Batman #50

Its exhausting to think that we cant look up in the sky and shine the bat signal to solve all of our problems. It took humanity to expose Blooms evil to blinding light, and so it always is. Batman is just a touchstone. And this Batman the ghost Capullo and Snyder are putting back up onto the shelf soon enough is the best touchstone we could ever hope for. Not because hes seven decades strong. Not because he represents the best that we could ever hope to be. But because, in these pages, weve gotten to understand him more than we ever have before. We see him truly for what he is. And in doing so, we get a good glimpse at what we can be as well. Read Full Review

With the conclusion to Superheavy, all is almost as it should be in Gotham City. Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo have delivered another stellar issue. We have some amazing scenes and several moments that will put a big grin on your face. It's hard to think of this creative team leaving the title, just when things are returning to normal. Superheavy was a risky story, but these guys made it a completely satisfying read. This issue just goes to show us how much we'll miss seeing Snyder and Capullo together. We still have one more issue to go so the celebration is not over yet. If you haven't read Superheavy yet, you're in for a treat. Only Snyder and Capullo could make a risky story concept work in such a glorious fashion. Read Full Review

There's no question that Snyder and Capullo finished an epic run strong with a finale that pulled no punches, placing the reader right in the thick of an epic battle for the soul of Gotham. Godspeed, boys. You will be missed" at least until Snyder starts his run on Detective Comics. Read Full Review

Five years with the same team on a book is rare for comics in this day and age, but the team of Snyder and Capullo will forever be remembered with fondness in any Bat-fan's heart. This issue is not only the perfect way to cap off their run (which will resume in a yet to be announced project), but an excellent way to pass the baton to the upcoming Bat teams so they can make their own stamp on the legend. Read Full Review

It should shock no one who picks up this book that it is absolutely perfect – Scott Snyder is everything Batman needs right now. Those of you discouraged by whatever atrocious mayhem we're forced to sit through during Batman Vs Superman this weekend, should find solace in the fact that at least somewhere Batman is getting the treatment he deserves. Read Full Review

BATMAN #50 is the culmination of nearly five years' worth of stories and a shining example of what a creative team can accomplish when they both love what they're doing and understand their subject matter on an atomic level. Read Full Review

It's unclear what he's going to do now after his latest figurative/kind of literal suicide and, unfortunately, Snyder won't be writing his next chapter. When the new arc starts in May's 52nd issue, James Tynion IV will take over as Snyder moves onto one of the other Batman titles. While Tynion has co-written sections of Snyder's run (including Zero Year and Endgame), it can't help but feel like this may be the end of one of the book's greatest eras. But maybe not. After all, if there's anything Batman is as good at as death, it's rebirth. Read Full Review

This issue was worth the wait. It was worth the build-up, worth the months of Jim Gordon as Batman, worth the troubles with Mr. Bloom, worth the entirety of the We Are Robin comic. This is everything someone could want from a triumphant Batman comic. Read Full Review

The story ends in an epilogue where Gordon is reminded of when he first came to Gotham. The city felt like it said to him, " I was here before you. I'll be here after you." Later he meets up with Batman and he shares he felt the same way. Gordon has come to grips with the city by realizing he's not here to change the city. He can do his best to protect and care for it so that hopefully at the end of his life, he can just let the city know he was there. And that's what Snyder has done here. He knew going into Batman it was scary and a grand project to join. It was here before him and it will exist after he's done with it. He can't change anything really, he just did the best he could so that he could let everyone know, "I was here". Read Full Review

Snyder and Capullo continue to provide great storytelling in Batman as they near the end of their terrific run. Read Full Review

Assuming Batman #51 doesn't turn out to be a disaster of epic proportions, it's safe to say that Snyder and Capullo stuck the landing on their years-long Batman run. This issue is a fitting end-cap not just to "Superheavy," but all 50 issues of the series. It's gorgeously rendered and emotionally stirring, reminding us that a fictional character like Batman can shape and influence the world in very real ways. Read Full Review

Batman #50 is both an action packed and a thematically resonant conclusion to the “Superheavy” arc and Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, and FCO Plascencia's Batman epic. There are a lot of moving parts and MacGuffins flying about in this double sized, definitely worth your $5.99 issue, but Snyder ties it all together through a powerful speech from Jim Gordon about the power of ordinary human beings working together to fix things, like poverty, inequality, and crime. But Batman can only be Batman, and Paquette shows this in the heartbreaking final pages as Julie Madison rebuilds the daycare center that an amnesiac Bruce Wayne built and sadly can't be a part of any more. Read Full Review

Snyder and Capullo dared to do something different with Batman. In every arc, fans have been presented with choices that were sometimes enough to make them cringe. But, at every turn, the creative team proved that they knew what they were doing. Mr. Bloom was perhaps their biggest leap forward, and together, they crushed it. As their run comes to an end, Batman will live on, but the true dynamic duo must part ways. Read Full Review

Even with my very minor qualms, this is an excellent issue, well in keeping with the fantastic work this team has done on Batman since the very beginning. Read Full Review

