Batman #55

A dramatic set piece brimming with excellent chemistry, and the return of a classic DC Comics foe! Read Full Review

If you've been reading Tom King's Batman, then you've likely figured out that it's the issues that are the quietest in terms of action and major events that end up packing the biggest punch, and that holds true for Batman #55. Read Full Review

Tom King is consistent in rattling cages, the way he sets us up for the emotional dumps that you will inevitably experience reading this issue is almost not fair. He's breaking the rules of comics so to speak, and that's a very good thing if done correctly. It's clear that Bruce is not yet finished with his hardships for as long as King has the reigns on his story. In tandem with the almost pastel gothic style of the art, we are delivered are a very hard punch to the heart. Frankly, I'm not sure how to even rate this properly without seeing the repercussions. At least a 20 for impact as it is now. Read Full Review

Overall I thought Batman #55 was a great read. It has plenty of action, and a great story to back it up. The ending of the book is what really grabs you though and I can't wait to read the next issue! Read Full Review

Overall this is one of Tom King's most emotionally charged and high stakes stories. King has upped the ante again and I can't wait to see what happens when he cashes his chips in. So much hangs in the balance after this one folks, Gotham City won't be the same. 5/5 Read Full Review

It's as good as the first time when the Beast appeared in the 80's. And that's some high praise indeed. Read Full Review

Batman has gone through some very emotional moments and King isn't done putting him through the ringer yet in another stunning and gut punch issue that's only impacted by some unavoidable spoilers. Read Full Review

Now Batman has lost something of great and irreplaceable value to him. Now Batman can justify his self-doubt and pain and rage. The repercussions of this book will no doubt trickle throughout the Bat-titles, so you better strap yourselves in. Tom King has written something daring. Now all we can do is hope that editorial lets him follow through with it in an interesting and genuinely impactful way. Read Full Review

Now, back to my first statement in this review. Things happen. I won't spoil them here, but brace yourselves. Read Full Review

Packed tight with tension and intensity,Batman (2016-) #55 builds to an epic conclusion that'll leave readers picking their jaws off of the floor or, at the very least, excited and eager for Issue #56. Read Full Review

The juxtaposition between the Batman/Nighwing story and the mystery man was well paced and kept me guessing what was going to happen right up until the end. Read Full Review

This is yet again a solid issue of Batman. It's fun and light with a twist at the end that you might see coming, but you might not. All through the lighthearted Batman/Nightwing bits you start to feel dread creep in as it's clear that the KGBeast is not only up to something pretty bad, but nobody has any idea he's even in the country until it's far too late. Read Full Review

Batman #55 was an excellent chapter in Tom King's ongoing run on this series. Throughout the issue King balances having fun of writing Batman and Nightwing working together as the Dynamic Duo alongside with building up tension with what KGBeast was planning. All that tension perfectly built to the final pages of Batman #55 that will have fans talking for a long time. That build up and final payoff makes Batman #55 a must read for any DC Comics fan. Read Full Review

Tony S. Daniel returns to the world of Batman to show us how he is one of the best Batman artists that can draw him in midair jumping from rooftops. He is the right pick for this story also featuring Nightwing. Normally, I would not be a fan of Daniels work not because it is bad, but the Jim Lee style is not favourite. Yet for this tale, capturing the innocence of Nightwing and the limited action afforded by Kings script, Daniel excels. Read Full Review

Batman #55 offers a winning blend of light and dark elements, though the jury is still out on the cliffhanger. Read Full Review

BATMAN #55 is an energetic, haunting issue that continuously builds tension until it detonates in the issue's horrifying, final pages. Read Full Review

King and Daniel construct a comic book that is as intricate as the inner workings of a clock while still packing the pages with plenty of spirit, heart, and fun. It's everything you want in a Batman book. Read Full Review

Still (and I'm starting to sound like a broken record here), this is yet another issue where King has managed to write a stirring, emotionally impactful story that has us dying to find out what happens next. I'm reminded of the Iron Maiden lyric, "For the Devil sends the Beast with wrath." King has done just that. (Does that make him the devil to our Bat-God?) Read Full Review

