Batman #157

Zdarsky and Jimnez leave it all in the pages as their epic run concludes! The thrilling last stand of Gotham is cemented with strong writing and phenomenal art. Readers simply cant afford to pass on saying goodbye and hope this pair returns to Gothams streets sooner than later. Read Full Review

Like the rest of the run, it's a bold swing that works 95% of the time and always provides something new. Read Full Review

Zdarsky's final issue, Batman #157, delivers a high-stakes, action-packed conclusion that cements his portrayal of Batman as a relentless, resourceful force. Despite juggling numerous subplots, the creative team skillfully wraps up key arcs, though not all elementssuch as the Court of Owlsreceive the same attention. The dynamic art and intense character moments make this a fitting end to Zdarsky's memorable run, leaving a legacy of Batman's unyielding spirit. Read Full Review

Zdarsky leaves Batman on a better note at the end of Batman #157. Gordon is back on the police force, Riddler is exonerated for his role in the chaos and Bruce doesn't add another member to the Bat Family. Next up is the latest Hush arc featuring Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee. It'll be interesting to see how the Zdarsky run will be remembered and if creators continue fleshing out subplots he established during this period. Read Full Review

Overall, Batman #157 is a must-read for any fan of the Dark Knight. It's a thrilling and emotionally resonant conclusion to a significant chapter in Batman's history. This chapter is highly recommended for fans of Batman, superhero comics, and epic storytelling. Pick this up! Read Full Review

That tension is felt on every level of the book, as Jimnezs artwork packs one last compelling punch and Daniels cant quite hit the highs of what came before. Moreys coloring and Cowless lettering bring the whole thing together, offering a level of consistency and shadow of what couldve been in an ideal situation. With the hindsight of being at the end, and the totality of the stories told over the last few years, the runs clear strengths and shortcomings come into focus. Overall, the creative team has made a strong mark on the Batman mythos and visual style, creating a fascinating, if sometimes flawed, tapestry in the modern age of the Dark Knight. Read Full Review

Batman #157 delivers an impactful conclusion to Chip Zdarsky and Jorge Jimenez creative run on the series. To the very end Zdarsky challenged Bruce Wayne in and out of the cape and cowl, leaving Batman in a spot you want to see where he goes next. Jimenez and Tony Daniel help elevate the impact of this story to make both the big and small actions pop off the screen. It all leads to a conclusion that highlights how special this creative run on Batman was. Read Full Review

Batman #157 is a fitting epitaph for the Zdarsky tenure. His run has captured this reader's imagination and has been one of the strongest in recent years. An extremely vivid and eventful run, he has certainly provided several memorable moments that will live long in the memory. Now, it is time for Mr Loeb and Mr Lee to revisit one of the greatest Bat-stories of all time. Altogether now…..Hush!…… Read Full Review

Chip Zdarsky, Jorge Jimnez, and Tony S. Daniel land the plane (literally) with a solid closer to a complex arc. Read Full Review

Batman #157ends Chip Zdarsky's troubled run with more Bat God shenanigans. The art is great, and the bigger plot points get resolved, but the ending strains plausibility on multiple levels, so it's a mess. Read Full Review

For all its faults, Zdarsky's run did have a largely planned out story with narratives that took the ideas set up in the very beginning through to the very end. However, that story ended with Batman #149. This final, bonus arc keeps the dubious understanding of its central characters but replaces the concluded Failsafe/Joker plotlines with an incoherent political message that fails to say anything meaningful. Read Full Review

fudo

Apr 11, 2025

maybe too fast in the resolution about the brother

Screaming Enigma

Sep 05, 2025

I don't know, I liked it. The political commentary became even more prominent here, but I didn't dislike that. I did like the story, even if a lot of the pacing was pretty quick. I particularly enjoyed Bruce's interactions with Wil and Jim towards the end of the issue. Really well-written conversations, in my opinion. That said, it's important to note that this was the last issue of Zdarsky's run on Batman. What I'll say is that it's not bad whatsoever. I think I like it, overall, more than some people. However, it started off very strong with Failsafe and even Bat-Man of Gotham, to an extent. I also liked MIndbomb. There was a dip in the second half of Gotham War and with Joker: Year One, but I think things came back to form very nicely wi th Dark Prisons. Alas, at the end of that, the Absolute Power tie-ins didn't end up being my favorite (with the exception of #150). So, I'd say Zdarsky's run was a good one overall, even if this ending was far from the best issue of it. more

Psycamorean

Sep 15, 2025

This story was a solid way to cap off the run. Feels really disconnected from the rest. I honestly think this narrative should've been the overarching one for the whole run. So things could be further fleshed out, instead of rushed like it clearly was here.

Gophfacekillah

Feb 05, 2025

Yeah it’s a bit rushed but it’s not a bad issue. The art is fantastic and Chip at least understands how to write these characters.

