Batman #123

Batman #123 is another great issue with fabulous art and color. Batman looks fantastic under Porter's lines and this issue furthers the mystery plot and the good vibes of Damian and Batman fighting together again. Read Full Review

This issue is surprisingly funny at times, but by the end of the main story it pulls back and reminds us of just how high the stakes are here and just how fast things can go horribly wrong. Read Full Review

Batman #123 moves the plot of the “Shadow War” arc along perfectly. We get a nice mix of action and detective work, and one does get the sense that the end is not far away now. This arc has massively lived up to expectations thus far and if this issue is anything to go by, the payoff will deliver in a big way! Read Full Review

Porter does a great job of bringing out both the tension and the tone of the story with art that is wonderfully detailed and visually exciting. Read Full Review

Batman #123 does exactly what it sets out to do: it advances the "Shadow War" arc in some big ways, not only pushing the story forward, but also connecting a few dots as Batman and Robin work together to get to the bottom of who wants a war between Deathstroke and the League. Read Full Review

Shadow War's fifth chapter advanced the story and had some significant developments. The big drawback was Porter's art not really measuring up this installment. Read Full Review

Batman #123 is an okay continuation of the Shadow War story.  I love that we get some Batman & Robin action, but most of the plot feels like it's being stretched to fill up the multiple books involved.  It does look like things are finally heating up by the end of this issue, and that has me looking forward to the next installment. Read Full Review

BATMAN #123 doesn't do much this week other than an attempt to pull on the heartstrings with the final page. Nothing pertinent to the story was uncovered, conversations were overdramatized and out of character, and the art was hard to decipher and edgy. Overall, I feel like SHADOW WAR has turned into a mini crossover event for Williamson-related titles and has almost zero impact on anything else happening at DC COMICS. It's almost as if the story is on its own island. So, if you skip it, you're not missing much which ultimately takes away its importance and weight. Read Full Review

Thanks to some stellar art, Batman #123 is a solid addition to Shadow War. Read Full Review

Batman #123 does a lot to push the narrative of the Shadow War crossover forward. We get some great character moments between Bruce Wayne and Damian Wayne. While the artwork is not this issue's strong point the ending had a strong hook that drives up interest for the next chapter in this story. Read Full Review

Batman #123 delivers a much-needed emotional core to Shadow War that gives this big DC event weight and significance. The art still suffers, but it's bearable. Read Full Review

Williamson will need to pull a rabbit out of his hat to save Shadow War from mediocrity. The shock ending to this issue is almost certainly a bluff, leaving the identity of Deathstrokes tormentor the authors last narrative card to play. Williamsons status as one of DCs go-to writers makes his dud here all the more disappointing, and he needs to work fast to justify this multi-book crossovers existence. Read Full Review

This comic isn't great and quite the opposite of entertaining for me. I don't care about the premise and I don't care about what happens to certain characters. The mystery is incredibly uncompelling to me and as I read this I just don't get the feeling that the creative team gave this all they had. This issue reads more like a ramble than a strong story, and overall this entire event just feels mandatory, which takes away the fun. Luckily we're getting a new creative team next month, which I'm hella excited about. I recommend you skip this issue and wait for Zdarsky and Jiminez to arrive! Read Full Review

Stormwrath

May 03, 2022

Not only the story evolved in a great way, but the character moments in this book are just too good, and Howard Porter's art is insane in this issue, it has never been better

JRW7

Nov 10, 2022

The cover is really good, even though I normally don't like Porter's art style and the cover doesn't really have plot relevance. 1.5/2 The art, even though as I said earlier isn't my style, it just works here and I can't even say that is good, it's absolutely amazing in this issue. 2/2 The dialogue is great, with an extra bonus half-point for this Deathstroke quote: "They're taking one of MY moves...NINJAS WITH GUNS!" 2.5/2 The story is really leading Deathstroke towards his attack against Talia in the climax of the Shadow War, while also helping mend his relationship with Ravager, with the back-up also being really good as well. 2/2 The characters are great with Batman and Damian helping track down the faux Deathstroke mending their relat ionship being a good parallel to Deathstroke and Ravager mending their relationship. 2/2 more

Drasek83

Jul 13, 2022

Great event. I just wish the art was more consistent across the titles.