Batman #55 is a high-quality comic where not much happens, all leading up to a shocking moment that's been spoiled six ways from Sunday weeks before the issue comes out. Read Full Review

The art in this issue has been leaps and bounds better than what weve seen out of this series as of late. The Cold Days arc just wasnt my cup of tea, no offense to those who enjoy Weeks work. This issue just really drew me in and I enjoyed every page. I was pleasantly surprised by this issue, though King has let me down before. He can be brilliant or just downright awful. I refuse to let myself get too excited yet, but I can take this issue as King on his good days. So Im giving this issue 4 stars out of 5. Its a good start to getting back on track to some actual Batman story telling. Read Full Review

I cant recommend this series enough right now. I have no idea how the events of this issue will impact the status quo of the other Bat family books but it would feel strange for it not to touch every single one of them in some way. By now many of you will already know what I am talking about thanks to spoilers being dropped by a few news sites, but for those who have managed to avoid them to this point, prepare to be heartbroken! Read Full Review

A solid issue gets the job done " and then some " in setting up the next big, expansive storyline. Read Full Review

It could be postulated that reviews of his comics easily morph from being a review of the content inside the comic to a review of the content that is possibly inside Tom King's head.Is this what King has wanted all along? Only he can definitively answer that question. Read Full Review

King and Daniel do a fine job setting up the next stage for Batman. The issue was light and breezy with a shock ending. However, the tedious banter and ill-fit art style does bring down the enjoyment a little. Read Full Review

An excellently written piece, that loses opportunity points on how it could be visually built, but more than makes up for it for the virtue of its narrative. "Batman" #55 is another must-have on King's run. Read Full Review

The hole dug for Batman only gets deeper, as the next phase of Tom King's Batman story gets underway. Read Full Review

Tom King continues his run with an issue that is full of fan service moments that can be fun but don't lend themselves to telling any type of overall story.  I'm sure that I will be told that it's all part of the 100+ issue plan, but I need more meat and cheese to keep me going now.  It does end in a huge moment, but depending on where you lie on what you are looking for from DC since Rebirth started, you will either love or hate it.  My gut reaction is that I hate it, but I am willing to wait and see if it can lead to more interesting stories down the line.  Besides that, this issue had great art, some fun moments, but an equal amount of frustration and missed opportunities. Read Full Review

King's been able to do some interesting things with a close adherence to structure in the past, but forcing it into every issue just doesn't work. It's the kind of thing that you don't want to have come across as gimmicky, and unfortunately, it's getting to that territory. Read Full Review

Hollow dialogue and unnecessary character developments make this issue a disappointment for both Batman and Nightwing fans. Read Full Review

RyanSmith28

Sep 19, 2018

A great issue with tons of awesome moments and a shocking ending that keeps you wanting more.

Ken b

Sep 21, 2018

I’m a sucker for good artwork .... so I had to give this book a 10

cincyfan

Oct 12, 2020

This is a fantastic issue!!! First off the art is gorgeous! The book was entertaining and funny until the shocking ending!

Gavan

Jun 29, 2021

An excellently written comic with a shocking ending that perfectly characterized Nightwing & Batman’s relationship. Unfortunately this ending is going to lead to some pretty disappointing Nightwing stories, but that shouldn’t take away from this issue of “Batman”

Linkush

Sep 19, 2018

Fantastic art! and that ending really caught me off guard. Now I want more.

Br'er Lapin AKA 20-Ish Ceiln

Sep 20, 2018

Fantastic. I had this spoiled for me incorrectly like 3 months in advance, the way it was executed was so much more sobering than I was expecting. I also liked the reference to his critics, I am sure that will make them happy. It was such a profoundly repetitive and pretentious moment, I must say.

bucswin611

Sep 19, 2018

Suspenseful, yet funny. Breezy, yet startling. Daniels (though his figures continue to be so thin) works the 9-panel grids very nicely.

