What happened to the boy who wanted to be Bruce Wayne? The young criminal mastermind orchestrates his own parents' deaths to emulate his hero and was carted off to Arkham when Batman exposed his crimes, but that is not the end of the story. Tom King reteams with Nightwing artist Travis Moore to create a sequel to their masterpiece of dark horror from Batman #38.
A darkly horrific glimpse into the world of hero worship! Read Full Review
Overall Batman #61 is a good read! It gives you more insight into the night Bruce's parents were murdered but it also shows us what could've happened if a young Bruce Wayne would've went another route in his life. Matthew in my opinion represents what Bruce Wayne could've became if he would've murdered his parents own killer instead of growing up to pursue justice. However I'd like to know if Matthew's transfer to Arkham apart of a bigger scheme by Bane perhaps? We know that he runs the Asylum, and he's been acting against Batman for months in secret there. Is this just another part in the overall plan? Looking forward to the next issue! Read Full Review
We then get the strangest, most harrowing ending of the entire series. I'm not sure what it means, nor how it will tie into everything. I only know that I'm excited and full of curiosity. And I for one, hope this feeling lasts for the rest of King's run. It's been great. Read Full Review
Easily one of the darkest, most fascinating Batman stories I've read in awhile. Read Full Review
Everything is not as it seems in this tantalizing tale. We get a look into the young Bruce Wayne and the beginning of the mental disorder that would create the Batman. It almost unfolds like an episode of Gotham. Only we see what might have happened if Young Bruce had gone further off the deep end. Read Full Review
Highly recommended. A “mature” comic without the label. Buy it, then tell your friends immediately. Read Full Review
Travis Moore's art is amazing. Every character interaction is filled with expressive faces filled with emotion. There's a humanizing quality to those panels and they do a great job of conveying the tone of the story. Read Full Review
This comic is a worthy sequel to issue #38. It is creepy, weird, and off-putting. The protagonist is disturbing and perfect for this type of story. Sure, there are some logical stretches to make the story work, but it does not hamper an otherwise psychologically twisted piece. Read Full Review
King starts off this new arc with a level of structural narrative complexity that is perfect for the medium and thus far unequaled in the form. There's also a surprising amount of well-executed violence. Read Full Review
Make no mistake, #61 is yet another home-run for Tom Kings body of work however, it simply isnt required reading. Matthews subplot is, again, important for Kings treatise on Batman. Hes a dark reflection that readers need to see to understand Kings argument regarding The Caped Crusader but this story could have easily been condensed into a portion of another issue. This issue is mechanically and thematically very strong but King simply didnt have to use a whole issue to present Matthew. Read Full Review
This doesn't happen often, but this is one of the few issues where I think King missed the mark. At least, that's what my present bias is telling me. Depending on how the story develops, this could all come together in a pretty bow. But for now, my rating for the issue reflects what I do [and don't] know. This is a cool continuation of Matthew's story, but I'm not sure it's deserving of an entire issue. Especially not after being left with one of the bigger and head scratch-inducing cliffhangers of this series. Read Full Review
BATMAN #61 can be a bit confusing if you're not already aware of the twist, but it's a good opener to the new story arc. It's an interesting take on what may be the most famous double-homicide in the history of the entertainment industry. Read Full Review
Overall I enjoyed this issue and thought it was a good sequel story to Batman #38. Although it was very randomly placed in the timeline, and I think that if you, like me, didn't read the preview of this issue before reading this then you'll probably be confused at first, but after you realize what's going on, it gets and feels a lot better. Definitely a book I feel deserves a second read, even if only to better understand and appreciate what's actually happening. Read Full Review
Batman (2016-) #61 doesn't accomplish much of anything or add to the already rich and interesting story that was established nearly thirty issues ago. Read Full Review
BATMAN #61 gives us a taste of what lies ahead, and that's pretty much ALL it gives us: a taste. Read Full Review
For the time being Batman #61 is a strong, yet dubious, beginning to the Knightmares arc, with promises that have yet to be fulfilled. My interest is piqued, but the issue will assuredly become forgettable. Read Full Review
