Batman #157 – Chip Zdarsky, Writer; Jorge Jimenez, Tony S. Daniel, Writer; Tomeu Morey, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: Chip Zdarsky’s Batman run has been one of the most unique to come out of the Bat-studio in a very long time, fusing elements of genres you almost never see in Gotham. First we started with Batman and his family hunted by a killer robot, and then Batman went on a tour of the multiverse. Now, as the run comes to a close and the iconic creative team of Loeb and Lee are on deck, a full-on action-thriller breaks out in the vein of the best 90s action movies. The Russians have infiltrated Gotham, with deadly Bat-villain KG Beast undercover as the psycho vigilante Commander Star, and Court of Owls leader Leonid Kull about to abscond back to Russia with sensitive data. It all ends with Batman trying to steer a collapsing plane through Gotham without hitting anything critical – even having to break his vow and use guns against the plane to preserve lives on the ground.
There are a lot of elements in this issue, as Zdarsky managed to stack this book with plots right before the end. Some villains are quickly hurried off-stage, while others get very satisfying finishes. I thought the issue’s best scene was the showdown between Riddler and Jim Gordon, the latter still trying to find his footing again after being used as a pawn to kill Mayor Nanako. The issue also resolves the whole “Secret Wayne Brother” twist in a way that doesn’t shake up the status quo, but maybe sets Bruce on a path to continue fighting even harder for the kind of person he wants to be. I think Zdarsky might be trying to leave things a bit open. I was surprised some elements, like Police Commissioner Savage, survived this run. Others, like the future of Jim Gordon in Gotham, seem designed to allow future writers to carve their own path. Like the rest of the run, it’s a bold swing that works 95% of the time and always provides something new.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
