Batman #51

9.1

Critic Reviews

30 Reviews
9.1

User Reviews

59 Reviews
Writer Scott Snyder
Artist Greg Capullo, Danny Miki
Cover Price $3.99

Batman has battled everything from the Court of Owls to Mr. Bloom to the Joker, but how does he handle a quiet night in Gotham City?

Reviews (31) User Reviews (59) Rate / Write A Review

CRITIC REVIEWS

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  • 10

    AIPT - David Brooke

    Apr 27, 2016

    This is the very definition of who Batman is in every way. Bravo. Snyder and Capullo have managed to express both who Batman is, but more importantly why Batman is so damn great in every way. Read Full Review

  • 10

    GWW - Casey Walsh

    Apr 27, 2016

    Batman #51 is the perfect end to the perfect Batman run. Snyder and Capullo send us off the same way they hooked us, with some great story telling and tremendous art. If there was ever a dynamic duo in comics, Snyder and Capullo are arguably it as they became the Dark Knight writers we deserved. If you have been reading Batman from the beginning then I don't have to tell you this is a must read issue. If you haven't read Batman from Snyder and Capullo, there is no better time to start than now and when you reach this final issue, hopefully you will feel the same way I did. I'm sad to see them go, but excited to see what comes next from both creators. Read Full Review

  • 10

    Comic Vine - Tony 'G-Man' Guerrero

    Apr 27, 2016

    BATMAN #51 is the perfect ending to Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's run. There's a bittersweet feeling as you enjoy the issue, knowing it will all be over soon. The issue does help celebrate past five years, and that's a key thing to keep in mind. Nothing lasts forever, and we've had a helluva ride for fifty-one issues. At the same time, there's a feeling of new beginnings. Exploring what Gotham is and seeing various characters planning their next schemes reassures us the city's story is far from over. We owe the creative team a huge thanks for all the great times and issues they've given us. It will be exciting to see what they'll all give us next. Read Full Review

  • 10

    Dark Knight News - Ryan Lower

    Apr 28, 2016

    I'm sad to see this team leave. I have been reviewing this book on Dark Knight News since Death of the Family and have enjoyed it every month. The book has always been worth my money. I've even double dipped once the hardcover collections came out. But now we look ahead to the future. Capullo is working on a project with Mark Millar, while Snyder is taking on All-Star Batman this summer after DC's Rebirth. But can we see them reunite with our hero? Anything in Gotham is" possible. Read Full Review

  • 10

    Newsarama - Justin Partridge

    Apr 28, 2016

    Though DC as a whole is headed for a Rebirth, Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo can hold their head high after delivering a thematically rich finale to cap off a stellar run with the Dark Knight and his wonderful and terrible city of his birth. Read Full Review

  • 10

    Kabooooom - Brandon Griffin

    Apr 29, 2016

    Emotions aside, there is nothing I could find about this issue that wasn't exactly what it should have been. These two will likely work together again - it would be a travesty for them not to, and DC is in no position to change things that work. Their run on Batman is untouchable and will be remembered as one of the best eras for Batman comic books. As this issue serves as a thank you to Batman, Gotham, and all of us fans… let this review serve as a personal thank you to both Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo. Read Full Review

  • 10

    Multiversity Comics - Keith Dooley

    Apr 29, 2016

    "Batman" #51 is a perfect finale to Snyder and Capullo's first of hopefully many more runs with this character. It was heartbreaking, thrilling, mysterious, joyous, and many more adjectives too numerous to conjure in one review. This series was not only critically acclaimed, but it also touched many Bat-fanatics (like this reviewer) and readers who may have been new to the character. When a series can cause fierce devotion toward a writer and artist duo, then they must have succeeded in their artistic endeavor. Snyder and Capullo were not only a success, but cemented themselves in the hall of fame of Batman scribes. Read Full Review

  • 10

    Comic Book Resources - Matt Little

    Apr 29, 2016

    Snyder and Capullo's run has impacted both Batman and the world at large, but they also had an impact on me. They made Batman larger than life, while still street-level and accessible, and came up with some of the most brilliant twists ever drawn up for the hero. In addition to creating iconic images and innovative designs that captured imaginations, they really, truly gave readers a predicate to the subject "Batman is" with every page. To me, Batman will always be this creative team. Read Full Review