Tom King gives us a neat little refresher course on one of his new villains, and little more than that. Read Full Review
King decides to double-down on Batman's psychotic behavior in a story that appears to be reaching into the past to demonstrate that Batman hasn't been turned psychotic by his recent setbacks, no, he's always had this latent irrational violence creeping around his dark little boy brain. Seriously, this is so edgy, everyone. Read Full Review
After a mostly strong showing in 2018, Batman hits a major stumbling point in issue #61. Read Full Review
Tom King returns to the story of Matthew Warner as the twisted boy leaves a bloody trail of bodies behind him in prison. Read Full Review
Given the conclusion of this issue with another confusing cliffhanger, my hopes aren't especially high for issue #62. Hopefully King can rebound here after a recent string of very strong issues. Read Full Review
Overall, this issue is in a weird place. Instead of picking up where the previous issue left off,Batman #61seems like filler. It doesn't help that this new character feels like a rehash of other Gotham villains. Read Full Review
King's told this story nearly thirty issues before and, by bringing it back here only serves to stall any forward motion the book should have had -- something that feels awfully dangerous in the first chapter of a new arc. Read Full Review
Tom King continues his Hush-lite story of Master Bruce this week. It's obvious this issue exists, not to expand on what we've already got, but to remind us of the character and get him to where Bane can use him. Funny, he should have already been there and all I was reminded of is how much he reminds me of Tommy Elliot. At least we get F. Scott Fitzgerald and some nice art! Read Full Review
I was so confused up until the end, wow that callback. At first I thought it was going to be one of the many alternate universe Batman, maybe even the one we saw at the end of #60, but it seems we have taken a detour.
I enjoyed this. Clever turn at the end.
At first I thought it was the real Bruce having a bad dream, especially after see the title of storyline. I liked the twist at the end. I hope this works back to being about Batman and not just this villain.
Surprisingly enjoyable and clever!
I've suffered this year. And I found this issue particularly poignant. King writes intelligently and astutely, but maybe a superhero comic isn't the best place for it. Some people just want to see the Joker get punched in the face.
@ohhaimark's review was close enough to my own I'm just rating this one. My further thoughts are in the comments section of @ohhaimark's review.
Batman #61 is the weirdest single issue I've read in a long time. Not because it was particularly hard to follow but because of the choices made by Tom King and the creative team.
Issue #60 ended on the cliffhanger of Alfred being knocked out and Penguin being kidnapped presumably by Bane's henchmen. Rather than continue that story we get an odd detour.
Batman is investigating the murder of "Bruce Waynes" parents. To answer the obvious question, no this isn't an Elseworlds story. The kid isn't really Bruce Wayne. Batman shakes down some guys and eventually runs down the alleged murderer. The comic ends on another cliffhanger that I definitely didn't see coming.
My biggest problem with the issue is that if you're new to this story you'll be totally lost. If you started reading at issue #60, this issue will be confusing and totally out of left-field. The twist is revealed in the end but there should have been a better recap.
The way the story is presented is that this rich kid shares the same name, likeness, and lineage as Batman. This is cleared up but the end but getting there would be completely jarring to new readers. What the hell is going on with Penguin and Alfred? How the hell did we jump from that story to this one?
The issue isn't bad but nothing really stood out at all outside of the twist ending. That includes the art and main cover. The linework is clean throughout the issue, particularly the faces. The colors throughout the comic are also gorgeous this is a credit to Tamra Bonvillain. I don't have any gripes with the art, but the issue isn't action-heavy so most of the pages while interesting to read and look at, feel bland. The variant cover is fantastic and I wish it was the one I purchased from my comic shop. Overall the issue just an odd detour that is totally disconnected from the previous 3 issues. more
great artwork the knightmare was decent but it felt a little off it didn’t seem like something that Bruce would see to me
Not particularly bad, but quite confusing, and, frankly, felt pointless. Great art though.
This was honestly a very odd issue. The boy is certainly memorable but I often felt disoriented when the setting shifted...yet it felt like a stretched out plot? I don't know what to make of it. Reserving judgment until the arc is complete...
