Batman #154

Batman #154 is a spotlight on an essential element of the character and wider mythos, reminding readers that the Dark Knights partnership with Jim Gordon makes for compelling stories. Zdarskys script elevates the fairly straightforward mystery with the fun, pulpy dynamic of Bruce and Jim on the case, laying out the track for the mayors murder. When paired with Di Giandomenicos noir linework and Moreys explosive coloring, the atmosphere of the buddy cop whodunit builds to a fever pitch. Another strong issue continues to shape this final arc as one of the most fulfilling in the wider Zdarsky run. Read Full Review

The murder of Mayor Nakano takes a startling shift in the latest Batman chapter. Zdarsky keeps readers on their toes with great twists in the writing. Di Giandomenico and Tormey construct the brooding dark view of Gotham City with the art. Expect some major fallout stemming from these pages. Read Full Review

Zdarsky's run is always fascinating, but I wonder if he's bitten off a bit more than he can chew with only a few issues to go. Read Full Review

This arc has been a nice change of pace for the title made even better by Zdarsky seriously emphasizing the detective aspect of Batman. The Dying City has definitely helped to breathe new life into Batman. Read Full Review

Batman #154 packs a lot of story into a tightly-paced issue. Different threats to Bruce and Batman hang on the mystery of who killed the mayor, making Zdarsky's final arc feel a touch overstuffed. Still, it's never boring. Read Full Review

Overall, Batman #154 is a solid entry in the series. It offers a mix of detective work, action, and character development, making it a satisfying read for fans of the Dark Knight. Batman #154 is a well-crafted issue that sets the stage for an exciting future development in the Batman mythos. Read Full Review

Batman #154 is a slowburner of an issue that explodes into life with a jaw dropping finale. To see where our hero goes next will be extremely intriguing. As somebody very close to him now has dramatically fallen from grace. This will shatter the Dark Knight's moral compass and sense of right and wrong to its very core. With Wayne Enterprises facing public unrest, his potential new family member entering the fray and a coterie of woes to face as Batman The next few issues should be a succession of must read books.. Read Full Review

Zdarsky has provided a very fresh start for this Batman comic and it's a lot of fun. Very focused on the street-level detective side of things. Read Full Review

Batman is drawn into a mystery with very familiar story beats but no clear answers, while groups of anti-charity protestors set the stage for an authoritarian “superhero” antagonist. It's still too early to definitively say much on either the detective mystery or social commentary in Batman #154, but both elements have begun establishing what the central conflicts will be, if not how they'll fit together. Read Full Review

Batman #154 has some interesting elements surrounding it, but ultimately, it feels overstuffed with many storylines. It's starting to becoming worrisome if this arc will get a satisfying conclusion. It'll be rather impressive if Zdarsky does pull it off, but for now, I'd rather stay cautious. Another issue where Carmine Di Giandomenico and Tomeu Morey's combined efforts help provide the issue with the legs it needs. Read Full Review

Batman #154has the seeds of a few intriguing mysteries surrounding a murder and a new vigilante in town. Sadly, Chip Zdarsky resorts to cheap shocks and needless retcons to tear down every father figure in Batman's life, which puts a stinking cloud of desperation over the long-suffering run. Keep your daddy issues to yourself, DC. Read Full Review

Batman #154 is that odd chapters where there are certainly important things that happen but the way it gets there doesn't hit the way it fully intends to. Read Full Review

Batman #154 feels more like a bad drug trip than it does a detective thriller. It's wild, littered with twists, and bogged down by low-hanging-fruit political and social commentary. Worst of all, the art isn't inspiring enough to carry this story forward. Read Full Review

Martin

Nov 10, 2024

Batman 154 is a solid street level story that lets Batman actually be a detective. There is a mystery at play … who killed the mayor? Batman working with Bullock inside the law and Jim Gordon outside the law plays out very nicely. Not 100% sure how Vandal Savage is the police commissioner … I know of the character but not much about him. I of course have to ask why are both Detective and this series screwing around with the history of Thomas Wayne? I mean TWO Bat-titles rewriting Wayne history at the same time!!! Didn’t the editors talk about this? Also WHY disparage Thomas like this - it makes no sense 80+ years out from his introduction and subsequent death. All that aside - a confusing yet sharp cliffhanger will have me comi ng back for the next installment! more

daspidaboy

Nov 06, 2024

this was a good issue, I really like how Batman actually uses detective work and uses a microscope and analyzes everything in the human body. It's so nice seeing Batman being mroe grounded and use his big old detective brain to solve mystery instead of fighting a robot in the multiverse. We need a more grounded take on Batman, and I like how Zdarsky puts in politics in an organic way.

