Bats from the Past
Written by: Chip Zdarsky
Art by: Jorge Jimenez
Colors by: Tomeu Morey
Letters by: Clayton Cowles
Cover art by: Jorge Jimenez
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: August 2, 2022
Batman #126 puts the entire Bat-family back on their heels when Failsafe charges in to put Batman down. As the fight progresses, each hero sees how ineffectual they are against an unstoppable enemy. Batman finally realizes that the only one to stop Failsafe is... Batman?
Is It Good?
I'm not sure. Batman #126 is essentially one, long fight scene with a twist reveal/cliffhanger that will make longtime Batman fans say, "Uhh. Really?" You won't see the twist coming; the twist has to do with a part of Batman's past fans will either love or hate, and the twist definitely makes the outcome unpredictable.
We begin with Batman waxing poetic about how grateful he is to have so many Bat-allies on his side in a war against crime. Tim Drake is (nearly) recovered from his gunshot, and all seems as it should be. Suddenly, Failsafe crashes through the wall and delivers one grade-A smackdown.
Jimenez's art is gritty, powerful, and positively electric. Batman doesn't just lose, he gets his butt handed him with a relentless assault of brutal punches. You can feel the energy behind every hit, magnified by Cowles's precise lettering. Bones crack, muscles strain, and the world's greatest detective has no time to strategize or think out of the situation. You can believe Batman is about to die, even after the rest of the Bat family arrives.
Zdarsky's narration, pacing, and plotting are on-point. You can't argue with the results as Zdarsky does exactly what every superhero comic should do - present the hero with a more powerful villain.
Tim Drake eventually gets Batman to the old Batcave to retrieve whatever he needs to handle this threat, and the twist is not what anyone could have reasonably suspected. Throughout the previous issue and this one, you get the nagging confusion that Batman should be able to recognize and shutdown Failsafe as his own creation, but here, Batman doesn't know Failsafe.
That's because Batman didn't crate Failsafe. "Batman" did. You'll know what that means on the last page, and again, you'll either love the reveal or hate it. This reviewer isn't quite sure. For now, it's a wait-and-see.
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About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
Follow ComicalOpinions on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bits and Pieces:
Batman #126 does what every superhero comic should - confront the hero with a more powerful villain. The art is gorgeous and powerful, the action is intense, and the writing execution is on-point. However, the last-page revelation will make longtime Batman fans say "Yes!" or "Oh, no!"
Art by: Jorge Jimenez
Colors by: Tomeu Morey
Letters by: Clayton Cowles
Cover art by: Jorge Jimenez
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: August 2, 2022
Batman #126 puts the entire Bat-family back on their heels when Failsafe charges in to put Batman down. As the fight progresses, each hero sees how ineffectual they are against an unstoppable enemy. Batman finally realizes that the only one to stop Failsafe is... Batman?
Is It Good?
I'm not sure. Batman #126 is essentially one, long fight scene with a twist reveal/cliffhanger that will make longtime Batman fans say, "Uhh. Really?" You won't see the twist coming; the twist has to do with a part of Batman's past fans will either love or hate, and the twist definitely makes the outcome unpredictable.
We begin with Batman waxing poetic about how grateful he is to have so many Bat-allies on his side in a war against crime. Tim Drake is (nearly) recovered from his gunshot, and all seems as it should be. Suddenly, Failsafe crashes through the wall and delivers one grade-A smackdown.
Jimenez's art is gritty, powerful, and positively electric. Batman doesn't just lose, he gets his butt handed him with a relentless assault of brutal punches. You can feel the energy behind every hit, magnified by Cowles's precise lettering. Bones crack, muscles strain, and the world's greatest detective has no time to strategize or think out of the situation. You can believe Batman is about to die, even after the rest of the Bat family arrives.
Zdarsky's narration, pacing, and plotting are on-point. You can't argue with the results as Zdarsky does exactly what every superhero comic should do - present the hero with a more powerful villain.
Tim Drake eventually gets Batman to the old Batcave to retrieve whatever he needs to handle this threat, and the twist is not what anyone could have reasonably suspected. Throughout the previous issue and this one, you get the nagging confusion that Batman should be able to recognize and shutdown Failsafe as his own creation, but here, Batman doesn't know Failsafe.
That's because Batman didn't crate Failsafe. "Batman" did. You'll know what that means on the last page, and again, you'll either love the reveal or hate it. This reviewer isn't quite sure. For now, it's a wait-and-see.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
Follow ComicalOpinions on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bits and Pieces:
Batman #126 does what every superhero comic should - confront the hero with a more powerful villain. The art is gorgeous and powerful, the action is intense, and the writing execution is on-point. However, the last-page revelation will make longtime Batman fans say "Yes!" or "Oh, no!"
6/10
I won't lie the ending made me say "yes!". But I'm pretty sure Eric said "oh no"
ReplyDeleteEric is going to hate it so much! I mentioned that it felt like a tie-in during the last issue's revie won the podcast and he was already angry!
ReplyDelete