she and the Joker had some sort of relationship that she didn't want Bruce to know about. We know the Joker killed Andrea's son (I hope to God that the son isn't a secret son of Bruce. How many of Bruce's sons and daughters does the Joker have to kill or cripple before DC gets it in their heads that they can't keep repeating the same beats over and over again. Especially in an era when they reprint the orginal stories over and over again. Even new fans are aware of the past. It's not like in the old days when it was difficult for fans who were new to the hobby to collect back issues going back 30 or 40 years, so they didn't have an acute awareness of Bats' history.)

We see Selina in the future being ruthless. But we saw that already when she killed the Joker.

And apparently Selina is kind of angry at Bruce for his mercy to villains. She said that Bruce didn't lock them up, he forgave them. Maybe King is going for some sort of "Selina feels that she shouldn't have been forgiven for her crimes" thing. And what she hates in what Bruce did is because secretly she feels he let her off the hook. I don't know, but it's actually something worth exploring, and should not be just a casual one-off line.

King seems to write Selina as inherently evil and only on the side of angels because of Bruce. Once he's gone, it's back to being a Bond villain. That's insulting is so many ways.

First Seline was never a killer. She was always a thief. From the beginning, she never went in for blood. I mean she and the Joker premiered in the same issue (Batman #1) and they crossed swords a couple of issues later in Batman #3. We actually see Catwoman willing to give up to Joker the jewels she stole if he spared Robin's life.

From the very beginning they establish a difference between her and the Joker. But King has Selina being pals with the Joker. Bad characterization.

Second, having a bad woman be good because a man "straightened" her out is just sexist writing in the highest degree. Again, bad writing.

Also, King has public domain poetry do the heavy lifting in the story telling. In this case the Christmas carol "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" do the heavy lifting. I maintain the carol is just a variation of theme.

Tom, words and dialog are a main component of comic books. Don't be so lazy. Embrace the story-telling tools you have at hand. For God's sake, stop hiding behind the words of other people. It's just cheap.

Finally, having a story take place in past, present and future becomes very confusing. I may not be a genius, but I am not stupid. If you can confuse a long time comics fan like me, then I have to say, you're doing something wrong.

King might think switching time periods gives the illusion of forward momentum, but he is blowing it. For once he has the chance to tell a story where we don't know here it's going. In the past, we know that Bruce doesn't end up with Andrea, he ends up with Selina. But the future is an undiscovered country, to steal from Chancellor Gorkon. We actually don't know how the story will end, but King kills momentum by constantly switching up time periods.

But the art was good. Can't say I love the new Batwoman costume. A little to cheese-cakey for my tastes. DC artists, you can draw women in an attractive way without resorting to Cinemax at night renditions of the female form. Who knows, you might actually attract some women readers.

Or I could be wrong.
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Artwork 10/10

story 5/10

Don’t know why King keeps pushing this relationship between Catwoman and joker. A lot of other issues with the story, pretty boring read. Would have gave this a much lower grade but Clay Mann has really put this mini series on his back.

This is a really interesting comic, still making sense of the whole thing. Will keep buying it.

Really good story, this book left a lot to look forward to in the next issue.

WOW!

This book read so well, it honestly felt like I was watching a classic anime when I was reading this. This was the best read of the month. I was amazed at how interesting this book was from start to finish. At first I was hesitant to buy it with it being 7.99 but honestly, after reading this I would have paid more. It’s so hard to find books like these and I will be the first person in the shop to pick up #2 whenever it is released. more

How can a book go from so good to this bad! The first issue was great, good build up, climax and ending. The cliffhanger was great and I was so excited to buy this issue. This issue was bland, the fight scene with the other guy was dull. The ending was the most boring thing I’ve ever read in my life. How can you expect me to be excited for an issue 3 with the worse cliffhanger I’ve ever read in a comic. I don’t mind character development but I don’t care to read these mundane conversations throughout the whole book. This was the biggest waste of money. Issue two completely missed and I will never be buying this series again. more

Ahh now I get it. Cat was pushed to the side ( Still PO'd about that ) so Bat and Ghost can have a bro-mance. Bat-Go

The future state concept didn't really interest me so I can't say this issue was any better with it going back to how it began. At least that is the vibe that is being put out there about where this is all heading to. I got enough of this type of story over the years with Marvel and it's humans vs mutants crap. I'm really not interested in DC version of it.

Damian running home to his mother was a let down. I was hoping for a stronger Damien in the background doing what he does and figuring out who he wants to be without everyone else. Instead he just runs home to mommy. I can understand her disappointment in him. And I'm not a fan of Talia or her father.

I did like and find it funny that Harley is chasing after Bat-Go trying to be good and help them take down bad guys. Love the way she was drawn. The art was pretty well done in this book.
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What to say? I get what the author is doing, but I reject the premise of the story. We see Batman and Clownkiller track down thieves using hovermachines to steal stuff and Bats tell Clown not to kill or maim, they're just thieves.

