Batman #148

A blockbuster fight for the ages between Batman and Failsafe. Chip Zdarsky pulls together all of the plot threads and neatly ties them in to a satisfying and arresting finale. Whilst Jorge Jimenez brings the action with an incredible series of enormous, high stakes set pieces. Read Full Review

Chip Zdarsky and Jorge Jimnez knocked it out of the park with how they concluded the "Dark Prisons story arc. From beginning to end Batman #148 had everything to make all the build up to this final battle against Zur-En-Arrh worth the journey. From Bruce Wayne's personal growth to the reunion of the Batman Family, this was a great ending that builds greater excitement for what Zdarsky has planned next. Read Full Review

This felt like a perfect wrap-up to Zdarsky's main arcso it's a pleasant surprise that he's not mic-dropping here. He still clearly has a lot left to say on the character, as he's continuing to deliver an all-time great run just like he did on Daredevil. Read Full Review

The Fall and Rise of Bruce Wayne comes to a fever pitch with this strong finale. Zdarsky dives into a few themes that hit their marks with a bullseye. Jimnez, Morey and Cowles hold nothing back when it comes to the action and danger in a face-off fans wont want to miss! Read Full Review

Batman #148 feels like the end of a chapter, and very much like the start of something new at the same time. When one foe's bested, there are frequently more always waiting to take their place. The Bat Family's seemingly back on the same page, but the rulebook is about to be torn up and some devastating new chapters will be added very soon. Read Full Review

Jorge Jimnez's art is phenomenal, bringing the action and emotional moments to life. Overall, Batman #148 is a thrilling and thought-provoking conclusion that cements Chip Zdarsky's place as a strong Batman writer. Pick it up if you're a Batman fan who enjoys character-driven stories with high stakes. If you're new to the current Batman run, you might want to start with issue #143 to get a better understanding of the “Dark Prisons” arc. Read Full Review

Jimenez delivers some beautifully detailed art throughout the issue. The visuals capture awesome action and emotion throughout. Read Full Review

As far as conclusions go, Batman #148 gets a lot done, albeit at a pace that's too fast to really take in. It has plenty of action, and there are resolutions, but if this could slow down and explore more, it'd excel. Read Full Review

Big, bombastic and fun wrap-up to this chapter of Zdarsky's Bat-saga. It's got some creative ways to wrap things up, which I enjoyed. Read Full Review

Batman #148 brings Chip Zdarsky's first major villain arc to a close with big fights, family hugs, great art, and a slapdash sprint to wrap it all up in time for Absolute Power. Never in the annals of comic history has a villain with so much potential been so utterly squandered. Read Full Review

Batman #148 is a long, tiring, drawn-out, emotionless ending. The hubris Bruce points out that led to the creation of Zur-En-Arrh is quickly backpedaled with a silly joke, and it feels like we've gained nothing since the start of this run. Read Full Review

Batman #148 is a fitting conclusion to an inconsistent arc, channeling both the good and bad of the series to wrap up the current plotline. Zdarsky demonstrates his technical prowess in writing even as the story fails to land or connect in a deeply meaningful way, leading to hollow echoes of emotional catharsis. That feeling compounds in Jimnezs artwork, which is full of spectacle that is interesting to gaze at but lacks the compelling storytelling of previous pages. The artwork dips into its worst impulses as it trades substance for flash, peddling over-designed costumes instead of rich expressions and purposeful action. Only Moreys coloring retains its full luster as his version of Gothams palettes retain their twisted beauty. The issue suffers in service of the larger story unfolding at DC (Absolute Power). Hopefully, as Zursafe is shuffled into the event, Zdarsky, Jimnez, and the company will be given more rein to return to more interesting and organic storytelling. Read Full Review

Ultimately, it doesn't feel like any real narrative ground has been made, just Batman learning the same "lesson" he's learned in dozens of recent stories, leaving one to wonder where this title goes next. Read Full Review

The climax to whole Failsafe/Zur-En-Arrh plot acts only to highlight all of the problems that have accumulated thus far. The nonsensical foundation for its entire premise cracks under the weight of even more retcons, contrivances, and tenuous leaps of logic. Finally, Jimnez's art is not sufficient to save a ultimate fight which relies on fake-outs that are both predictable and exasperating. Read Full Review

K-23

Jul 02, 2024

This was a fantastic conclusion to a story that I was glad I gave some patience trusting Zdarsky had a plan and I felt he nailed it. Thought each Robin got their time to shine especially the moments with Jason and really just loved the whole issue. Great action, suspense, and most importantly for me emotional moments.