Steve C

Sep 20, 2018

Not the best story of the run, but it’s still better than 90% of what’s being published. Daniel’s art is great.

mrDovydas

Sep 26, 2018

Great suspense throughout the whole issue. Don't know what to expect next.

losdutchmen

Sep 20, 2018

I've been out of Batman for a while, but wanting to get back in. I read this last night, yeah the jokes were corny, but I really didn't think that was the point. The jokes, the fight with the mummies, all was a distraction while we watched KGBeast prepare. I think it was clear what was going to happen, but I was still surprised/shocked by the last page. Thats a good thing. The art was mostly good except for a couple scenes that looked like they where the characters looked like they were copy/pasted onto a generic "Gotham" background. In all, I was entertained by the book, even if Batman was too gloomy. I'd like to see how things progress.

ohhaimark

Sep 21, 2018

THE GOOD: -This issue gets recognition for just being such a massive improvement over the previous issue. Whereas issue 54 felt like a pointless filler, this issue takes its concepts and uses them originally and sets up a great new status quo for Nightwing. -Tony S. Daniel's art is excellent. He captures the characters well and portrays a variety of scenes with different feels and moods, expressing his wide talent. -This issue proves that Tom King can be a great writer. This issue has an excellent juxtaposition that works really well. There are a few kinks to work out with the minutia of the writing, but I'll be kind and not ding the score for that. THE BAD: -I still dislike Nightwing's character. He's a poor combination of a nnoying and dumb. It doesn't work. -This issue is a lot of buildup that I can't really settle on whether or not it paid off. Plot-wise, it barely chugs forward, but the buildup to the final scene is very well done. I guess we're dealing with a glass-half-full, glass-half-empty situation here. more

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myconius - Sep 23, 2018

a dozen red roses please.

ohhaimark - Sep 24, 2018

Oh hi johnny, I didn’t know it was you.

myconius - Sep 24, 2018

that's ME! how much is it?

ohhaimark - Sep 24, 2018

Your my favorite customer.

myconius - Sep 24, 2018

keep the change. ...hi doggie! xD

myconius - Sep 24, 2018

if you haven't seen this yet, you really need to! ...this is the Batman/Joker we NEED right now!! XD

myconius - Sep 24, 2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AL0cT-Yi1SU

ohhaimark - Sep 24, 2018

This is the best thing ever.

myconius - Sep 24, 2018

:D

Superheroes for Hire - Oct 27, 2018

I don't mind that the "plot" didn't advance very much, because I prefer comics that tell contained stories. And to that end, this issue tells the story of KGBeast arriving in Gotham and shooting Nightwing. The bad thing is it just isn't a very interesting story.

ohhaimark - Nov 8, 2018

I agree that it isn't a very interesting story, but I do not enjoy plots that are essentially just a couple of events. This usually leads to lots of filler or a very unmemorable issue. This is a purely personal thing.

I Review Comics

Dec 02, 2018

So after doing a deep dive into Batman and Nightwing's relationship in the last issue, Batman #55 starts off with a night on the town with our dynamic duo.  The events of the issue are pretty mundane but beautifully rendered by  Tony S. Daniel and Tomeu Morey. The A Story builds off of the last issue. We get more character development and insight into the relationship between these two men. Batman is stoic as ever while Nightwing is constantly trolling Bruce to get a reaction.  Occasionally the mask slips and we get the impression that Bruce has fun with Dick around but it's more of a subtext than anything that is ever outright stated The other subplot involves the KGBeast making his way through Gotham and setting up shop and getting prepared for a job. The issue culminates with our heroes meeting with Commissioner Gordon as they have countless times in the past. In this instance, as Gordon gives them the rundown Dick is shot in the head by the KGBeast as he leaves the scene. I'm extremely late in reviewing this issue. The big cliffhanger is the only reason to pick up this issue. It comes out of nowhere but the impact is lessened because the solicits were already floating that Nightwing's status quo was about to change dramatically. The rest of the comic is serviceable but is kinda meh in regards to Tom King's current run. We've seen better we've seen worse. In Nightwing's series, he's had a name change and dealing with amnesia. I'm not a fan of the idea because we're just getting over a huge status quo change for the character. If there is a legit story to tell here I won't write the change off completely but. I'm just not a fan of characters being brutalized in this fashion just to shock fans and sell a few books.  This worked with TMNT when Donatello was nearly beaten to death. It didn't work when Black Widow as brutally murdered near the end of secret empire, time will tell.  For more Reviews - https://www.gtmediareviews.com/ more

