I really want to like this more but it feels like it ended way too quickly. I love DeMatteis but this is the second Batman story of his that I've read and both just felt very surface level. He comes to the logical conclusion of having Dick take up the mantle of Batman. This is and should always be the only choice. No Azreal, no Jim Gordon or Tim Fox. Dick is the only true successor. He's what Bruce can't truly be as Batman. Of course the end has to be left open. "Why don't they so a sequel," someone might ask otherwise? Can't leave money on the table of course. This doesn't need a sequel. It needed more issues to explore trauma, PTSD, guilt, acceptance and growth. Jason's journey to recovery is wrapped up in two panels only to blow it up on the next page. Not surprising but still disappointing. more

Definitely falling off. I love the approach to Bruce's relationships with Dick and Jason as well as Alfred putting his foot down when Bruce tries to hide from his emotions and accept that what he wants most is family. A great aspect of the character that I want to see explored more in general. Batman is boring when it's just Batman. We've seen that for years now. Why have such a massive Batfamily if they never interact? The plot itself though still feels thin. If they want to do these little side stories with Jason fighting Scarecrow, Batman fighting Mother Grimm and want to really explore what those interactions mean in a wider psychological context then give us more than 4 issues. Not a big fan of the ending here either. It makes sense but it's cliché. more

I'm really engaged in the story but the art is so rough. I still think the psychological aspects are thin but we don't get much of that in regards to Batman and Robin in a meaningful way so anything is something.

A super intriguing start here. A lot of unanswered question that I'm looking forward to learning more about. While the format of the flashbacks and flash-forwards messed with things just a tad, at least in my opinion, I did think Lemire put this together very well overall. Robles delivers on some super clean interiors, as well.

I really liked the story here. It was probably my favorite yet. However, I just can't get past the art. It worked better in the slower sections where there was mainly dialogue, but, it was just not great when it came to anything action-related or anything with a faster pace. I'm not even fully sure I want to score this as high as I am because of Walta's art, but Snyder's origin story here was just really, really good. more

This Batman run is the best we've had since Scott was writing the main series.

Longterm, I'd love this Batman to visit the mainline Batman.

Their difference in method and morality would make for an interesting quandary to explore.

How do we take out the bad guys? With intellect or force? They are both Batman. Which Batman philosophy saves most lives?

This is yet another stellar Absolute launch, and my personal favorite of all the Absolute first issues. It’s an adrenaline-soaked thrill ride with lots of mysteries thrown in for good measure. If this book is anything like Lemire’s Animal Man from the New 52, we are in for an absolute treat!

Very interesting start. Even managed to have some emotional weight in there even if we don't see Barry all that much. The new interpretation of that old iconic imagery really hits home for the reader as well as Wally. Really excited to see where this goes.

Buckingham's art is amazing. Everything else is pointless filler that doesn't offer anything to ASM.

Yeah... I didn't like it. It just felt too sudden and random after two issues of moping to go "oh yeah people do matter lol". It just feels like it's rushing to epic finale out of sudden... the pacing has been pretty bad for this comic. 66-68 have definitely been the weakest issues so far. And I guess Spider-Man didn't die 8 times?

I am a huge Jeph Loeb fan. This underwhelmed. I re-read the original Hush to prep for this. It's a masterclass in comic book writing. Although, truth be told, it takes a bit for everything to click.

As such, I have faith this will increase in quality. I'm not going to write it off in 1 volume like an inflammatory child with an agenda against the writer.

Like most artists past their prime, Jim Lee recycles his older dynamic poses and iconic set pieces to mixed results. I won't say it looks bad but it's definitely derivative of his own earlier work and it stands out. Loeb's writing is much the same. This is definitely post Loeb peak. He's harder, his stories darker in tone, vocabulary and scope. He went through trauma. It makes sense. What doesn't is this story's existence. I'm happy to read more Batman but this story should have been written 20 years ago. This came out of nowhere.

