This was an amazing issue, and a great continuation to Zero Year. This issue had plenty of action, that was exciting, and explosive, as well as some intense, dramatic sequences. The addition of Edward Nigma, and the fact that he, and Bruce's uncle, Philip Kane are conspiring against Bruce is also interesting, and overall this has been a very enjoyable issue. Due to all this I'd highly recommend this issue, as well as last issue, and the zero issue, which also ties into the story. Read Full Review

The first chapter of Zero Year was great and you can see that it gets even better with the second. This is not just a retelling of Bruce's early days. While we do see how he started becoming the hero we know and love today, there's so much more to this story that makes it feel completely new at the same time. Every single creator involved is in top form here. You get the impression they are really putting their all into this issue. The writing, art, colors, lettering...it all looks so good. We're only in the second part and I'm already looking forward to buying this again in a hardcover format because I'm enjoying it so much. This is definitely going to be a story I will re-read over and over. It may be Batman's origin, in a way, but there's simply no telling what's going to happen next. Read Full Review

The action is amped up, and thewriting and art remain top notch in Batman #22. Snyder and friends deliver. I said it last time, but please read this book. Even if you don't like Batman, this is the time to fall in love with him. Head out to your local comic store and pick upBatman #21and #22. Read Full Review

Honestly, I had such high expectations after the "Court of Owls" and "Death of the Family" stories that I wasn't sure "Zero Year" could match them. But I should have known better! Whenever you see the names of this issue's creators on a book, buy it because it's going to be great storytelling! Now I have to find the patience to wait a whole month for the next chapter. Read Full Review

Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo have done it again. They've somehow managed to hold my attention for an event that, being a lifelong Batman fan and adamant supporter of writer Grant Morrison's "every Batman story every written counts" philosophy, should probably make me very angry. But this has the exact opposite effect on me as it probably would if it had a different creative team. No, this storyline is new and fresh and, thankfully, respectful to the Bat mythos that has become a very important part of my life as a comic fan. Read Full Review

 I'm all in on Zero Year, and I'm loving it. Everything is just new, weird and interesting as all hell to read. It's been quite awhile since a Batman book has had me guessing so much about what the hell is going on. I think Batman RIP may have been the most recent previous instance of this feeling, but that said, it's quite a feat... I've read a lot of Batman comics, and this issue (as well as arc, so far) is truly doing something unique and daring, all while playing with fire by setting it in a time most Batman fans find untouchable. Just great stuff. Read Full Review

I always try to keep a critical eye out for even little things that didn't quite work for me; however, I simply didn't find any in this issue. I moved seamlessly from one panel and page to the next until, sadly, the comic was finished " the only disappointing aspect to the comic. With the brief introduction of Penguin, the meeting of Bruce and the Riddler, and of course, the pre-Joker Red Hood, there is a lot in store in for this title, and it's certainly not to be missed. Read Full Review

Overall this issue and this series continues to show why it's at the top of the sales charts. There's something special being done with this character by Snyder and Capullo, and this Zero Year storyline is another example why. This is a Batman who's not yet at his best, but this issue proves that Snyder and Capullo are. Read Full Review

It's a must-buy. Great artwork, great appearance by Edward Nygma, memorable scene between Bruce and Alfred, dazzling action sequences… it's a pretty fantastic issue all around. Some readers might find the whole thing to be moving a little slowly, be disappointed by the lack of attention to the other two timelines, or they could get aggravated by how issue #0 doesn't seem to sync up with these new events but all in all I think any Batman fan should be able to pick this issue up and find something to appreciate and plenty to talk about. Read Full Review

Batman #22 is more great work from two of DC's finest. Snyder is a machine, continuously building upon Batman's history without disturbing it, all the while adding pieces that feel like they've always belonged. Capullo, too, is unstoppable, as his work not only pushes Snyder's story telling to the next level, but also truly stands on its own. With the promise of issue #23 as "The End of Bruce Wayne" one can't help but wonder how much more surprises this pair has in store for us. Read Full Review

Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo are building a Batman we've never seen before. He's very much rooted in the disguise-heavy Sherlock Holmes tradition, and he's fascinating in a way Batman has never been before. Batman #22 is poured in a different mould from anything you've ever read. Read Full Review