  • 10

    Comic Crusaders - Johnny Hughes

    May 02, 2016

    As a one-off dessert to the multitudes of main courses that Snyder and Capullo have served up over the last fives years, its perfect. Read Full Review

  • 10

    Nerdophiles - Jackson Adams

    May 03, 2016

    Batman #51 isn't just a clever issue, wittingly blending narration from the first issue to new content here, or a smart piece of storytelling, but it's a love letter to the spirit of collaboration in comics, both work between writers and artists but fans and creators. For readers who've been with this book since the first issue, it's a testament to one of DC's best characters and two iconic talents of the industry. Read Full Review

  • 9.9

    Major Spoilers - Wayne Hall

    Apr 29, 2016

    If you've been reading Batman as faithfully as I have, you'll find reward after reward in the pages inside. Read Full Review

  • 9.6

    Comicsverse - Sean Bartley

    May 03, 2016

    Where BATMAN #50 was the perfect ending to five years of storytelling, this issue is the perfect coda. The story itself is straightforward and fairly predictable, but this issue isn't meant to be a winding narrative. It's meant to serve as a farewell on the behalf of the creators to this world, these characters, and us. Many view what Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo accomplished with BATMAN as the definitive take on the character, and while that's a conversation for another day, what the two of them did together was rare. They built a great friendship, a series that managed to be fun, exciting, smart and fresh at almost every turn, and a run with a beloved character that will stand the test of time. Hats off to Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo. As for what Gotham is… well, Gotham is Batman. Read Full Review

  • 9.5

    CourtOfNerds - Benjamin Raven

    Apr 27, 2016

    Snyder and Capullo hit us right in the feels with good, old-fashioned story-telling to end their near five-year run on the series. Read Full Review

  • 9.5

    Batman-News - Brandon Mulholand

    Apr 27, 2016

    This is the best issue of Batman that I have read in over a year. I fully admit that SuperHeavy was an arduous undertaking for me, and I had no love for it. By the end of it, I was all for some fresh blood on Batman. But after reading this issue, I know that Scott is still more than capable of putting out absolutely superb Batman comics. I'm genuinely sad to see him go because, when he wants to, he really can write the hell out of the character. Seeing what he is capable of when he puts his mind to it, it's also sad that we couldn't have had more issues like this one throughout his run. In any case, good luck on All-Star Batman, Scott. And thanks for leaving us on a high note. Read Full Review

  • 9.5

    Nerds Unchained - Jeremy Radick

    Apr 28, 2016

    There's no denying we'll miss this team on this book, that Snyder and Capullo have defined Batman for the next few years, creating a high-water mark that will be hard to match. But as an ending, Batman #51 gives you everything you want from a farewell. Read Full Review

  • 9.5

    Good Kind Of Geek - Nikki Yuan

    Apr 28, 2016

    It's really good to see Snyder and Capullo's run on Batman ends on such a high note. The strong optimistic note is a strange one to see in Batman, but it's great that after everything the hero been through, it's proven that Gotham is a place worth saving. Read Full Review

  • 9.4

    IGN - Jesse Schedeen

    Apr 27, 2016

    It would be silly to expect anything less than greatness from the final chapter of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's Batman saga. This issue ties up all remaining loose ends while creating a fitting sense of symmetry with the beginning of the run. It sports more terrific art from Capullo, Miki and Plascencia and offers a powerful meditation on the impact Batman has had on his city. What more could readers ask for? Read Full Review

  • 9.0

    Dark Knight News - Eric Joseph

    Apr 27, 2016

    I think it's best that a conclusion with a normal page count be more dialogue packed as this one was. Everything just felt like it came full circle and had somewhat of a sense of finality, while also leaving the door open for the Rebirth era. This truly was one of the most definitive runs in Batman's long history. Read Full Review

  • 9.0

    Newsarama - David Pepose

    Apr 27, 2016

    Throughout the "New 52" run of Batman, there's been a recurring question of "what is Gotham?" And while Scott Snyder might argue that Gotham is its history, I might do him one better: Gotham is its creators. There have been dozens of writers, artists, letterers and editors toiling over Batman's 75-year career, but I can think of very few who have delved this deeply to flesh out Batman and the city that orbits around him than Snyder and Capullo. Runs like this aren't just rare, they're unheard of " and to have a run like this actually be good is even more unprecedented. This conclusion is less of a fast-paced finale and more of an epilogue, taking the scenic route through 51 issues of blockbuster storytelling. Over the past five years, Snyder and Capullo have gone through a herculean undertaking, mapping and building Gotham from the ground up. I can only imagine what it must feel like now they get to just sit back and enjoy the view. Read Full Review

