Perfect issue.

Couldn't come at a better time.

Plot
This installment tells the story of Wren, a young woman who has seen the tyranny of The Maker disappear a teacher and her best friend for having different ideas and biology.

With her parents worried about the retaliation, Wren becomes part of a clandestine insurgency network inspired by the actions of the Ultimates, whose activities become increasingly radical.

Wren is discovered by the Maker's spy network, which is none other than the H.A.N.D. assassination clan/sect. They are ninjas whose faces are blurred and who murder Wren's parents.

She escapes with the help of her neighbors and community members who are part of the Ultimates organization, and she never realized it. Wren luckily escapes with her severed hand.

This spectacular installment gives an external and very real view of this world where tyranny rules with an iron fist, where people are completely unpunished, and where people are terribly defenseless.

Art
It's organic and textured, giving it a dynamic and dramatic tone, with certain manga influences.

Summary
The Ultimates' counter-establishment influence on youth is portrayed with powerful reality and rawness. more

So so so needed. Camp does it again. In a series about a HUGE team of superheroes, Camp manages to deliver an emotional, important, engaging story that focuses on none of them

This continues to be a very frustrating series
A good script in this issue with a jarring shift in art style

This one felt a little rushed to me. Still over the series.

This is the creative team that should be working on Detective Comics.

Old school Batman done good.

Ok. This one is tough to review.
Because it’s both amazing and dumb.
Prince’s voice for Batman is spot on (for the non-Frank Miller version).

I thought this was pretty good. It was definitely a fast read but a bit of that is Percy’s approach to all of his books. I will read more.

Well that's it for me, guess I'm dropping this title.
Scott Synder is moving like a bulldozer, rewriting Batman like a horror show. And yes, there is supposed to be some reinvention with the absolute titles but to me he goes way too far...and nowhere interesting. I was curious about what he would make of Batman's rogue gallery and now that I've seen their treatment without any ounce of finesse, thanks but no thanks. It's a shame because I was quite into Nick Dragotta's art.
The worst Batman story along with Hush#2 nowadays, by a long mile... more

I preferred last issue. It also seemed like a page was missing between the Harvey dent pages and the riddler pages.

I’m going to continue to read this because I feel like it has a lot of potential. Story is pretty good. But a lot of potential. The art was definitely inconsistent this issue. Some pages look amazing. Others ok. I thought there were two artists working on this book. But Valerio schiti is laboring some pages come off as very rushed.

“Speaking so super humanly soft… their brains only registered the sound on a subconscious level. A man who rewrites hardwiring with whispers. And inspires rebellion in a pack of walking toasters”.

Awesome. This is how you write Superman.

The best Supes comic out of what is already a solid line up.

I loved it from start to finish. this one had a big kick to it and the panels are beautiful. Art rocks and so does the story. Can't wait for the next issue.

The last few issues have built up to this perfect chapter, wherein the art and writing come together to tell a harrowing tale of violence and torture that, through it all, shows the incredible resilience of the Absolute Man of Steel and his allies. As the action now shifts to Kansas, I can’t wait to see where things go from here, and in the meantime, I’m going to have nightmares about Braniac! more

I thought this issue was ok. Pacing or sequential storytelling felt off. Something was off.

It seems that ever since Grant Morrison and Scott Snyder finished their Batman runs, every writer starts off strong but in the end falls flat. Tom King's run started off strong with his first arcs (The I am Trilogy) but then falls flat at City of Bane. I am one of the minority who personally enjoys James Tynion IV's Batman run, but I think it is very shallow. Joshua Williamson's filler run was not that bad, but it was forgettable. Chip Zdarsky starts off really strong with Failsafe, and while I did enjoy Dark Prisons ending (as that was Chip Zdarsky's true resolution), DC forced him to pad out and it ended flat post Absolute Power. I can tell that Zdarsky told everything he wanted about Zur-En-Arrh and wrapped up everything, but didn't know what to do with Vandal Savage.

My point being is that I was nervous coming into this run, but now I'm excited, and I pray that Matt Fraction run stays consistent. Jorge Jiminez is the definitive Batman artist of the 2020s, and it's like his work keeps on getting better and better. I Love how vibrant and pop this initial issue looks compared to James Tynion IV and Chip Zdarsky. It's very bright and colorful, I like Batman's new suit, and it is so nice to have a blue and gray suit instead of the black and gray suit. This is the exception where the trunks works.

I love AI Alfred, I like how this run really emphasizes Bruce's technology. I like how Matt Fraction doesn't want to deconstruct or break down Batman, but just make him have fun adventures. I like how Bruce talks to Killer Croc and opens up his trauma. I even like how Batman uses technology to solve mystery, similar to Christian Bale's Batman. Overall, while this debut issue isn't as action packed compared to Scott Snyder, Tom King, Joshua Williamson, and Chip Zdarsky. But after seeing Batman getting beat down and question his motivations..... it's nice to see Batman be hopeful for once. more

Solid. With potential for much more.

