Batman #77 Review and *SPOILERS*

Breaking and Entering

Written By: Tom King

Art By: Mikel Janin, Tony S. Daniel, Norm Rapmund, Jordie Bellaire, Tomeu Morey
Letters By: Clayton Cowles
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: August 21, 2019

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

City of Bane has begun and it has had a slow start after the first two issues. The first issue was all set up but I found myself enjoying it quite a bit. However, the second issue basically just reinforced the things that we already knew about in the book. Sure, there was great art and it was nice to read but as a reader, I expect at least a little bit of story progression with each issue. After all, I did spend money on an issue and it makes me angry when I get a book and learn after reading it that I could have skipped it without losing anything in the story. That being said, I will not hold the sins of the previous issue against this issue. So let’s jump into this book and hopefully we will leave it feeling more optimistic about this story that we do currently.

Our issue begins with Damien Wayne inside of Gotham. He has been tracked down by Gotham Girl and she intends to capture or kill him. Damien runs away but Gotham Girl’s powers allow her to easily close the distance and stop his escape. Only after doing so, does she realize that Damien just wanted her to get close enough. He uses the Wand of Klarion to bind Gotham Girl with magic before he leaves to continue his mission. We cut to see Bruce Wayne, who is still on Catwoman’s couch, finally awake from his coma. We cut back to Gotham to see Scarecrow and Victor Zsasz attack a civilian because his dog leash was too long. Scarecrow goes to shoot the dog but gets knocked down by Damien. Zsasz attempts to shoot Damien but he dodges the fire and allows it to hit Scarecrow. Afterwards, he makes quick work of Victor Zsasz.

With Bruce awake, he and Selina can finally talk and Bruce simply says, “I lost”. We cut to Gotham to see Thomas Wayne atop a gargoyle. He monologues for a moment about how he is Batman but Damien isn’t hearing it. He knows all about Thomas Wayne and his world. He knows about how his wife turned into the Joker and allowed his world to vanish because of a button. He gave Gotham to Bane and so the fight between Damien and Thomas begins. Back in Paris, Bruce and Selina chat in a cafe and Bruce tells her that he has to go back to Gotham. She tells him that he won’t survive and he acknowledges that she is correct but he has to go anyway. In Gotham, Thomas reminds Damien that his interference will result in Alfred’s death but the fight continues anyway. It becomes clear that Damien is outmatched and soon, Thomas has won.

In Paris, Selina tries to reason with Bruce. Bruce believes that there is no other way but Selina reminds him that he still has her by his side. Damien awakes, tied to a chair and we hear two voices. One belongs to Alfred, who is pleading with his “master” and the other is Thomas Wayne’s. He tells Damien that he wanted to just send him off with a beating but that it wasn’t his decision anymore. On the next page we see Bane snap Alfred’s neck, killing him. Thomas tells Damien that no one will come for him because even though Alfred is dead now, they still have him as a new hostage. On the final page we see Batman and Catwoman, suited up and ready to take Gotham back. This is where the issue leaves us.

There’s quite a lot to unpack here but the issue is rather simple. There are only two storylines going forward in it. The one involving Bruce and Selina is a simple conversation that eventually leads to the two of them teaming up and deciding to do something about Bane. The other storyline, and probably the one that will be talked about the most is Damien breaking into Gotham to try and defeat Thomas Wayne. I liked seeing how Damien handles Gotham Girl but the scene with Scarecrow and Zsasz feels like it was thrown in to add pages. However, in usual Damien fashion, he was too impulsive and it led to his defeat. However, his actions lead to Alfred being killed off. I’m sure this will be the biggest talking point in comics for the week. So what do we think about Alfred’s death? Well, it makes sense with the story thus far. Whether you like or dislike this book, this didn’t come out of nowhere. It was set up earlier. However, my only issue with it is how quick it really was. Alfred doesn’t show up in the issue at all (or in the previous issue either) until the very panel in which he dies. I would have liked more of a build up. Even though it makes sense and was hinted at, I feel like it just happened suddenly in the span of a page. Character deaths are a really big deal, they should feel like it.

Bits and Pieces

The latest issue of Batman gives us some amazing art and a fairly entertaining story that progressed our storyline. However, it also gives us yet another major even that I’m sure comic fans will be arguing about for a while. I don’t think this will change anybody’s mind about this run though. I think that fans of Tom King will praise this issue and I think his critics will denounce it. The reality falls somewhere in the middle.

6.0/10