egonnn244

Sep 19, 2018

"He's just repeating himself 'cause he thinks that's profound" - is Tom King talking about himself? But first things first. The issue alternates between two stories. The first one follows the mysterious Mr. Zimmerman and the second one follows the Dynamic Duo on a patrol. As for Zimmerman part, I have no complaints. We follow him as he is preparing for something, till the very end, it is not clear to what exactly. And when we finally find out... well, I'm still kinda speechless. Nevertheless, it's good. As for the Dynamic Duo part. It's not great. The banter between Nightwing and Batman is pretty week. Dick is trying really, really hard to channel his inner Spider-Man and Bruce acts like a robotic parrot that can only repeat thin gs with no emotion. It gets better for a second with the "chum" conversation which shows that these guys have a past and references (I think) Batman '66. Also, the meeting with Gordon feels really natural. The whole jumping off the roof "contest" I'm gonna skip 'cause it's not worth attention (the banter there - again, not great). Tony Daniel's art is good. Maybe it's not the best one out there, but it is certainly good and works here. As for the ending. SPOILERS!!! SPOILERS!!! SPOILERS!!! SPOILERS!!! SPOILERS!!! SPOILERS!!! SPOILERS!!! So, the mystery man came to Gotham to put a bullet in someone's skull. Initially, I thought it's Gordon, but then I got to the big page that shows Nightwing's head getting perforated. I am surprised and I am interested to see how this story arc is going to evolve. That being said, this is comics. So, unless you're Ben Parker or the Waynes you are not going to stay dead. This fact mitigates the excitement a bit... hm, make that a lot. Truth be told, killing big heroes in comics it not really exciting for me anymore. Sooner or later they will return. Stories themselves might be good, but in some time they won't matter. I'm guessing that by the end of this arc or hell, maybe even in the next issue, Nightwing will be alive and kicking. At least he joined the club Jason and Damian are in. "The Dead Robins Club". Tim didn't really die so he's out. more

Nihilist

Sep 19, 2018

The best issue since #49, but still far from the quality Tom King's first few arcs had. It's overall decent, and surely feels like a huge improvement compared to post wedding comics, but don't hold your breath yet, expecting full recovery. Worth picking up for the cliffhanger and art, though.

Superheroes for Hire

Oct 27, 2018

Eh. This all just seems so forced. The art is fairly good, although a few angles during the fight scenes stretched the characters in weird ways. The dialogue was C quality for most of the book, but it did improve near the end. Tom King subtly snuck in a few self-referential bits of commentary on his run into the background crowd noise. Eh. On one hand, the grunting Batman is tiresome, but on the other hand it is definitely in his character to be a man of few words when on a mission. Mostly I just don't see where this is going. I think it is a desperate move whenever writers resort to killing, maiming, or mind-wiping characters for shock value. One positive for Tom King's writing though: he is excellent at framing the story about the story. His use of crowd conversations, ancillary details, side plots, and subtle character choices does way more to tell the story than any of the "Bams" or "Pows." For me though, this all just is heading in a direction I couldn't care less about. There are no narrative through lines to connect anything going on in this series. You can assume how certain things connect, but every arc is just quickly forgotten. I fully expect to see nothing more about Nightwing beyond this arc. more

MKW69

Sep 19, 2018

Last issue loses It's magic.

daddyT

Sep 20, 2018

is Zdarsky writing Nightwing now? urgh... from a base of 6, this gets a rating of: 6. +1 because: the art was definitely above average. -1 because there was too much stupid humor.

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The-MJP - Sep 21, 2018

No cause Zadarsky would turn in a much better script

Superheroes for Hire - Oct 27, 2018

Honestly, the humor was less concerning than the dialogue as a whole.