"Batman" #50 is an excellent farewell of sorts to the character, and another remarkable example of the chemistry between Snyder and Capullo. The uplifting and inspirational message at the issue's core brings their run to a near-close and ends the arc on the highest note possible, shining a bright light on the Dark Knight without betraying the dark nature of the character. Read Full Review

Closing Thoughts: So I think I just broke my personal record for longest review… Like I said, I'm not sure about the new redesigned suit. Capullo draws it great, but I'm leery about how it will look when others do it. I do really hope the fallout of this story arc carries over into future stories. I like how Snyder has handled Duke. He's a very likable character, and I'd hope that Harper Row doesn't suddenly go away either. If this story has done anything for me, it's made me want to see a GCPD S.W.A.T. Bat-team lead by a Jim Gordon Batman, Batwoman… I'm not sure who else, but that gets me excited. I'm also excited to hear the new creative teams heading into Rebirth, which we should hear about this weekend. Read Full Review

Bruce Wayne has taken back up the cowl. It is time for the final show down to begin. And all of Gotham will play their part. Batman #50 is nearly 60 pages of emotional storytelling. Fully worth the pick-up! Read Full Review

I have to divorce my cynicism in regards to the Big 2 (in particular the future of Duke Thomas, considering my lack of faith in DC's direction with a great deal of its teen characters) to say that, in five years Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Danny Miki, FCO Plasencia along with the legions of letterers, editiors and support have crafted some of the best Batman stories in the last decade. And while I have some issues with some of the little details throughout the run, I cannot deny the quality. Read Full Review

Though the understudy has had his time and the real star of the show has once again graced the stage, Batman #50 is one hell of curtain call for Jim Gordon. While the exploits of Bruce Wayne are mainly wish fulfillment, Scott Snyder, in putting Gordon in the suit even for a little while, gave us a Batman that could be us and in doing so, reminded us why Batman matters. Gordon himself even comes to realization as he faces down the horror of Bloom; "He's the superhero who sees in us the heroes that we can be." Superheavy may be remembered for its fantastic artwork or its terrifying new villain, but for me, it will always be the story that showed that anyone could be Batman, and that is worth its weight in Batmantium. Read Full Review

Even when Snyder and Capullo "killed" Bruce Wayne, his return was a foregone conclusion. So the story was never going to be about "Will Bruce Wayne return?" The story that Snyder and Capullo had to tell was "How?" and "Why?" Batman #50 highlights the costs that Bruce Wayne is willing to pay to be Batman but it also shows why James Gordon was the Batman that Gotham City needed to defeat Mister Bloom. This issue features the most optimistic ending to a Snyder/Capullo Batman arc. The battle over the heart and soul of Gotham may be never ending but Gotham has its heroes that are willing to be Gotham's champions. Read Full Review

Batman #50 may not have been the grand spectacle I hoped it would be, failing in certain areas, but what it did do was give us a fitting conclusion to “Superheavy.” It would also see Bruce return to the cape and cowl in a thrilling manner, as despite the design not being to my taste, the symbolism in these events definitely appealed to my fanboy nature. Read Full Review

As far as climactic issues are concerned, this book delivers. We get Batman being the hero we love, storylines wrap up adequately and there's a huge battle to go along with it. Unfortunately the heavy use of dialogue bogs things down and there's a strong sense that things are changing because the next story arc demands it, not because it's earned. Read Full Review

There were good things in this story (Bruce, Julie Madison, the meaning of Batman in issue #49), but it just wasn't for me. I'll continue to pick up anything this team puts out because they are solid. “Superheavy” was just a little too light for me. Read Full Review

With Snyder and Capullo both leaving this book, I would have liked to have a swan song issue, an issue that just blows me away. Instead, I get an issue that makes me glad, this run is finally over. Read Full Review

It's great to have the real Batman back, but that's about the only real takeaway here. Read Full Review

While it's great seeing Batman back in action again and having his genuine interactions with Jim Gordon, this over-sized issue is hurt by the lack of characterization and motivation by our villain Mr. Bloom.  While I was patiently waiting throughout this story arc for the whys and hows about this character, we were given nothing here about it.  Just Batman getting back down to business....... and don't get me wrong, that is awesome all the way through, I was just expecting a little more from this story to have it make sense to me overall.  Read Full Review

I loved Snyder's earlier works on Batman but both “Endgame” and “Superheavy” were disappointments to me. They're unnecessarily long without the meat to justify it. This conclusion is wonderful to look at thanks to the art team but it's a little difficult to read; I had a hard time getting invested in the story itself. I recommend waiting for the trade on this one mainly for the art. Read Full Review

As to the storyline concerning the fall of Gotham (again) by a completely forgettable villain, honestly there wasn't anything here that made me regret giving the title such a wide berth for so long. Hit-and-Miss. Read Full Review

Bigger isn't always better. Snyder's SuperHeavy finale is so nonsensical it will have you questioning your own sanity at times. While I have not been a fan of the current arc, I have never dismissed Snyder's skill as a writer, but this time he let me down. Gone is the level of quality that I could at least count on to hold my interest when the content was lacking. While there is meaning to be found, it's hidden well beneath the piles of rubble that strewn the Gotham landscape. It's a sad day to be a Batman fan. At least for this one. Read Full Review