SnakeWilson

May 03, 2022

I feel secure saying that this crossover is finally at full steam. We continue to get moments of focus on the more human aspect of the characters, Damian wanting to help his new brother feels genuine and cohesive with everything we saw Damian go through all those years we spend reading comics about him. The hunt for Ra's murderer is going much faster now, Slade, who probably already know who he is, has even more motivation to wreck this guy up. Seeing Batman Inc in action is nice too. The art continues to feel weird but not much as the last issue of Batman. The comic ends with a tragic death that did hit me, what a tragic journey. A death in comics that works and has impact is so rare these days. In a way, shame, wasted potential. But i f it works, it works. The backup story was the low point. Batman and Slade newest first encounter had no reason to exist. But this was a good issue, my hype with this crossover lives again. more

daspidaboy

May 03, 2022

Really liked this issue. Solid art amd good pacing.

Comics Code Authorities

May 11, 2022

Not too bad. This is a rather average crossover. If Respawn is indeed dead, he'll probably be back by the end of this story, courtesy of the Lazarus pit. I don't really care because I don't regularly get Deathstroke or Robin. I doubt I'll even know who this imposter is when his identity is revealed either. I'm still also unconvinced Ra's is really dead. For all we know this was a plot to get his hands on Damian and Respawn. Conspiracty theories aside, I think it's for the better Williamson's run won't be a prolonged one. Otherwise it would be a run full of Batman Inc. which I am no fan of. Especially with Ghost Maker, a character I am even less fond of in charge. My biggest hope is that this is the last Batman story to cross over with othe r unrelated titles for a long time. Especially having to start and end with a big expensive Alpha and Omega issue. more

UxasIs

May 13, 2022

Batman - 7.5/10 Backup - 7.5/10

Psycamorean

May 09, 2022

This was a definite downgrade from the front half of this crossover. Not a ton happens here, and what does happen isn't very interesting or exciting. The death of Respawn comes across very forced. I mean, he was a mystery character in Robin, we only just got his backstory in Deathstroke Inc right before this event, and now we're supposed to care that he's dead? I don't. And also, he's possibly and probably not dead? He's got Slade's DNA in him right? He's got the healing factor. He'll be fine. Probably. The backup seemed pretty lifeless. I really don't like the backups in these books. I think they're a waste of time and money, and this backup in particular showcases how the page constraints hinder these backup stories. I hope next issue pic ks things up a bit. more

REYNARD

May 03, 2022

Howard Porter's art is unbelievable in this issue. The action in this book is pretty much what kept me engaged throughout all 22 pages. However, Williamson's dialogue continues to be weak. They didn't have to do my boy Hood like that, and I felt nothing with Respawn's death. Grade-A bait: Prometheus is on the cover and does nothing of importance. I'm pretty sure everyone knows that the masked Deathstroke is Geo-Force by now, and kudos to Williamson for bringing up that Bendis-League arc that no one read with the imposter Deathstrokes.

KFuqua

May 05, 2022

As opposed to others, I think the "artwork" in this book by Porter was just awful. It seems he can't draw people anymore. Story wise, it was fine. Nothing fantastic, but still somewhat interesting.

Quinn

May 03, 2022

The rating is just meant to be neutral because I haven’t read the other parts of the story. I will say the art lacks flow, making the action static. They spend 4 pages getting a nook to say there is a clue in Central City. Spade gets jumped, but that leads to nothing. I don’t know who respawn is. I thought for a second that he was a Todd Macfarlane character. He is a Damian clone and is killed, I guess. All I know is that I don’t care. Also, Batman is using his jet to fly wherever he wants to go. So let me get this straight. He is too poor to buy a home that gives Bruce Wayne privacy and has to live in a row house where neighbors can monitor his movements, but he has the cash to keep a private jet fueled and ready to go at anyt ime. This includes doing the maintenance that private jets require - parts replacement, fuel, a hidden location, maintenance crews, etc. That’s the problem when you try to get “real” in an unreal situation. You end up splitting the difference and that negates both your premises - fantastical situations like a 600 year old villain being killed (Ra’s is not dead forever, we all know that) and brutal reality (how does Batman operate, pay for things). I can’t wait for the status quo to reset and Alfred comes back. Don’t care about this crossover, will glad when it is over. Don’t like this storyline or what I have read of it. Oy. Or I could be wrong. more

The Rumble

May 16, 2022

The crossover has gotten very meh

hector Hammond

May 03, 2022

The problem i have with some of the issues of this event specially the batman ones and the recent deathstroke one is that the things that happens in them could've been a Page or two in the robin book and nothing of Matter would've change and imo the pacing would've been better. the starting point for this event was decent enough ( even though i wasn't a fan of Ra's characterization and Bruce blaming Damian for Alfred's death even though previously he said he doesn't blame him). to me each issue feels like having the same formula of more assassins show up, some crazy fights happen and then it gives you a little bit of plot. i really don't like this pattern and this is the same reason i didn't likE What became of Tynion's batman run during Jo ker war and after. more