  • 9.0

    Doom Rocket - Jarrod Jones

    Apr 28, 2016

    There's a coincidental twist that comes towards the end of Batman #51 that nearly betrays all this goodwill with its nostalgia-tinged sentimentality. But a writer like Snyder has never been afraid of coincidences. He approaches them as he would anything else and applies this development to his story without incident. There's a lyricism that comes with this reveal, one that's used to bring us back around to issue #1 " a saga come full circle. It provides a comfortable closure that we never felt" not once " at the ends of Death of the Family,Zero Year or even Endgame. In saying goodbye to a top-notch run, Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo pay their respects to the readers that helped it to endure. Read Full Review

  • 9.0

    Weird Science - Eric Shea

    Apr 28, 2016

    Batman #51 hits all the right notes as it catches us up on what's going on in Gotham, while re-acclimating us to the Batman we've missed.  This is just a beautiful issue that relies on the narration to tell us a story about what Gotham is, while we follow Batman throughout the night and with great art and a story that offers up plenty of feels, this is definitely a issue that you won't want to miss. Read Full Review

  • 9.0

    Outright Geekery - Leroy Dee

    Apr 29, 2016

    Snyder and Capullo had fun with their toys, but now it's time to put the toys back in the box before it's time to leave the playhouse. One could say this story is basically the equivalent of not doing any work at 4:30 right before you clock out at 5, but as much as this entire run has been going at such a breakneck pace, they're owed a day off just as much as Batman has. In fact it's probably my favorite single issue non-story arc of the entire run, because at its heart it's a love letter to the fans that have kept up with this series. I hope you comic fans understand and appreciate how special this run really was. This doesn't happen often in this industry. Read Full Review

  • 9.0

    Black Nerd Problems - Oz Longworth

    Apr 29, 2016

    This was an appropriate goodbye with more heart than action, deft and reacquainting us with the new Bruce Wayne and saying farewell to one of the most consistent Batman runs to date. Read Full Review

  • 9.0

    Chuck's Comic Of The Day - Chuck

    May 02, 2016

    Capullo's art has been excellent throughout, and this issue is another gold star on his report card - his layouts have been powerful, with great character designs throughout. Read Full Review

  • 8.5

    Comicosity - Aaron Long

    Apr 28, 2016

    Batman #51 is a nice read and a solid "goodbye" issue from this departing creative team. Their stamp is firmly planted on this character, the rogues and the city of Gotham, and people are not going to forget the Snyder/Capullo run for a damn long time. Thank you, Greg & Scott (and Danny & FCO), that was one hell of a run. Read Full Review

  • 8.0

    Henchman-4-Hire - Sean Ian Mills

    Apr 30, 2016

    The great Snyder/Capullo Batman run comes to an end with this issue, in a fitting little farewell story that touches on all the classic Batman elements, while looking fantastic. It's not exactly ground-breaking stuff, more like a well-earned victory lap. Read Full Review

  • 8.0

    DC Comics News - Matthew Lloyd

    May 01, 2016

    This is someones one chance at telling a Batman story. It is the best of both worlds- a goodbye to Gotham for this creative team and a satisfying examination of what is essential about Batman. Its Batman and Gotham City and Commissioner Gordon and Alfred. Its all the possibilities for danger. As the journalist indicates, the city is changing. Batman is making a difference. Hes changing what was into what can be. And in that change, sometimes the city itself can make a difference, and when it looks darkest, sometimes Batman is not needed. This could also be someones first Batman story, and in that Snyder and Capullo communicate what a new reader needs to know about Batman. And if you can, track down Detective Comics#567 while youre at it. Read Full Review

  • 8.0

    PopOptiq - Scott Cederlund

    May 11, 2016

    Batman #51 is a strong reminder of the mark that Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo have left on Gotham City and Batman himself. Through one night in the city as Batman races the clock to discover an unseen threat to Gotham, Snyder and Capullo are leading the reader through one last look at their version of Gotham, a city that has hidden its secrets from Batman throughout their run on the book. As the capstone to their run, Batman #51 looks back at everything that theyve accomplished over 50 issues while promising a future full of more stories. And thats what Gotham is; a city that for as many stories have been already told about it, there will always be stories to be told about it and its hero, Batman. Read Full Review