THE GOOD:
-The art was good. Travis Moore isn't the best artist on this series, however. That would have to go to Mitch for me personally, although Lee Weeks makes a strong case for himself.
-Matthew, or Bruce, or whatever his name is, makes a good villain. We've seen similar villains before, but he's still creepy as hell at least.
-This issue had some good effects. Especially some of the opening scenes, which were very dramatic.
-I liked the writing in this one.
-I'll admit, I liked both the buildup and the actual twist itself. I didn't really see it coming, and it really improved the issue, the problem was, there didn't need to be 16 pages until the reveal, that's a bit much.
-The end looks like it will lead to interesting things. I'm still holding out hope for, "Knightmares." Though it looks less to be an actual story-arc and more like a label for a bunch of miscellaneous story arcs that are slightly related, much like the "Cold Days" arc or the pre-Wedding issues.
THE BAD:
-This whole issue felt kinda… pointless. It feels like it would be a great Free Comic Book Day comic, or even a great story in another Batman: Secret Files, but as a main, $3.99 issue, it didn't really hold up, it didn't justify its page count. I'm going to have to take off one point for this.
-Though there was reason for this, the whole issue felt repetitive of issue #38, again which would have been fine if it wasn't a whole issue. more
I really enjoy your reviews. This one represents my feelings about the issue very well. I didn't feel the issue was "kinda... pointless" but I was so eager for the followup to the cliffhanger of #60 it was tough to go to another place instead. I think "Knightmares" is probably going to be a series of smaller stories that reflect on the nature of Batman. More...
I love "Master Bruce" as a villain. I'm not sure where it's been done before so I'd be curious to know which stories/characters you may be referring to. My memory is not at all what it used to be. More...
The main thing I have to say about this issue is that Tom King is obviously playing a very long game and I think it will be more widely appreciated when collected. Same with Doomsday Clock. Out of the context of the run I think this was a great Batman issue. In context, I mostly agree with what you wrote so I'm just going to give it a rating.
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoy my reviews. I agree, the cliffhanger from last issue was so good, it was a bit awkward to do a different story. I was mostly referring to Thomas Elliot, as most others did, but I think that Master Bruce feels original enough to be a great villain. I love his obsession with becoming like Bruce, rather than just being another young villain who murdered his parents.
I do think this whole series will read better as one whole story. In fact, I have been rereading this series in trade and the first few volumes are a lot better than I remember. I'm a pretty big fan of King's writing, so it's probably just a personal thing. Maybe my original expectations were too high. I also love Doomsday Clock. I will definitely get whatever hardcover or deluxe edition they release of that.
Am I the only one, who thinks this kid has something to do with Thomas Wayne? Would make way more sense than him being the real one.
Ah, Tommy, of course. I feel like Master Bruce is quite different and at least as provocative. I'm with you on all your comments. I think King's Batman and his Heroes in Crisis are going to be received much differently and more favorably when he's been able to finish his stories. This is a stumbling block with reviewing episodic storytelling before the story's finished. I don't think anything in King's Batman is filler. I think it's all part of the plan. Time will tell.
I agree with Batman Jones 100%. Oh hi Mark, are you still a 6.5 (a “D”) for this issue. Sounds like u agree with him now. maybe not. Luvin all your reviews btw
Thanks, Comic Princess. :) Darkseid24: Maybe I'm missing something but I haven't seen any indication Flashpoint Batman is the "real" Thomas Wayne as in our Bruce Wayne's actual father. I'm still operating on the assumption he's meant to be from the Flashpoint timeline. I think there's a clear connection to Doomsday Clock since we've got a Thomas Wayne and a Jor-El running around the DCU now. I figured we were meant to draw the conclusion that Dr. Manhattan was responsible for that.
My original score was a 7.5, but I really didn't feel like this needed to be a full issue, so I took an extra point off. I don't really use letter grades to label my reviews either, I have more of a personal system, where 6.5ish ratings could be called "pretty good," or "decent." I think Batman Jones is a great reviewer, he makes a lot of great points, certainly better than mine, however for some reason I just wasn't feeling this issue as much as I wanted to.
ohhaimark, don't sell yourself short. your review system is solid, methodical and very thorough. plus they are very entertaining to read. sometimes more entertaining than the actual comics themselves.