KFuqua

Sep 20, 2018

The art was great. but that's really the only plus here. DC needs to get Tom King off of Batman (and any of their hi profile books). He really isn't good and would be better suited to Scooby Doo or one of those titles.

Quinn

Sep 20, 2018

What to say? I get what King is trying to do. I just don't think he did it well. We see Batman and Nightwing fight some mummy monsters. All during this Nightwing talks and talks and talks. He said Batman never liked his puns and then comes up with more puns. Again, I get why. King is trying to show us that Richard is trying to cheer Bruce up. Good idea. The problem is with the execution. It's all surface and cute. We don't actually get a serious conversation. Your mileage may vary, but Richard came off as a dick. (See what I did there?) Basically, it was just clumsy. The second part of the story is KGBeast entering Gotham, buying a sniper rifle and setting up a sniper's blind. The book end with KGBeast shooting Nightwing i n the head when Batman and he respond to a call from the Batsignal. What I liked. The art. Looks like Jim Lee, and was nice stuff. Really liked the art. I tend to like my Batman drawn this way - crisp and fairly realistic. I tend not to like the more abstract versions by people like Kelly Jones. But that's me. I concede that others may prefer more abstract. What I didn't like. As I said, Richard trying to cheer Bruce up. It comes off as superficial, and I didn't find it funny. When something that is supposed to be fun and funny, and I don't find it that way, it can be annoying. But again, humor is subjective. This just didn't work for me. Second objection. King has talked about his days in the CIA. I suspect the way KGBeast enters the country with a false passport, cover story and with contacts needed to buy a sniper rifle reflect King's real world experience. The problem is he needs to find a way to make talking to customs agents exciting. The tradecraft stuff was boring, but took up a lot of space. (An evil I suspect comes from having to write two Batman books a month. Decompression is the obvious result). Third point. A sniper setting up a blind at the Batsignal makes perfect sense. Which is why in this day and age of burner phones makes the Batsignal really stupid. I know it's cool and his the weight of history behind it, but there's a reason they invented the Batphone for the 1960s TV show. So Batman and Nightwing meeting in a public place at a predicted time when that public place has clear lines of sight for snipers to use is just dumb. And Batman isn't supposed to be dumb. One would think he'd do a recon of the area before exposing himself. More realistically, which is a funny thing to say about a man who dresses as a bat and puts youths in danger by dressing them in red and yellow, one meets in a secluded area. That means when the Batsignal is lit, Commissioner Gordon and Batman go to the secret place only they know about that is nowhere near the Batsignal. These days the Batsignal could be activated with a Bat-app on the special Batsmart-phone Batman would give the commissioner. Fourth point. I get it King. No doubt Bane is behind the KGBeeast's actions. It's all a part of Bane's plan to break the Bat. Eliminate his support system. Make him alone, so the big fight (another big fight - these guys must have had like 1,009,034 showdowns already) when it comes will have Batman alone. So when Batman wins, it's a great victory. (I predict he will win either by being awesome and beating everyone up, or two, Batman was never alone and all his Bat friends help him beat Bane and company. Either way is really predictable). So overall I give this a 4 or 5. The idea makes sense. Friend helps friend. But the execution just doesn't work for me. It's full of holes and the humor doesn't work. The art was great and that makes up for a lot, but still doesn't save the issue. Or I could be wrong. more

Talon1load

Sep 20, 2018

The art is the only good thing about this comic. King AGAIN proves he doesn’t know a character in the Batfamily. Shocker.

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myconius - Sep 20, 2018

yup! it's a pity that good art should go to waste like this.

Talon1load - Sep 20, 2018

Agreed.