Batman #22 is then topped off with another one of young Bruce's early adventures, done by James Tynion IV and Rafael Albuequerque. It goes into mild detail about Bruce's resourcefulness and cunning before heading back to Gotham with his quest in mind. The wispy colors of Dave McCaig give it a nice retro feel, too. The issue is bringing in all these characters and elements are showing us the early days of not just Bruce, but Gotham as well. Snyder writes Gotham at times like a living thing and here, that notion is still front and center. Stories like this is what the foundation of the New 52 should have been built upon, and it's about time we finally see something like this come to fruition. Read Full Review

This continues to be one of the best of the New 52 comics (is it still "New" after almost two years?). But it does need more Batman. Read Full Review

Bolstered by snippets of Bruce's formative travels prior to his return to Gotham provided by James Tynion IV and Rafael Albuquerque, "Zero Year" isn't just retelling Batman's origin, it's transforming Bruce Wayne into the man he'll one day become. Along the way, it's bringing his city and its inhabitants down the same dark path, creating a cycle that, like Nygma's Egyptian board game, feeds itself, ensuring it's own existence even as its main catalyst works to stop it. Snyder is onto something here, and it seems like DC is letting its faith in its creators guide their story. Good move. Read Full Review

Everyone should be reading “Zero Year”. Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo have been doing amazing work onBatman since the first issue, but this newest arc has a depth and suspense to it like nothing I've read from this team. It's intuitive about Bruce Wayne's formative years in the same wayThe Dark Knight Returns is intuitive about the future of Gotham City and it's Batman. Read Full Review

Meanwhile, FCO Plascencia's colors add another dimension to the story -- Gotham is more vibrant than we've ever seen it, but lurking beneath all that brightness is a darkness that Bruce Wayne is only beginning to discover. Read Full Review

Overall, I am excited to see more of the Riddler and the riddles he creates. I will be interested to see the impact of Bruce being alive will have on Gotham, and how he will stop the Red Hood Gang. Capullo really understands how to draw this character and it is quite beautiful. I hope they keep “Batman” out of the story for a while so when he finally “suits up” there will be a ton of satisfaction. Read Full Review

The art continues to impress with the great tag team of the artists for the main and backup stories. Good emotion, striking imagery and use of color, solid bits of action, good looking characters with just as good expressions, etc. There was even a bit of interesting panel layout in the main story to convey a scene, though it can be a bit jarring in how different it is. Also, the only other complaint with the art continues to be with how Rafael Albuquerque's characters keep looking like others from different comics he's drawn. Read Full Review

A very technically strong comic that isn'tquitelighting my socks on fire the way I want it to. Read Full Review

With such a rich lore to draw from, Snyder and Capullo have done a fantastic job picking old elements of the Batman mythos, while contributing to relationships like Alfred and Bruce's. Batman #22 has its awkward artistic moments, but overall, brings added depth to Batman's early career. Read Full Review

What this issue excels at is defining Bruce Wayne prior to becoming the Batman. This is of course his origin, but it's an origin taking place within a larger story, one that resonates with contemporary understandings of urban warfare and the results of adolescent psychological trauma. This is not a one or two dimensional Bruce Wayne. He is without a doubt still the tragic hero we have come to love, but the sides of his persona are far more complex and are not neatly split into a face and a mask. Besides, the mask is yet to come. He has to stop hiding first. Read Full Review

Snyder and Capullo continue to form the beginning of their in-depth eleven issue story arc of the origin of one of the most greatest superheroes. This second nearly yearlong tale by the creative team will continue to present readers with a different but a faithful interpretation of Bruce Wayne and the challenges he will face just as Snyder and Capullo did in the eleven issue Court of Owls story arc. Read Full Review

"Batman" is one of the better offerings among DC's New 52, and this issue is one of the best in the title's run. Snyder and Capullo started strong and have only gotten stronger. Even those who would have been happy to never see another take on Batman's origin will be glad to pick up "Zero Year." Read Full Review

Snyder truly impresses with this issue, an improvement on Batman #21, including more glimpses of a young, not-yet-the-Riddler Riddler, a plot with one of Batman's earliest enemies, and a real test of faith between Alfred and Bruce. Snyder is skilled at building the tension and turning your anticipation a whole 180"if you read this issue, you'll know exactly what I mean. I recently chided current comics for being less wordy and more focused on big-panel, muscleman art, but Batman #22 offers a great balance between solid art and plenty of narrative and character development in the speech bubbles. Read Full Review