BirdmanG07

Feb 12, 2025

Not completely sure how I feel about this one. The revelation on the closing pages and the following reaction doesn’t sit well with me. It fits with what the story is trying to tell, but I don’t know that I truly believe that’s how Batman would react. Overall I did enjoy the run, it had its highs and lows. It wasn’t the best Batman run ever but still decent to solid.

sawright20

Feb 06, 2025

Zdarsky’s time on Batman had some incredible highs and painful lows. This whole arc has felt like something of an afterthought, and this issue ends Zdarsky’s run on something of a whimper. Still, I’m going to miss Zdarsky because he had some great concepts—and I’m REALLY going to miss Jimenez, who has become one of the greatest artists to ever work on this title.

K-23

Mar 05, 2025

Amazing art but everything's so rushed and disjointed that each storyline's conclusion isn't satisfying and the emotional moments aren't earned.

daspidaboy

Feb 05, 2025

this run feels very hollow. The way Batman deals with KG Beast is similar to Devil's Reign, and everything just rushes in the end. Hot take, But I prefer James Tyrion IV run to this. Because as much as it pushed Batman to the side, at least it didn't feel very rushed. Everything about this story felt very rushed. It was very clear that Chip Zdarsky clearly planned to leave after he wrapped up his Zur-En-Arrh. This final story is not bad, but you can tell Zdarksy's heart ain't in it. This arc was just a placeholder until Jeeps Loeb comes in. Zdarsky's run on Batman feels hollow compared to Daredevil is because Batman has been deconstructed multiple times on where he is brought to his lowest point and has to climb to be successful. I don't mind multiple repetitive stories, but when this story was bogged down with Gotham War and Joker year One, it stands out A LOT. Again, James Tyrion IV's run may be boring and wasn't "groundbreaking" but at least it didn't get to the low point like Tom King and Zdarsky. So would I recommend this run? Yes. But only up after Dark Prisons arc concludes. This run isn't bad or polarizing, but it feels like it can be so much more. And that really is a shame. This final issue of Zdarsky Batman run took the wind out of my sails and left me disappointed. I would give Zdarsky's run at most a 7 out of 10, and that's me being generous more

George

Feb 13, 2025

I’m glad it’s finally over. And will be skipping hush 2 so will stick with the other bat books for now.

Smithd33

Feb 06, 2025

It ends. Finally!

flodid

Feb 05, 2025

It was really an average run at best. The visuals were good, but every human is flawed, and Chip Zdarsky is too, case in point with this lukerwarm final issue that had me rolling my eyes at several moments.

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daspidaboy - Feb 5, 2025

what moments had you rolling your eyes?

Quinn - Feb 5, 2025

Foe me, it was Batman lassoing a jet without having his arms ripped off and then landing a jet without wings on a busy street without killing anyone. Save the Superman stuff for Superman.

flodid - Feb 6, 2025

The scene with the jet was ridiculous, bordering on Con Air. Gordon saving the Riddler in a crashing building was also a lot to swallow. But the worst is really the conclusion of the whole thing, with all the toys put away and the morals like "We're all human beings, we're imperfect so let's try to forgive ourselves" Really some stuff we don't need a Batman book to tackle in such an obvious way.

flodid - Feb 6, 2025

And also the whole "I hate firing a gun, but I do what I have to do" oh come on....

Quinn

Feb 05, 2025

Well that happened. The story tied up all the threads so quickly, threads that didn’t have time to play out. So the mystery box stuff just got dumped on the floor. The Russians were manipulating the court of owls because Gotham is their corrupt boogey man. John Wick is unimpressed. The ersatz Captain America was KGBeast. That plot doesn’t make sense. Destroy Gotham to scare Russian public? Why not let the city fester. The way dc has written Batman, nothing he does works and Bruce’s actions are directly responsible for tens of thousands of deaths. For a guy who wants to prevent a child from suffering what he went through, he sure is failing on an epic scale. Gotham is better off without him. Not the message DC wants to give. Don’t ask me what the whole Riddler Mad Hatter plot was about. The court of owls is supposed to be this serious threat, but now is just the stooge for Russians? I never bought the court thing but if you did, it’s now a joke. And the fake brother thing ended in like three pages. Apparently bro just wanted to shake Bruce up and maybe get him to use his money for good. I don’t know, the whole thing made no sense. Also, the lawyers had blood tests and hid them from everyone. That’s not how the law works. The whole arc was so rushed, plot points didn’t have time to play out. Maybe the points would have landed better. I am always leery of politics in comics. Frankly, most writers can’t pull it off. And don’t tell me comics were always political. Saying fascists were bad in 1940 when they were bombing London and Shanghai is hardly the same as trying to do nuanced political and economic commentary without pissing off half the reading audience just doesn’t work for me. But that’s me, your mileage may vary and fair enough. But I found this whole arc sound and fury signifying nothing. Or I could be wrong. more