GhostlyL

Sep 19, 2018

He makes a meta reference to readers' opinion on his stilted script with self-perceived humor 'cause he thinks that'll deflect legitimate criticism and warrant his repetition ad nauseam. --Let's see if a later issue will include a line similar to the one above to fill the space that should be used to tell a good story, and thus create an oh-so-clever meta-ception.

myconius

Sep 19, 2018

UHG! i thought this was the same Tom King that wrote the hit series 'Grayson'. what happened??? did he completely forget how to write the character? Nightwing's jokes were SO bad in this! such painful dialog!!! i was actually almost happy when he got *SPOILER WITHHELD* ! ...also, Nightwing getting *SPOILER WITHHELD* in the *SPOILER WITHHELD* was very predictable. not much comic here. textbook decompression.

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egonnn244 - Sep 19, 2018

I completely forgot about the fact that King wrote the character earlier. Grayson is a great comic. Nightwing here, however? Ugh!

myconius - Sep 19, 2018

i don't know what happened? the Grayson series was so great, ...now i'm wondering if it was a chemistry dynamic between King and Seeley collaborating that made the series what it was?

egonnn244 - Sep 19, 2018

I think you might be on to something. I tried reading Seeley's Nightwing, but it just wasn't the same.

SomeDummy - Sep 19, 2018

I have to admit, Tom King's Joker has made me laugh, but this version of Dick has been a friggen nightmare imo. Every damn joke is such lazy schlock.

myconius - Sep 19, 2018

maybe these are just alternate versions of the characters from a parallel universe? ...or perhaps deranged clones made by Darkseid?

egonnn244 - Sep 19, 2018

Or it's just a dream.

myconius - Sep 19, 2018

or a nightmare! . . . . hahaha! that's IT!!! . . . this was all just a Scarecrow/Mad Hatter team-up! :D

Talon1load - Sep 20, 2018

How did his Joker make you laugh? King does one of the least entertaining Jokers I’ve ever seen. He doesn’t understand the difference between and joke and a riddle but that’s ok because they all suck when he writes them. I’ve yet to see a redeeming quality to any character he’s written.

Æther - Sep 20, 2018

HUH? In Grayson, Dick is out on his own, operating with Bruce over radio only. It was clever to bring out the kid in Nightwing, with Batman being in such a stupor Dick was only trying to lighten the mood, while trying to remind us and Bruce of better days. Yes its cheesy, but it's also fun, warmhearted, and familiar, unlike a lot of you hate filled jaded critics. At a certain point you should realize some people just aren't on your vibe, out minds do not align.. put the comic down, and walk away

myconius - Sep 20, 2018

thanks for the advice mommy.

Talon1load - Sep 20, 2018

I don’t think anyone is confused about whether or not King is the writer for them, they just hate how a character that they love keeps getting shit on while people try to tell them that it smells like roses.

myconius - Sep 20, 2018

Talon1load sums it up perfectly.

Æther - Sep 20, 2018

A character that you love, whom has a very very long history, of which many different types of people love. You cant please everyone obviously, however... Dick Grayson has always been a cheesy kid at heart who grew into a cocky albeit charming fuckboy with fun loving outlook and upright sense of justice. King drew the kid out of Dick, again these are two friends, this is father and son goofing off. Why is this shit? What is so bad? I swear you must be jaded by hate to dislike this comic imho.

Talon1load - Sep 20, 2018

Not jaded by hate just dislike how Nightwing is written to be almost as annoying as Jar Jar. I honestly think that King has no idea how to interact with other humans and that’s why he struggles to depict normal human interactions on the page.

egonnn244 - Sep 21, 2018

Jaded by hate? For the love of Batman just stop Æther. I know that Dick was trying to lighten the mood and Batman was super serious and sad. But it was handled poorly and came out rather cartoonish that "fun, warmhearted and familiar".

Æther - Sep 21, 2018

You think Nightwing was as bad as Jar Jar in this comic? I mean no, it's just not possible... Mesa called Jar Jar Binks, mesa your humble servant! Dissen gonna be bery messy! Me no watchin!Gungans no dyin' withouta fight. Wesa warriors. Wesa got a grand army. That's why you no likin' us, mesa thinks.Icky, icky goo! How wuude! ... and that voice, that fucking voice. It's just dishonest or delusional to compare. You want to pretend like Tom King is some idiot who doesnt human interactions.