The art might just be a bit tough to swallow in the start of the comic if you're used to read only Spider-man comics. I assure you that this is an absolute amazing comic and you get used to the flow after a few pages. Not yet a masterpiece, but it has the potential!!

Good book. And nice to see a conclusion to the best modern Superman run.

He is back! The best modern superman writer is back!

Solid start. Beautiful art. The story doesn't give us a whole lot in terms of direction as there really isn't a villain present. It'll likely be a commentary on the current militarization of the police and extra-policing forces that have been deployed. Poignant. I'm for it. What really catches with this issue though is the levity. Batman needs that every once in a while. The color palette is used very well. It was amazing seeing Batman be an actual hero to civilians, and how the little girl lit up when she saw him before engaging Croc. Fraction is solid and I expect good things. more

Not a great issue. Some good art with a mediocre script.

Mediocre final issue of a long story. This just isn’t one of the better current Batman stories.
Check out the other Batman and Robin series by Waid and Dark Patterns by Watters for great Batman stories. Money better spent.

It's scary how drawn out this story was. It was a nothing story with no impact whatsoever. So small, in fact, that Johnson tied it up in a half of an issue. It had me saying, "That's it?" This started out really good and then dragged, and dragged, and dragged, until it went from a boulder to a pebble. The only parts of this story were good were Damien trying to figure out who he was going to be. Let's hope he can write a shorter more coherent story. Batman should not be dealing with the supernatural. Give him a traditional detective story please.

My Comic Review Channel - https://youtu.be/iR4aK2xZYL0 more

Too early to say anything definitive. But I have worries. One of the reasons Robin was created was to give Batman someone to talk to. Now Bats has an AI holographic Alfred. That doesn’t strike me as mentally healthy, especially considering the fact that there are 174,964 Bat family members Bruce can talk with.

This better not be another arc where Bats learns the value of family. Just saying. Gordon is now a beat cop again. I don’t think you can go from commissioner to beat cop. Wouldn’t he just retire. A beat cop that’s well into his 50s is just a bridge too far for me. Your mileage may vary.

Bats spends most of his time tracking down a child-like Killer Croc, who is regressing because he’s is molting or something. It involves dinosaurs and new Batcave trophies, which always struck me as something serial killers do on Dexter.

Bat has new tech, which strikes me as Iron Man, not Batman. There is no detective work and Vandal Savage is creating a goon squad outside regular police channels. Didn’t Tynion already do that?

This seems like more of the same to me. Batman is stuck in a holding pattern, where he keeps getting redone but it keeps getting rebooted to a tired status quo that leaves out charm, fun, and originality. Don’t have high hopes.

Or I could be wrong. more

Loving the art from the off. Very vibrant. Pops, if you will. Nice to open a new run with a beloved character from the off and tapping in to precious nostalgia. I am enjoying beat cop Gordon!

Things escalate very quickly and some kind of creature is terrorizing Gotham (how original! I jest).

This Batman doesn't suffer fools . Our first central mystery appears to relate to Killer Kroc. As part of his investigation, Batman gets the scrip on Waylon's recent circumstances from Dr Zeller. A cure for his condition has been found.

Very intriguing! She seems like an interesting new character. She speaks warmly of Croc in a way that counld be construed as romantic. I feel like this is a ruse. I think we'll be seeing more of Dr Zeller.

I like how the equipment Batman is using is Telegraphed. The gear he uses will give us window into the kind of Batman that Fraction intends this to be. I hope this is a continual feature of this run.

He zips through Gotham using a Bat-wing. A sign a flys past reads - "Gotham City - you don't have to be crazy to live here but it helps!"

A nice bit humour, it did make me chuckle. Various TV bits are show beautifully evoking Frank Miller's Gotham.

TV adverts promoting safety armour for normal civilians. GNN news conveying civilian panic. Talk show hosts complaining about unregulated dojos. New casters not buying stats that crime is down, taking pops at sedantry Commissionar Vandal Savage refusing to comment. This is a Gotham in the full swing of chaos. Fraction sets the scene for what is to come - and that's just the intro.

Batman has a very sweet interaction with Killer Croc, I found it very touching .For just a moment, they are just two damaged kids, dropping their guards to find some connection, commonality and ultimately supporting each other. This move from Bruce actually quells Croc's fury, resolving the entire situation. What's more is the scene is in full view of Croc's doctors. A fascinating approach from Bruce. I loved this. Also, AI Alfred is a nice touch. Being able to see Alfred and Bruce interactions is a big plus for this series. The fact that it's only a facsimile of Alfred only adds to the sadness of his loss. This seems to suggest that this Batman will be facing emotional demons head on. Fraction is the kind of writer that should be able to provide such much needed depth to mainline Batman. It has felt very shallow for a long time. There is enough encouraging elements here for me to get excited. Let's go.
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