Screaming Enigma

Jul 23, 2024

A very good finale to this arc. Jiménez’s art is top-notch once again and it only makes this book better. I liked that there wasn’t a backup story this time around, as I felt like there was more room for the main story. I’m really looking forward to what’s next and I hope Zdarsky can maintain this level of quality like he was in this run’s initial arc.

daspidaboy

Jun 04, 2024

Maybe I'm the minority, but I actually liked how everything turned out in the end. Batman finally learns he can rely on other people and be "happy", Jason Todd, Tim Drake, and Damian Wayne get good moments to shine, the action is good, the art is fantastic, and I really do love how Failsafe gets defeated. There were a couple of plot twists, so overall I think this was a good ending to Chip Zdarsky's "Failsafe" story arc that spanned two years.

Psycamorean

Jun 04, 2024

Well, I actually liked this issue. Nothing here is original, but... Good luck finding an original Batman story. I'm not going to harp on it as long as the unoriginality is done well. I think it is here. We escape the morass of this arc's convoluted continuity for a very welcomely simple finale focusing on Zdarsky's strengths as a bat writer, his character work. The only real problem with this is that Absolute Power is coming, we know what's happening in it, and its specter is looming over this story like the sword of damocles.

sawright20

Jun 11, 2024

I like what Zdarsky was doing with his run from the beginning, though he’s has his ups and downs. I didn’t expect the Failsafe story to wrap up this issue, which definitely seemed abrupt. It’s also odd that Failsafe has been so heavily marketed in Absolute Power, so we know this isn’t the end of him. Still, I have enjoyed this arc a lot. Jimenez kills it as usual.

BirdmanG07

Jun 08, 2024

Art was superb. I know many haven’t been a fun of Zdarsky’s run, but I’ve enjoyed it. I do wish it was better. This one felt like it could’ve been better if there was a tad bit more exposition.

Loafy Trophy

Jun 13, 2024

We're over 20 issues into Zdarsky's run now, and it sees like he's finally finding his footing with the finale of Dark Prisons. The Bat-family interactions are great and Chip was able to undo some of the ill-advised missteps from Gotham War.

derbycomics

Jun 04, 2024

Chip Zdarsky gives us a rushed attempt to wrap up this version of Batman vs. Failsafe, this time w/ Zur-En-Arrh & the Bat-family in the mix. For all the time spent getting her, having things "settled" in one issue is cop out in order to clear the slate for Absolute Power's start. We see Batman devisea a plan to defeat Failsafe after admitting he needs the Bat-family's help. Where have we seen that before? Oh, so many other Batman stories! It was interesting that the cover of the issue labels the battle as "Batman vs. Batman" when the emotional beat of the issue is Bruce trusting everyone else & Jason Todd being such a core part of the endgame. Worse, the final plan is so simple you'd have thought Bruce, who gleefully boasts that of cours e he has plan because "I'm Batman, aren't I?" would have thought it up several issues ago. I also find it to be extremely cheap when writers purposefully misdirect readers only to immediately explain things away via a flashback. It's a lazy plot device when you realize nothing else that you've included would indicate where you led readers & now you need to cover your tracks. Perhaps the worst part of it all is that we know this really isn't the end for Failsafe. DC's marketing previously revealed Failsafe as one of the evil trinity, along with Amanda Waller and Brainiac, who will be the main protagonists of the Absolute Power event. And now they expect us to feel something over this ending? Sorry. Nope. The art team attempts to save the issue with some amazing kinetic action sequences and character designs. Morey's colors specifically give the issue a visual identity that makes you want to stay invested in it all. Overall, Batman #148 feels like a missed opportunity to deliver a satisfying payoff to the Batman vs. Failsafe storyline. Instead, it reads like a rushed clearing of the decks for DC's next big event. more

Williamflipper

Dec 18, 2024

I'm done. It's too much. Too stupid.

Lichtinger

Jun 04, 2024

I have read more interesting manwhas and with better consistency.

Quinn

Jun 04, 2024

Well the arc is over. Batman overcomes obstacle and reunites with family again. I would give points for originality except what is this, the 123,887,546 time it’s been done. We have yet another mastermind who, secretly, behind the scenes has manipulated all the players, but this one created both the Joker AND Batman, and DC has again given Bruce an excuse for not being responsible for doing horrible things. The Lazarus Pit again is a get out of jail card that reduces death to being barely an inconvenience. And the family is again reduced to being cardboard cutouts who fulfill roles and don’t reveal character in action. There is a lot of Jason forgiving Bruce for his death, and I guess Bruce forgiving Jason for all the murders Jason c ommitted. Bruce can’t kill but Jason gets a body count. Whatever. And the art was jumbled. Tim’s new costume is a riot of shapes and colors that do not mesh in a pleasant manner. Overall a VERY predictable story that spent YEARS TELLING THE SAME OLD STORY, BUT THIS TIME IT MAKES Bruce look incredibly lame because he again was a pawn of someone else taking away his agency, and gave us yet again another Joker origin that completely removes the mystery of the character. Terrible. Or I could be wrong. more

ItsJess

Jun 04, 2024

Cheesy and lame with a "please clap" ending.