We see the latest villain saying Gotham is going to hell and why don't you, new mayor, buy my tech to save the city. It's the beginning of the Magistrate. The founder is a man called Mr. Saint and he grew up in Gotham before the Dark Times, before the (crime) Empire. He pitches that normal cops can't take don't abnormal crooks and that Gotham, once a shining beacon on a hill, is a national joke and no one wants to live there. (He has a point).

We see reporters hanging out at Bruce's brownstone and neighbors also speaking about how things used to be better in the old days.

We also see the new Batcave, where Bruce is training Clown boy. It doesn't look that bad. Again, I am not buying "he has to do more with less" bit because we really don't see the less. Bruce still has a lifestyle that 99 percent would envy.

Finally, we see Damian run home to Mommy. She points that out and says Damian no longer has resources and friends. Then brutes come out and say they're with the League of Lazurus and fight fight fight. A thug has a knife at Talia's throat. Damian hesitates to kill and the last shot in the book is a splash of blood in the air. We are supposed to think that thug slashed Talia's throat and the blood is hers. I bet the blood is the thug's because Talia didn't hesitate to kill.

What I liked - The art. Pretty good dudes, but again, my complaint of today's artists being good at individual panels but not great at showing action remains. Think of it as the difference between being a great still photographer and a great action movie director.

There is a of parallel action going on. Now Bruce and Damian no longer have "resources." Damian and Clown Boy are now being taught by mentors. Damian is being told to kill, Clown Boy is being told not to kill. Mr. Saint remembers the good old days and even mentions Thomas Wayne being a wealthy guy who served the city as a doctor. His solution is to build a fascist state. Bruce is Thomas' son, and his solution is to catch crooks and bring them back alive.

The art thieves used very expensive tech to steal a painting. Bats doesn't have the money to pay for expensive tech. Parallels and paradoxes abound. I also have to say that spending a fortune to steal a painting is not a great business plan. Thieves understand certain cost/benefit ratios.

Aside from Tynion pointing out that no one would want to live in a city with Gotham's body count, I don't agree with the premise he's setting up. But he is right, business and people would flee the city for safer ports. It happens in real life. Look at Newark or Cleveland.

DC can't just keep playing the same notes. The Dark Knight Returns came out 36 years ago. Back then New York was a hellscape, but the city turned around. Why not try that story and just have Batman go after the freaks, with Gotham being a place where people actually want to live.

The whole kid sidekick thing Tynion is doing has been played out before with Jason and Damian. This is just a repeat of what's been done. When you start taking something that is unreal (costumed crime fighters and colorful villains) and try to make it real, it gives people like me - knit-picking know-it-all – permission to knit pick. But when you say this is the world and here are the rules don't question it too much, I'll go along as long as it's fun and entertaining. I will admit that this is quite the needle to thread but when it works it's a lot of fun. But when you make it "real" and comment too much on real issues, it falls apart. At least that's my point of view. Your mileage may vary.

I also don't like it when Bruce just reveals his secret identity to just anyone. I am old school, when superheroes didn't even tell their wives they were superheroes. You can say that's unbelieveable, even in a world with flying aliens who look just like us, but that is a foundation I grew up with and like. If you don't, I get it. But if you're going to get real, then you have to play it out all the way. And they don't, except for the original Spider-Man - Green Goblin thing, and that ended in a woman being fridged. No one wants that these days.

Or I could be wrong. more

THE GOOD:

-Yet another amazing issue.

-This art is so good.

-Wow, I didn't expect it, but Norton and Doc Sutton's scenes together were really great and genuine. I guess it would make sense that those two characters would connect.

-The story is really ramping up. I am so engaged and I cannot wait for what's to come.

-That two page splash was really cool and its clear a ton of work was put into it.

-The Laughing Man now being able to infect other people's bodies is a really cool revelation. I cannot wait to see where it goes.

-This issue got really disturbing during a certain scene and it was super effective.

-I love the mission aspect Wilfred and Clara's story has taken on. It makes their story far more interesting. Plus I like the goal of uniting the five.

-The Bishop is f*cking awesome, as per usual.

-This issue did a great job of keeping its exposition interesting. During the Bishop's monologue, I was never once bored.

-I cannot wait to see the Ploughmen united.

THE BAD:

-Nothing. This series is just too good for me. more

Abnett drove the Titans in the ground and he's doing the same with Odyssey ... :(

God I love Coffin Bound. The art is perfect. The writing is perfect. The surrealism is perfect.

One of the highlights of 2019 comes to a close. Thankfully at the end of the issue it says that Faithless is returning in 2020, and I seriously can’t wait.

I don't even read many Marvel comics but this seemed interesting so I picked it up and read it. I love that he's taking a whole new approach to this, although I feel it's mislabeled since it's not even about "Spider-man". I loved this book can't wait for the next one.

After reading this maybe they should have waited to give him the boot...

I liked it