Ditto to myconius. I think ohaimark’s reviews are much mote thoughtful than my own. I usually just say how much I liked an issue or not. I don’t think I’ve posted negative reviews because that’s just not my jam. I love ohhaimark’s reviews!
he's very modest, on top of being very amiable. ...that ohhaimark fellow is the salt of the earth, i tell you.
Thank you guys so much! I really appreciate it! Glad you like and enjoy my reviews.
I surprisingly don’t think this issue was that bad. However it’s annoying that King just ignores everything, that happened last issue ( Thomas Wayne breaking in the batcave) and starts a totally new story ( unless Thomas Wayne is or has anything to do with that boy, could be a fake Thomas Wayne after all). However we once again get to see Bruce’s trauma as a child& for new readers the story of the boy, who thinks he is Bruce Wayne is kind of retold here. The dialogue here is way better than what King usually writes. The kid reminds me a little bit of Jason& don’t know, if it’s good, that he was send to Arkham, what of course supports my theory that he has something to do with Thomas Wayne and Bane. I however already can’t stand that child ( honestly don’t remember him from Batman 38). Travis Moore‘s art is great though& I hope he does more art for Batman. more
Thank you, I really have to reread Batman 38 I guess. What I am asking myself how can the kid make the link between Bruce Wayne and Batman. I mean he thinks he is Bruce Wayne, but that doesnt mean he automatically know Bruce is Batman.
That could happen too, but I am still waiting for an explanation of Thomas being in that timeline.
Aren’t we all! Unfortunately I believe they are going with the route of “he escaped flashpoint universe at the end of the button and followed flash and Batman home”
Well... nothing really happened this issue.
This issue is a sequel to issue 38 (an issue I really liked) so we get to see the kid who wants to be batman again. The problem is that this issue, unlike issue 38, relies too much on next issues to come and doesn't stand on it's own. The reveal at the end is pretty good and the art was great (matthews face in page 20 is a good example). The only thing that connects to the main story is that bane might use matthew for his big plan, but that's not really exciting to be honest.
I think that this was at least better written, and I dunno, I can be persuaded.
I really enjoy this new character a lot. I think he has an excellent backstory and unique attributes that would make him a villain that really stands out. I give King credit for creating this excellent twist on the Batman mythos.
But it's hard to enjoy take seriously when you have a whole issue that basically rehashes what has already been told. Essentially, all this issue does is give us the same backstory this time except... it's fake?? I'm not sure but I'm confused if the whole story was just made up in the kid's head or this was somehow another tale of how he convinced people his parents were murdered again. Regardless, this would probably read better in trade format, but as a single issue there is a lot left to be desired. Rehashing an identical plot and then making it unclear is poor writing in my opinion. more
"I miss you so"
Surprisingly fast read with the feeling of enormous confusion accompanying reader through almost entirety of it.
Let's start with the positives first. The art. It's so pretty. Travis Moore's art and Tamra Bonvillain's colors look great together. I could look at those pages all day.
This issue also follows up on the events of issue #38, about that boy who wanted to be Bruce Wayne very much.
Because of that, I was curious if 38 was as good as I remembered. I'm kinda worried that now when I'm a bit fed up with King's Batman, issues I liked before won't be as good now. So after this one, I went back to #38 and it was so much better than this one. Both in terms of the dialogue and how the story was portrayed.
In here we see Batman seemingly solving Wayne's murder and since the last issue ended with Flashpoint Batman (no word about that by the by) you think time travel or some other weird shenanigans. It leaves the reader in a state of great confusion, that is resolved by the end, but doesn't change the fact that the whole issue felt weird. Also, narration through poetry/or other things is back.
Thankfully no Penguin feeding in this one or Gordon punching. Improvement. more
Ok, this is bad, boring and unnecessary.
While the art I did enjoy, the issue has a crappy twist that doesn't really connect with the beginning part. SO many questions. If hes done this 6 other times, how is he still getting this close to the criminals, why did they not check his body more for weapons after the metal beeped, wouldn't Bruce get a notice of some sort that this is happening especially if hes using Bruce's name?