Æther - Sep 21, 2018

Yet to me it felt like familiar golden/silver age batman and robin style adventure team-up, just Bruce is really emo as of this moment. It's all ending in more tragedy for the bat, he is broken and now he loses one of the most important individuals in his life.

Æther - Sep 21, 2018

You can hate Nightwings jokes sure, but that doesnt come close to making this a bad comic. To be almost gladened by the ending in this comic as the author of this original review was, is quite frankly sickening. To wish death on a beloved character over a few bad jokes... what can I say, it seems hopeless.

myconius - Sep 21, 2018

Æther stop being a jive turkey.

Talon1load - Sep 21, 2018

Lol. Ok, the Jar Jar thing may have been a bit of hyperbole but the point is that by the end a TON of people were ready for Dick to get shot. That’s how shitty King’s writing is. They’d rather a beloved character was killed than put through his crap again.

Æther - Sep 21, 2018

I understand they want Nightwing dead because he is annoying them, I'm just saying he wasnt THAT annoying. This is a character that has been with us since 1940 if you really like/love Dick Grayson there is no way that was all undone by these last two issues. The Mummy puns, Fan Tom Pharaoh, "Chum", and a tricksters challenge to be daring, are really enough for others to wish death on Nightwing? It should be endearing if you know the history and context of the story. To each his own I guess.

Talon1load - Sep 21, 2018

I think people are mostly pissed that Nightwing is now going to be stuck moving in a direction that was arbitrarily set up by King just to justify making Batman even MORE emotional.

myconius - Sep 21, 2018

don't worry. DC's continuity throughout different titles is always terrible. Nightwing being shot in the head in 'Batman' probably won't even affect any of the other titles.

Æther - Sep 22, 2018

I already saw the Nightwing cover coming up, guess whos shaved head is on the cover with a head wound... this is what comics are about, things change, events happen. Also I dont know why you think this was some arbitrary choice, this is clearly planned, likely by Bane. King is doing the sad bat so good, have any of you actually read Nightfall? Lol the sad batman faces at the end of every comic, he was so emo and scared walking around in a fucking bathrobe comic after comic.

Æther - Sep 22, 2018

It's like you dont even know what real emo pathetic batman is.

Æther - Sep 22, 2018

King is basically writing a better Knight's story arc. While exploring bat mythos with interesting dynamics and characterizations. Yes a writer makes a character sad on purpose to explore or develop something about that person, there is nothing wrong with this.

myconius - Sep 22, 2018

so in the cult of Tom King, do they have you guys shave your head? go out in public places and hand out the left over copies of Batman #1 from Free Comic Book Day?

Talon1load - Sep 22, 2018

Have you read Knightfall? He was wandering around in his robe exhausted because he was fighting every damn villain that Bane had realized. Not just because he was sad. It’s pretty funny when some one tries to make a point but just proves they don’t know what the hell they are talking about. And King isn’t doing a better version of anything.

myconius - Sep 22, 2018

of course he didn't read Knightfall. probably just hopped on the Rebirth bandwagon because comics was the new and 'neat-o' thing to do.

Æther - Sep 23, 2018

Yeah because batman should be getting "sad" because there are just "too many" bad guys around lol your must be fucking joking if you think that's a good reason for a superhero to get upset. Knightfall was totally forced, like that's your job batman stop being such a fucking wimp it was pathetic. You defend the sad bat in Knightfall and give tom kings a hard time. DILLUSIONAL sorry your just being stupid now.

Æther - Sep 23, 2018

Superheroes are not supposed to be good at romance, they arr good at stopping villian first and foremost. Hench why kings story makes sense.

Æther - Sep 23, 2018

And yeah I get in knightfall he wasnt just sad (although he was) he was paranoid, panicked, exhausted. It all happened too fast though, I mean if you wanna talk about arbitrary decisions this seemed like one. They wanted a broken bat, right? So Just look at the leap in change from issues Batman 491-492. He went from being batman, to immediately breaking, right when you need him most. Bane is known for being the first to break the bat, but it was very much '/wave a magic wand' in style.