  • 7.0

    SnapPow.com - John McCubbin

    Apr 28, 2016

    Batman #51 is a decent end to Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's run on the comic, but at the same time it wasn't as spectacular as I hoped. What it did do, was give us a bold, symbolic take on Gotham and why Batman is such a crucial part to it's environment. Read Full Review

  • 4.0

    Razorfine - Alan Rapp

    May 04, 2016

    I don't know what Rebirth has in store for Batman going forward (other than adding a splash more blue to the Dark Knight's new costume), but I'm glad to close the book on the run that offered the Court of Owls, the Face-Off Joker, and Jim Batman as its most noteworthy accomplishments. Pass. Read Full Review

  • N/A

    Weekly Comic Book Review - Loukas

    May 04, 2016

    For some reason, I wouldn't associate Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo with circles. The themes and visions in their dark tales of Gotham are too bold and jagged, too harsh in outline and filled with vivid, aggressive, if restrained and seething, energy. Triangles would seem more to suit them as a geometrical metaphor. Still, their run onBatmanturns out to describe a closed loop of philosophical statements and literary conceits. Read Full Review

USER REVIEWS

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  • 10

    jess212

    Apr 27, 2016

    A quiet issue that takes Batman full circle through the journey of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's sensational run the art is breath taking as always and the writing is quintessential Batman though it does seem the Batman that emerged from the Super heavy ordeal is bit more optimistic and slightly brighter he once was.

    + Like Comment
  • 10

    Brannon.44

    Aug 11, 2021

    Court of Owls was the first comic I ever read. I read it when it initially came out. I waited until now to finally read the last issue of Snyder and Capullo's run. What a perfect ending.

  • 10

    Linkush

    Oct 03, 2023

    Outstanding. Such a perfect way to close a run. It all comes full circle. I'd say this is one of the better Batman runs I've read. Thank you Snyder and Capullo.

  • 9.0

    Sherman The Wonder Dog

    Jun 28, 2016

    Very unique storytelling makes this issue a worthy finale for Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo. People who read the first issue will instantly recognize the scenes and dialogue that were present at the birth of this series. It's enough to make a tear roll down my cheek just to see such a beautiful series end so perfectly. The writing makes this issue more about being a happy story than the typical violent, brooding dark style of Scott Snyder. This is an example for all other comics that they should be as powerful as this one. Not just to include action or humor but emotion, things that can make you tear up written by the same guy in the same series that previously used humans as dartboards. It's so hard to get over how little of a bang, how c more

  • 9.0

    DarioV

    Jul 28, 2016

    I am in tears right now. This run of Batman was incredible. It introduced a few new faces while exploring like never before the old ones. It was everything a Bat-fan could hope for. Issue #51 is a clear statement of Snyder's legacy of the character (not only Batman, but Gotham itself) for the next years, and I truly hope that the future shapers of the city's destiny will do it justice. While bringing interesting reflexions on the table, this issue also featured a lot of faces we saw in these five years and closed symmetrically to how it began back in 2011. I don't know what issue #52 will be about, but this feels like the best way to end the story.

  • 8.5

    Supes' soups

    Apr 27, 2016

    A solid farewell issue from Snyder and Capullo. Some people never warmed up to Snyder but I think he genuinely loves the character Batman and at least he tries to put his heart and soul into his writing. The only thing is, besides the new costume, Snyder pretty much brings Batman back to the old status quo, although DC probably wants it that way. Either way we come full circle although it looks like the Joker is still in his amnesiac state sitting on the bench. This was a solid run and for 51 issues, I enjoyed most of the run. On to Rebirth.

  • 7.0

    el kozzy

    Jun 05, 2016

    A nice ode to Bats and Gotham. In this single story issue,the reader is taken on a journey with Batman as he patrols the city at night and it is then and there that you go into his psyche and see his love, concern and straight out paranoia he has for his city as its protector. In this issue there is not much action or any villainous obstacles Bats has face or overcome, aside from a little visit to Arkyam to check up on a potential breach in their security system that ends up being for naught, his night is slow and uneventful. Yet still, there is always the potential for danger to arise and those possibilities mindfuck him and have him constantly at the jump of a batarang, so to speak. Though he fights no super villain in his gl more

  • 6.5

    EggMath

    Apr 27, 2016

    I didn't enjoy Snyder's run for the most part and this issue was entirely predictable. But that being said, it was a pretty decent final issue to their run. And I can't forget to praise Capullo and FCO. They carried Snyder's writing with their brilliant art.