Greg Capullo is easily one of the best artists who have tackled Bruce Wayne. His Gotham comes alive and his museum at night was perfect. During the aforementioned conversation between Wayne and Nygma, there is a splash page that is just amazing. Turning their conversation into a board game was a really original take on the characters. I reread their interaction multiple times to get everything. The layout was great. Do yourself a favor and follow Capullo on Twitter, you'll get lots of insight into his Zero Year work. Read Full Review

Zero Year marches onward, and with another nine or so issues left to go, there's still plenty of time for fun, thrills, and the excellent storytelling that everyone involved in this series is now famous for. Any worries left over from last issue will easily be swept away by the time you close this issue " a year of Bruce Wayne instead of Batman was just what the doctor ordered. Read Full Review

I absolutely loved the backup story, and I really loved that it actually, in a roundabout way, tied into the main story. Really, I would totally get behind a DC title of just Bruce's training days, written and penciled by the team who does the backups. No matter how crazy the main bit is I can always count on Snyder/Tynion/Albquerque to bring the fun. Read Full Review

Yes it's changing some of the things that Year One established, but who's to say any of that is even canon in The New 52 anyway. The important thing about it is, we seem to be getting even more of what happened in those early times for Bruce Wayne, before he starting wearing the Cowl. While Year One moved fairly quickly through that first year, and focused a lot of Gordon, we're now seeing the smaller steps Bruce made, and how he really became the man he is now. Read Full Review

Greg Capullo continues to bring first rate work to Batman. His unique style of drawing human characters takes center stage in issue #22. Edward Nygma looks like an Irish thug with his mutton chops and angular face. Bruce is always angry, even when he’s being contemplative, and this rage boils beneath the surface. While the backgrounds and colors are wonderful, there is no center piece, no Batman to focus on. This gives Capullo a harder task. He needs to generate visual interest in a book where the central character doesn’t even exist. As usual, he executes it perfectly. Read Full Review

Year One is a slow burn but this issue feels very dense and that helps make the issue feel fulfilling and entertaining despite only being Part Two of the story. I like the idea of Bruce running around fighting crime as something other than Batman and that is what we have here. If only Snyder can work through the characterization growing pains and we will another classic on our hands. I recommend picking this issue up. Read Full Review

Batman #22 was a big improvement over the first chapter of Zero Year. There are still some kinks that need to be worked out but as a whole this issue flowed much better. The dichotomy between Bruce and the Red Hood Gang and the confrontation between Bruce and Edward Nygma are just some of the issues highlights. These highlights add extra dimension to the story with every character given an important role to play in Bruces journey to become the Batman we know and love. If the previously mentioned weaknesses of the story can be worked out than Zero Year can stand on its own as a great origin story. Given the pedigree of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo past work this is something that Zero Year can achieve. Read Full Review

I thought this was another solid issue of Zero Year. Like I said, Snyder really seems to know what he's doing and where he's going. His Bruce is also imperfect enough to have a believable character arc. He's got a lot to learn, and this is the story where he will learn it. The argument with Alfred was good, and I look forward to how their relationship grows over the course of the story. I'm not yet sold on the Red Hood Gang. They're interesting enough, I suppose. Are we supposed to already know that their leader is the future Joker? It's definitely hinted at, hard. I really enjoyed the appearance of Edward Nygma. Snyder quite clearly has some big plans for his character, and it'll be neat to see what he does to build the Riddler up into a truly powerful villain. Zero Year is still a strong, entertaining story, though we are only two issues in. Read Full Review

Aside from some great Alfred dialogue about midway through, #22 is more entertaining than it is notable, continuing the book's trend of coasting along. The issue does take one risk, and would get points for that were that risk not pretty horribly botched (though this isn't necessarily Snyder's fault). Read Full Review

Batman still soars over a lot of books DC is publishing right now, but this issue was a major bummer in terms of story. Zero Year is not the best story Snyder and Co. have put out, and while the story leaves something to be desired, the art astonishes.  Read Full Review

Another great issue from Snyder and Capullo. The argument between young Bruce and Alfred was tense and written pretty well, in my opinion. The Red Hood gang is indeed odd but sure mean business as we see by the end of the issue.

The backstory is simply superb!

Zero Year continues to sputter along. and while it's cool to finally see Bruce doing some vigilante action, the issue is still WAY too over-burdened with wordy dialog.

the argument between Bruce and Alfred is just WAY too over the top! Bruce acts like a complete and utter jerk to Alfred just so we'd have a reason for Alfred to slap Bruce's face. ....yawn.