This issue was pretty pointless. "Master Bruce" is going to Arkham, and that's probably going to factor into Bane's Super Mega Mega Plan, but we didn't need a whole issue for that. And if we had to have one, it could've way more interesting than this. This is filler. I don't know why Tom King is so hellbent on having a 104 issue run. The run should only be as long as the story allows, but Batman sells no matter what so filler won't be looked down on. This makes me think the cliffhanger from issue 60 won't be resolved for a while. Maybe after Knightmares is done, so with issue 70 or so. This "arc" is supposed to be a series of one-shots chipping away at Batman’s soul, with a Flash crossover in the middle as a break, according to Tom King. So I'm guessing these next issues will be received in all sorts of ways. more
Ray Goldfield provides an insightful analysis of Batman #61 that may interest you. His full review can be found under critic reviews.
I try not to read reviews before I write my own for fear of conforming my opinion to someone else's or repeating things. I read Ray Goldfield's analysis and it... wasn't really anything I didn't already understand. He basically just explained the issue. He just happened to find it disturbing and dramatic where I find the exact same thing tired and boring.
do you wanna know why Tom King is hellbent on doing 100+ issues of Batman?? ...because $$$$$$$$$
Could of told me to reread issue 38 instead of wasting my money on a rehash issue.
come to think of it, as bad as issue 38 was it was actually much better than this issue. and that's really not saying much.
The last two issues were nothing more than expository filler, which could have been easily squeezed into one comic, and as much as I disliked them for being slow, boring and meaningless reads, I'd take them both over this one. Why, you may ask? It's simple - because at least they had any story. Any story leading anywhere, connecting to other events form the series. Ones that the reader may actually care about. The Bruce Wayne wannabe with "Thomas" and "Martha" carved in his cheeks is most certainly not one of them.
Think about it - if #38, where wannabe Bruce appeared for the first time, was a filler issue, this is a filler sequel to this filler. Over and over, Tom King breaks the main story and incompetently tries to make us look the other way. Distract us from the main arc and main characters, in favor of something like this. A meaningless novelty no one will remember in a week. Maybe it's because he doesn't want to rush his mega story... or maybe there's no mega story to begin with, and King lost his way long time ago, now running on fumes? Who knows? But either way, I don't recommend this issue.
What's up with cringeworthy darkness and obnoxious edgelord characterization in recent Bat-centric comics? His current solo run fell so far from grace, it's borderline unreadable, relying on public domain fairytales and stretching bad stories into multiple comics as much as Metallica is stretching their post-thrash dad country-rock songs into 90 minute albums. Detective Comics, prior to Tomasi's takeover of the series, were something I was purchasing only because they were so forgettable, I forgot to cancel their monthly orders - true story. And let's not forget Batman Damned, which is an absolute abomination and an insult to fans of not just Bats, but few more characters, where Harley Quinn nearly raped Batman and Etrigan is a rapper with more face piercings than Jared Leto's Joker has tattoos on his. Technically, I could mock Heroes in Crisis as well, despite featuring Bruce only as a side character, which is yet another garbage begging the question how did it even get greenlighted?
What's up, DC? Batman should be your flagship brand. One that can be expected to be each month's highlight. These days, each time there's a Bat comic coming out, I feel anxiety instead, expecting it to be utter crap. And most of the time it is.
Bottomline, if you want to read about Batman, pick up Tomasi's Detective Comics and avoid everything else like the plague. Don't even come near this festival of trash without a 2 meter long pool. more
Wow, that was harsh, but unfortunately also very true. I think DC is making a too big of a deal out of Batman. They are tiptoaing around him so much just to avoid making anything bad with their biggest(?) property. It's ridiculous, they can't even get the damn movie going because they don't want to screw up. They so scared they won't even give Bats to CW and they did it with Supes. Since Nolan everyone wants their Batman dark and broody and... edgy I think. They should just ease up.