    + Like Comment
  • 6.0

    myconius

    Apr 27, 2016

    after re-reading the issue a couple of times i feel i have to drop the score a bit. it's a pretty lukewarm issue, where nothing really happens. sure it's supposed to be a quiet night in Gotham, but i really felt the character interaction and dialog were pretty weak. . . . . . i still will never understand why so many fans of this series let themselves get SO blinded by hype, that they throw perfect scores of 'TEN' at this book? . . . . the art is nice, but the writing is far from great. . . . . one of the biggest wastes of page-space is the "Gotham Is..." dialog. that whole intro is utter nonsense!!! it means absolutely nothing other than Snyder making an acknowledgement that THIS is the final issue in his and Greg Capullo's Batman run. . . more

  • 6.0

    Gizmo

    May 01, 2016

    It's a quiet swan song to Capullo and Snyder's epic run, a rare moment of the peace Batman has fought his whole life for. It's nice in one sense, but in another it's actually kind of boring. I mean, literally nothing happens and it is almost comedic as a result. So I'm not going to give it a stellar rating. As a single issue it's nothing special, but it reads well as an epilogue to an amazing and long run and that's how it should be interpreted.

  • 2.0

    Mister Bungle

    May 05, 2016

    I bought this issue because of all the praise and high ratings it was getting. Now I see that I've been duped. Nice art though.

  • 10

    Quietomega

    Apr 26, 2016

  • 10

    Hilbut

    Apr 27, 2016

  • 10

    thecloser424

    Apr 27, 2016

  • 10

    Rotivv

    Apr 27, 2016

  • 10

    REDX

    Apr 27, 2016

  • 10

    RandomOtaku

    Apr 27, 2016

  • 10

    Henry Killinger

    Apr 28, 2016

  • 10

    EvilPenguin543

    Apr 30, 2016

  • 10

    Jason The Dude

    May 01, 2016

  • 10

    Michał Dziewit

    May 01, 2016

  • 10

    jjoao.vvic

    May 01, 2016

  • 10

    Fearless

    May 02, 2016

  • 10

    Redeadhood

    May 07, 2016

  • 10

    ActionCity

    Nov 01, 2016

  • 10

    MKW69

    Jan 20, 2017

  • 10

    Brego

    Jul 02, 2017

  • 10

    ryaleus

    May 31, 2019

  • 10

    aleyuma

    Aug 30, 2019

  • 10

    Julhin

    Feb 18, 2021

  • 10

    wesshamu

    May 04, 2022

  • 10

    Avanvolk

    Aug 24, 2022

  • 10

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    Oct 03, 2022

  • 10

    Mkhan

    Dec 01, 2022

  • 10

    Widow 117

    Aug 13, 2023

  • 9.5

  • 9.5

    MisterMelo

    Apr 27, 2016

  • 9.5

    JacqueK

    Apr 27, 2016

  • 9.5

    Nuckster77

    Apr 30, 2016

  • 9.5

    Speeding Bullets

    May 01, 2016

  • 9.5

    SwampyCA

    May 04, 2016

  • 9.5

    Lattocky

    Aug 10, 2016

  • 9.5

    jpablojr

    Sep 16, 2022

  • 9.0

    drwasheewashee

    Apr 27, 2016

  • 9.0

    Serverarbengan

    Apr 27, 2016

  • 9.0

    Juanpk26

    Apr 27, 2016

  • 9.0

    Yippeekiyay

    Apr 28, 2016

  • 9.0

    CraigR

    May 02, 2016

  • 9.0

    jokeraces

    May 28, 2017

  • 9.0

    Dones

    Feb 10, 2023

  • 8.5

    mrDovydas

    May 11, 2016

  • 8.5

    SoaringLeaf

    Mar 13, 2017

  • 8.5

    iPodwithnomusic

    Jun 19, 2019

  • 8.5

    Mout

    Nov 14, 2022

  • 8.0

    WhistleBlower

    Apr 27, 2016

  • 8.0

    mokakoni__

    Dec 13, 2025

  • 7.5

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    Apr 27, 2016

  • 7.0

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    Mar 29, 2018

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    Feb 02, 2023

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