+ Like • Comments (2)

• Likes (1)

• NerdDadBrad

NerdDadBrad - Nov 7, 2024

I agree with you on this one! I hope you don't mind if I read your review on my podcast. It's called Lunchbreak Reviews, and I've been doing several comics lately,

daspidaboy - Nov 9, 2024

I don't mind that, in fact I'm grateful and honored that you read my answer on the podcast

Richardinho

Nov 06, 2024

this issue builds well on the previous one. it's good to see Batman actually doing some detective work again. there's a lot of different threads and is fascinating to see how they are gradually been woven together. I'm looking forward to seeing what the outcome is. I have to say that the ending was a bit confusing. I still don't understand what was going on

NerdDadBrad

Nov 07, 2024

I love a great Mystery for Batman to solve. This one here is pretty good, as there are several that Batman needs to figure out. Who killed the Mayor? Who is Commander Star? What does Edward Nygma & the Court of Owls have to do with it? i really enjoy Chip's Batman, and I've been a fan of Jorge Jimenez's are for a long time now. If I have to give some critisim on this one, is I felt it ran long, and found myself going back to read the page prior a few times, but that is it. Batman seldomly dissapoints, but I'm looking forward to the next issue, what more could I want.

+ Like • Comments (1)

Quinn - Nov 7, 2024

Thanks for the like. I appreciate when people who may disagree overall with my review respect my point. Have a great day.

motorik

Dec 04, 2024

Seems Absolute Batman may have forced Chip to up his game. Pure speculation, of course. This was better.

Screaming Enigma

Sep 05, 2025

Another good issue here. There's still a lot that I like throughout this, however, it does feel like things are moving a bit fast. It's far from enough for me to not like the book, but I do wish we could have more time to flesh some of this stuff out a bit. In any case, this was incredibly solid and I'm still invested.

fthissite

Nov 10, 2024

What happened Chip???? Time to try another character.

Quinn

Nov 06, 2024

Nice art, continuation of a cynical trend I hate. Mainly taking morally good characters and deconstructing them to make them “human.” By That I mean taking good guys and making them creeps. Thomas Wayne has gone from a good man who became a doctor instead of sitting on his trust fund to a guy who cheats on his wife while ignoring her because he cares too much about his career. Leslie Thompkins tells Bruce dad did cheat and could have fathered a child. Bruce’s advisor says give up half his fortune and have”bro” sign an NDA. Why? To save his dead dad’s reputation? To avoid a scandal? Bruce has been in so many scandals, what is one more? Plan makes no sense. Wouldn’t be surprised if advisor is in on the plot. The mayor is dead, and people ask who would kill him? Given his huge number of failures that have resulted in the deaths of thousands is anybody surprised at this? Also, the public hates Bruce Wayne and Wayne Enterprises? Really? Are writers so cynical that they can’t conceive of good people. In War Games, they made Leslie a killer. I think it’s been retconned, but such a cynical move. This issue has Bats lashing out in anger. So he’s a bottled keg waiting to explode instead of a man in control. There’s a new head of Court of Owls? That group has gone from a legend no knew existed to a group all know are real. Just take them down with a forensic accountant. The Riddler is meeting with people, and Bats knows and confronted them. Gives the usual warning about watching them while actually having no evidence and letting their plan unfold and not actually stopping anything. Not a good story. Or I could be wrong. more

ResearchReader

Nov 10, 2024

Trash. Zdarsky is going to go down in the bottom 5 worst batman writers of all time. Secret Half sibling BS has been done a couple of times and scrapped a couple of times because its a terrible idea. Chip must be inhaling his own farts at this point or hates the readers with what he is doing. I feel so bad for the next author who has to clean up this garbage.