Yeah, I've been turning my blind eye on Batman's comics for too long, but I'm really tired of it. I feel like I can't be silent, even if I'm harsh and nitpicky at times - it's because of how much I love the character. It just hurts to see how DC is misusing him recently.
I feel like with other characters, like Superman, Flash, Green Lantern or even the whole Justice League they are more inclined to take risk, chances. Bendis, for many, was a red flag, but I think he is doing just fine with Superman. Same with Snyder and his weird cosmic ideas. They are risky, but I think they pay off for the most part. But with Batman they tring to keep it safe and we all see the results. They couldn't even go thorugh with the wedding.
I think that would change the dynamic in Batman comics a lot. Instead, we have Bat-something.
True that. I have no problem with Bendis - I think he introduced few good innovations to Supes' comics and refreshed them. And while I find Andreyko's Supergirl to be superior, I really don't mind the guy's writing. Contary, With King, I have a feeling he's overstaying his welcome. 50 issue run would be exhausting for a writer, let alone a 100 issue giant. Especially when it's DC's flagship. Bats needs fresh blood, I think. Someone who would shake things up a bit and change King's tone.
I think Tom Taylor made a great case for himself with that annual. Maybe he would to a good job on a Bat-book.
Oh, yes, I really enjoyed this year's annual issue. I'd love to see more human side of Batman for a change. That's something King's version of the character lacks so much these days. Heart, humanity and love for his friends and family.
I actually prefer everything, that was released the last 6 months over anything, when Rebirth started. DC seems finally to get back to its roots when it comes to Batman. Kings run has its flaws, but Detective Comics was great before Tomasi returned (one good issue doesnt convince me 100% of his writing) and Batman Damned is an Elseworld and therefore can be everything. I liked the portayal of Harley there. She was finally in character.
Being an elseworld is by no means an excuse. It can be anything, yes, but anything can still be bad. All-Star Batman & Robin the Boy Wonder is technically an elseworld as well, but I don't see anyone defending that filth. It also happens to feature beautiful art, but awful story and atrocious out of character portrayal of certain characters. I hate Damned, I consider it an insult, thus I'll continue mocking its edgelordness.
I respect your opinion, but I consider Batman Damned as one of the better Elseworld stories. I think it’s pretty cool& I would bet the HQ raping Bruce scene would have gone farer, if there wasn’t such an outrage about the first issue. It’s only 1 issue left anyway.
Haha, much obliged! Trying my best to pour as much cynicism and sarcasm to these reviews as I can :)
well done! very VERY well done!!! honestly, probably the best review i've read on this entire site so far! :D
Another poor issue from Tom King. Please get him off this book!
A big pile of who cares. King has brought back his rip-off of Tommy King - little evil "Bruce Wayne."
The whole story is basically Little Bruce's dream of the real death of the Waynes and how Batman solves the crime.
Like I said who cares. It seems that today's writers have their pet characters that they love, but no one else does. These characters take up time and space in stories that don't work because the characters suck.
Little Evil Bruce is one such character. The sooner he's dropped in a wood chipper, the sooner King can get on with his life and we can stop reading these awful stories.
Or I could be wrong.
(I'm not. Little Evil Bruce is just another variation of the doppleganger concept, and not an interesting one).
The art was fine. more
i'm sorry, but i found the concept of Tom King's Batman #38 to be just awful.
i have no idea what the purpose of going back to this story is at this point,
other than just fill up issues to meet his hundred issue quota.
i was also confused at the narrative. i thought this kid was already outed as having his parents murdered? i thought we already found out that the Butler did it?
why have this story of Batman tracking down the bald guy?
that guy had awful impulse reflexes to let that kid slash his wrist and then his neck, and through prison bars no less. instead of trying to pull away, he conveniently falls down right next to the bars so the kid can keep cutting him.
i'm also very confused at the purpose of returning to this plot after last issue ended,
with Batman punching Gordon then Gordon smashing the bat-signal.
i really don't see a point to this issue.
the only thing i genuinely liked about this issue, was the variant cover looked to be a homage to the first deluxe Hardcover edition of Batman Year One. ...possibly? more
Still makes no sense after rereading this one.
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