Batman #50 is an excellent end to the 'Superheavy' arc and serves as a great penultimate chapter to the Snyder/Capullo run. It is going to be a shame once these two leave the title, but this only makes me more excited for what they'll bring in Batman #51 next month. Read Full Review

BATMAN #50 is a perfect sendoff to not only for the “Superheavy” era of the title, but also for Snyder and Capullo's run. They'll be sticking around until the bitter end of the New 52 with BATMAN #52, but if this was their swan song, it's a hell of a way to go out. Batman's return is as action-packed and cool as it should be, but it doesn't overshadow Jim Gordon or Mr. Bloom. The art is superlative, and Capullo exceeds any expectations that fans have of his work. It doesn't get much better than this, folks. All that remains is for Snyder and Capullo to cap off their time with BATMAN, and with two issues left to do it, I'm very excited to see what they have in store. Read Full Review

Linkush

Oct 03, 2023

SUPERHEAVY? more like SUPERUNDERRATED

Joe

Mar 25, 2016

In a world were the leading candidate for the President of the United States on the Republican side of the fence is a nationalist who believes foreigners should be treated with hatred and suspicion, and a bunch of college age people with the mentality of 4-Year Old's believe we should judge and segregate people based on the color of their skin and the genitalia between their legs and somehow get attention, praise, and rules passed for their agenda, this comic's message about how fear of the other and the different leads to nothing but destruction and evil is nothing less then brilliant. I will agree that this conclusion did feel a little rushed, as did the art towards the end, but I love the message, love the villain, I even love Batman's n ew outfit. An excellent conclusion to Snyder and Capullo's excellent run on Batman. more

DarioV

Jul 28, 2016

So Snyder just managed to write a fitting ending to the "Superheavy" storyline, his last long story on the character for this run, and a homage to Batman, Jim Gordon and especially to the heroes no-one ever talks about in superhero comics: the citizens. Sure, the means used to annihilate Bloom and the strange star were quite ridiculous, but we all know that sometimes authors get a little bit too inventive with the final blows of their stories. It was first of all a character study and it worked perfectly for that matter. Capullo is unbelievable as always, drawing an apocalyptic scenery and one of the sickest Batmans ever. These great authors' run is almost over, and this feels like a good example of closure with most of the things Snyder wo rked on in these five years. more

Rasputin

Mar 24, 2016

Snyder is great at building up the story, horrible at conclusions. Had to re-read because I thought I missed the end of Mr. Bloom. I was let down to say the very least.

Gizmo

Apr 26, 2016

It gets over indulgent and confusing even if you are a regular reader; so this is not a jump-on point, by any stretch of the imagination. Still some good Batman nonetheless, I sure am going to miss this creative powerhouse team.

Supes' soups

Mar 23, 2016

This issue was overhyped and disappointing. Considering how good issue #49 was, this was a clunky dud. And bringing yellow back into the costume, really?? I always thought when you're sneaking through the night, you probably don't want to be wearing bright colors, which is also why Robin's suit looks stupid in every way, shape, and form. The Gotham going to $#!% scene with Bloom looked better in issue #40 with the Joker. It's essentially the same stuff right? City is about to go to hell, screaming citizens, bunch of bat people running to and fro trying to prevent disaster. And who cares about Bloom anyways> He was creepy in the beginning and then just became lame. And that Daryl subplot was unnecessary. Probably ruined the good feelings I h ad for issue #44. Overall this was a sloppy mess and no wise conversation between Bruce and Alfred that I was half-expecting to tie things together. Phuck it, Greg and Scott, you take that break from Batman. For an oversized issue, it felt like a mess with an unsatisfactory ending with a lot of loose ends. Who the hell was Bloom, is Alfred's hand ok? Ya know what, phuck it all. Let's reboot this whole $#@!show and come up with some lame synonym for reboot, relaunch? No, oooh how bout rebirth??? more

myconius

Mar 23, 2016

as much as i absolutely LOVE Batman, i'm just happy that this is finally over with!!!! ...there was a time when i wanted Snyder and Capullo stay of this series forever! now i really think it's more than time that they had a break! Capullo's art looks cool, but it just looks like he's burned out from the whole thing? ..... as for the writing??? .... the writing just reads like some teenage fan-fiction written by a kid who's seen Nolan's 'Dark Knight' one TOO many times!!! ....typical overly verbose comic for no real reason at all! .... i am NOT going to miss Snyder's rambling writing style!!! ................. ......thanks guys! ....it's definitely had it's moments!!! ........... ............... ........ ........ ......... ....... ....... ..OH! BTW ..... the new Bat-suit ......HOLY POLYESTER SUIT BATMAN!! ... it looks frikken TERRIBLE!!!!! more

Big Brother

Mar 23, 2016

I don't know what Snyder's been writing, but it ain't Batman.

Mister Bungle

Mar 23, 2016

What is this mess? Why are people telling me I need to read this series? Overrated!