Batman: The Jiro Kuwata Batmanga #26 Review (Spoilers)

Written by: Jiro Kuwata
Art by: Jiro Kuwata
Cover Price: $1.99
Release Date: December 27, 2014

The Hangman of Terror - Chapter 3 of 4 

This issue of Batman: The Jiro Kuwata Batmanga really left me with a lot to think about when all was said and done. First and foremost, despite what I said last time, this is not the finale of the story. There must be a glitch in the ComiXology system that is pushing the descriptions back one issue.

Secondly, this book was presumably written for kids in 1960's Japan when the Batman craze was at it's highest, due to the Adam West TV series. Keeping that in mind, the scene where the mystery girl from previous issues (named Cathy) attempts to kill herself by jumping off a bridge into a large body of water was quite intense.



Regardless of that, this chapter was still a fantastic one for the story we are presented with. We still have next to no answers on who is walking around in the Hangman costume or why he has it in for Batman but at least we can sleep soundly knowing the presentation is well executed.

As with every other issue up to this point the story ends on a cliffhanger putting Robin in danger with Batman no where to be found. Batman has had his way with the Hangman and sadly so has the Boy Wonder. When it looks like all hope is lost, chapter 4 will swoop in and save the day.

From both a writing and art standpoint this is a Robin heavy issue. You don't see a lot of those in other batbooks these days so it's nice to see a change of pace. I doubt that we will be seeing Batgirl show up anytime soon but at least we know that Robin can carry a chapter when need be.

As with every other part of the story so far there's plenty of action, pitting one of our heroes up against the Hangman, who fights quite a bit like a pro wrestler, mainly because he is one. Given the limited amount of space in each issue it's quite refreshing to see that Kuwata is able to keep each fight unique, despite having a similar tone throughout.

Bits and Pieces

Chapter 26 of Batmanga takes the tale we've been following and pushes it into overdrive, giving it a nice straightaway into the finish line, without giving up too much of the big reveal that is still to come. Kuwata continues to show why he's considered a master of his craft as he lays out a thrilling tale of mystery (and potentially betrayal).

8.5/10