Æther - Sep 23, 2018

King took Bane and gave him a much better plan of attack. He went for Batmans weakness this time, not his strengths like they did in Knightfall, and then forced him to fail. It all feels much more natural in Kings run.

myconius - Sep 23, 2018

that's wonderful Æther. now please go away.

Talon1load - Sep 23, 2018

Exhaustion is a much better reason than his suddenly forced obsession with being sad that King started in his first issue. Knightfall was sudden but it made sense because everyone knew that he was constantly fighting. Batman hasn’t been constantly sad until now. King’s plan of attack was nonexistent until one panel in 50. So now everyone is supposed to believe he’s behind everything no matter how improbable. When and how did Bane have anything to do with Thomas Wayne or Skeets? It’s bullshit

Talon1load - Sep 23, 2018

Bullshit that was forced in because he knew that people were pissed that he turned out to not have the balls to go through with the marriage. So now all of his sycophantic fans go on and on about how great and amazing his run is because they lack basic deductive reasoning. They, like King, are drawing lines that just don’t fucking exist. This entire storyline is bullshit and if you think otherwise you should probably stop eating paint chips.

myconius - Sep 23, 2018

if some people love this run, fine. i enjoy my share of cheesy entertainment. i thought James Franco was brilliant in 'The Interview' and 'This is the End'. plenty of other people absolutely revile those movies, as i their right. different strokes for different folks. ...Tom King just so happens to be writing my favorite character. once he's done with this run and moves onto another character i'll thankfully never have to read another one of his comics again.

Æther - Sep 23, 2018

#50 was a well thoughtout surprise, and it was long in set up... He presented us with Bane early on, he then pissed off bane, and he kicked his ass, In two complete comic arcs 'I am suicide' and 'I am bane'... This all gives Bane motive, it gives him a much better reason to attack Batman. It has been gradually built up. It's not all a simple ego war like in Knightfall. Also Skeets and Thomas Wayne dont need to be explained yet, it's called mystery. Its not like Obama and spidey were standing there

Æther - Sep 23, 2018

The exhausted bit in Knightfall was awful, Batman could have called the Justice league in for help, this wasnt a plane crashing at that very moment. He could have called for backup, which the real Batman would have done in that situation. Instead he straight panicked as he made scruffy frown face in almost every panel as he shit his pants from the start... you wanna talk about a Batman that didn't feel like Batman, that was it. At least we got Bane from it all, and now hes given a GOOD story.

myconius - Sep 23, 2018

the Skeets and Thomas Wayne twist was not earned in the least. it was just a cheap shock just for the sake of shock. no proper build up whatsoever. there wasn't even any hints, clues or mention of Bane within the first arc or NightofMonsterMen to even tie Bane to Hugo Strange. this is pretty bad storytelling.

myconius - Sep 23, 2018

the time when Knightfall came out DC titles weren't always that quick to cross characters over into other series. it happened once in a while, but not as often as it happens since the New52. ...and it's not like Batman just calls the Justice League every time he has a serious problem. why would comic readers buy a Batman title if he's just going to call in the League. …Knightfall isn’t even my favorite Batman story, but even i have to respect how many reprints it’s earned over the years.

Talon1load - Sep 23, 2018

You wouldn’t know a good story if it hit you in the ass if you think King is doing ANYTHING worth while.

myconius - Sep 23, 2018

i’ve been hearing more and more people say that Tom Kink only knows how to tell one story. …Hero deconstruction, someone unsure of themselves, beaten down, wallowing in self pity. …from what i’ve seen him do to Batman and reading his pitch for Superman in ‘Heroes in Crisis’ i'm inclined to agree with them.

Talon1load - Sep 23, 2018

That is the only thing he does and he doesn’t even do that very well.

myconius - Sep 23, 2018

agreed.

SomeDummy

Sep 19, 2018

creatively bankrupt Someone put Johns back in charge before every hero ends up some depressed ptsd addled pitiful self hating wispy frond of seaweed amnesiac with a weeping head wound. Such fun to read, and all set to the soundtrack of stupid old sitcom jokes.