One thing stuck out to me very specifically and I think it is very telling about Loeb's approach to storytelling and his perception of Batman. I don't think he has a lot of reverence for him which isn't a horrible thing. You don't have to worship a character and keep every part of their core tenets uniform forever, that's how characters change. But here, in the first two pages Batman kicks the mask off of a Joker henchmen, activating some form of Joker toxin/acid killing him. After yelling at their corpse asking where the Joker is Batman immediately turns around and kick the mask off of the other goon, again killing him. That's not even plausible deniability of murder or manslaughter on the second guy. Come on man. The first I can let slide. In the moment, he wouldn't know but considering that he's the world's greatest detective and this is once again somewhat of a detective story, he would easily be able to deduce that kicking the mask off of the second guy would result in the same reaction as the first one!

Overall, I do like this. I takes me back to a Batman that I've been missing for a long time but unlike some people, I would rather just read the old stuff than beg for what is new to be old again to eternally be disappointed or to actually get their wish and have two men who have really no business creating a sequel to a book 23 years later. It's well drawn. For Jim Lee, it's a bit disappointing. It's fairly well written. For Jeph Loeb it's disappointing. In total it's derivative and unnecessary.

One final note, I'm calling it now, this isn't about Hush. It's about Jason. They're going to make him a villain again. more

Mark Waid continues to kill it. This is arguably the best DC book alongside Absolute Batman.

Such a great time to be a Batman fan.

Mark Waid is perhaps the most consistent writer in modern comic's.

Luthor has always fascinated me and Waid's love of the character is felt. How I wish this was a normal series.

His Batman and Robin comic is one of the best DC books I've ever read.

As a much older fan off The Flash , I was seriously disappointed in this opening chapter. I understand the need at times to reinvent the wheel all over again but this was painful to read. The script was great but all the back and forward was to me so unnecessary and made the reading experience a whole lot disjointed. Hopefully as the story unfolds it will make it more enjoyable but to me there is only one Flash and that is Barry Allen....damn I must sound prehistoric in today's society......Jonn
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Jeff Lemire turns in a fairly strong script, but it’s non linear nature doesn’t serve a first issue well. It’s definitely executed better than in his recent JSA #1, and it works for the most part until the “one year later” jump at the end. It’s entirely unnecessary as there’s plenty of mystery and intrigue to go around without it. There’s a lot of characters, and like all the Absolute titles so far, part of the approach relies on the reader already knowing the traditional mythos of the title character. Like Absolute Wonder Woman, the concepts introduced in this issue would work better as an entirely new character as opposed to a variation on a classic DC Comics hero. Also, like the other Absolute titles, it’s hard to find a reason for the existence of any of these Absolute characters out side of being different just for the sake of being different. If the Absolute titles have been for you then this will probably land, but there’s nothing grounding breaking or really compelling about Absolute Flash #1, in fact most of it is something you’ve seen before. This is a solid above average to good, much like Absolute Superman #1 placing these both over the above average Absolute Batman #1 and the mediocre Absolute Wonder Woman #1. more

The best Lemire book in years. This is the most I've ever cared about Wally West. I need to know what went down with him and a certain character!

The Absolute line is the best thing going in modern comics.

Unless you're Gabe Hernandez, of course.

This was the best issue yet and brings home the core concept of the series and what makes this Batman different, and why making him decidedly NOT a billionaire was done. This Batman is very not just doing this out of a hatred of evil, but a desire to help people and to curtail corruption by those who have the power to enact change but don't.

Its not the first time the character has flirted with these ideas but id dare to say its never been more intertwined with the Bat mythos. Really good stuff. I think I'm in on this for the long haul now.

Gabriel Walta being on art duties is a big shift from Dragotta but I've liked Waltas art for some time and I think he's particularly skilled at conveying the emotion of this issue and the gritty struggle of Bruce trying to adapt to a situation he can't possible comprehend the scale of.

A great read all around. more

What a finale.

This should be everything I dislike about Snyder writing Batman, but this bombastic comic just keeps entertaining me big time.

probably a cold take but this is my favorite Absolute universe series of all time. This is like if Superman wasn't self-less and was driven by vengenance of righteous rage. I am happy that Rafa Sandoval is the artist because this is his best work. I like Jason Aaron, the coloring, and Jason Aaron's vision of a different Superman. I think I am going to re-read this and the previous 5 issues so I can fully appreciate it. This was a knockout punch, and I hope this series will end on a very strong note. more

Oh bugger off Gabe.

"Wahhh! It's set on Krypton!" You're like a stuck record, every bloody review moaning about the Krypton story.

Who hurt you?