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May 01, 2019
Damn, this issue was brutal.
Finally, we get a really good issue, and what an issue it is. This issue is fast, brutal and packed with action from start to finish with a lot of awesome moments and great dialogue. And the art! Damn, it was magnificent.
Yes, I'm aware there wasn't a lot of plot progression but I'm sure we'll get it in next issues, especially after that ending. I'm really excited to see where this is going and I can't wait for the next issue.
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May 02, 2019
It was really satisfying to see Batman go on a one-man army run through Arkham after all the depressing stories lately.
Y'know, even if it was all a bunch of villains taking the fall.... Fall and Fallen. I get it.
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May 01, 2019
Wow.
Batman is really falling into the madness and thinks he’s escaping to her. King cites Blake and Dante Alighieri I’m a very clever way.
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May 01, 2019
Finally! A good issue..
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May 01, 2019
The parallelism between this book and the issue #19 is undeniable, even the story itself lets you see it, as I said before, in this run, at least for me, the art is not a problem, this week JanÃn and Fornes did a great job, the action panels were good and the story flows pretty well.
There isn't much story developed but I guess the point of this issue it's to show the readers that Batman has some level of madness and his mind has begun to break.
The bad guys don't fight Batman at all because they are only puppets used by Bane.I guess many of them even didn't want to be in front of Batman.
It has some flaws but in general I enjoyed it but the answers need to come.
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May 06, 2019
Decent issue. Structurally, it's quite similar to the previous issues of Knightmares. But the plot is finally moving forward, and, hopefully, it will improve very soon. Janin's art is better than ever here.
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May 08, 2019
This story was fine, but I'm ready for some progression.
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May 01, 2019
How can an issue with above-average artists, wonderful coloring, and a few good quips amount to an overall "meh"? By re-treading Batman v. Arkham. I am starting to question the bi-weekly series as it leads to padding out.
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May 02, 2019
After Knightmares, it was pretty good. Art is nice and while Batman talks a bit too much, sounding sometimes a bit too edgy, I can live with that. As long as the next issues aren't so off with his dialogue.
But the slow start is an issue here. Usually it isn' necessary, but after Knightmares, which was a waste of 8 issues, it really starts to annoy here, if the progression is still slow.
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Sep 06, 2022
In my Batman #69 review I mistakenly listed it as the end of the Knightmare’s storyline. While #69 was the end of the dream aspects of the story, this is the end of the arc.
In this installment we see Bruce escape from his fear toxin induced coma and make his way out of Arkham Asylum. Along the way we see an extremely angry batman dispatching several rogues while swearing vengeance on Bane.
It is hinted that Bane is secretly controlling the rogues in this comic. I still find it weird when Batman (or any hero for that matter) beating all their rogues in a single issue. These guys tend to give Batman problems in any given issue so having him wreck several villains seems cheap, lazy, and diminishes the characters.
I went back and l
ooked at some of the reviews for this issue when it released in 2019 and fans were giving King a pass because the plot finally moved forward. On that note this issue is an improvement over the last several comics. However, the book continues to be held back by lame dialogue and the weird poetry that Tom King keeps inserting into his scripts.
The art from Mikel Janin and Jorge Fornes is inoffensive, but the art direction is undercut by the lack of any narrative tension in this story. I have seen an angry Batman before; this take seems forced.
In Short: Batman finally escapes his nightmare’s and waltzes into his next story arc.
For more: https://ireviewcomics.substack.com/ more
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Dec 15, 2020
That was definitely better than it has been recently again I liked some of the knightmares books but it went on entirely too long for me and two of them I didn’t care for at all. This moves the story further a little and is clearly a set up for what’s to come. It was decent however I’ll be honest I didn’t care for how effortless it was for Batman and I’ll admit I don’t understand what happened to amygdala and Grundy that was odd. I really don’t like being negative and I’ve had to be on this book lately which is disappointing however it is better and it’s not terrible overall just a rather weak and uninspired book I guess. However I will say the artwork was fantastic the characters were drawn shaded and colored very well so
there is that more
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May 01, 2019
"Sometimes it's very nice to play with the dolls"
This issue is a mixed one. It's uneven, it has some good moments and some moments that make you go "what?". But after months of really mediocre and bad Bat-stories, this was a nice change of pace.
To review this issue I'm going to steal a page out of a fellow reviewer's book and list things that were GOOD and BAD. I hope he won't mind.
This issue had some good moments, so let's start with those:
- well, first of all, we have some actual story progress. Batman finally breaks free out of that nightmare and boring issues inducing machine and takes a stroll through Arkham;
- the fact that he answered the riddle after so brutally taking out the Riddler;
- the part with the Scarecrow.
Masterfully drawn and handled well. I liked how dr Crane with every panel is losing his composure;
- Mike Janin's art. Those pages were fantastic;
- and lastly, it just might be my optimism talking, but it seems that, maybe, emo Bat is out. Make way for the efficient and actually skillful Bat. I hope it's true.
Now, let's tackle the other side of the coin (no, that is not some Two-Face joke):
- again with the poetry as a narrating device. It doesn't elevate the book or makes it smart. It just makes me skip the boxes;
- can someone tell what was the point of Calendar Man's page? Other than the waste of time and page? Cause to me, it just shows that King loves to make every Bat-villain obviously crazy and irrational;
- that whole speech about living the nightmare and being the nightmare. He is vengeance, he is the night, no one said anything about a nightmare. I'm just exhausted at this point with King trying to convince everyone that Batman's life is an unending string of tragedies and misery;
- stuttering Freeze. Do I have to explain this one? I get it, he got scared back in the trial story arc. But he's the scientist, the most rational one. That page felt kinda disrespectful to him;
- and why was Batman laughing after beating Grundy and Amygdala? Did he take a whiff of Joker gas during the fight? I didn't like that, "it was so out of character for him". But seriously, it was weird. I just hope it's not a start of some another boring story, where Batman will be gaining his sanity back.
It seems like we have a tie, five good and five bad things, but considering what we got previously I'm going to say that I enjoyed this issue. I know, I'm surprised myself.
Let's see where this will lead. more
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May 01, 2019
Considerable improvement after months of pointless filler. That said, I do not find this was worth all those wasted issues even if it is much better than the entirety of the past arc.
I believe the “gauntlet†Batman goes through while it does fill the issue with action it just seems like a compressed version of the lead-up to Knightfall, wherein Batman faces multiple villains non-stop in what was presented as one of the most taxing nights of his career. The biggest difference is that no encounter even fazes Batman. He faces Solomon Grundy and Amygdala seemingly only with his fists and leaves unscathed? I find that hard to believe. He’s scarcely even challenged in his exit.
While the issue is full of cool moments, almost as if i
t wants to make up for a prolonged dearth of them, I did not feel particularly moved by this. One comment made by Batman to Scarecrow “I owe you for all the funâ€, I actually found in poor taste because no enjoyment has even been present in this title for months. Nice to know at least in King’s mind Batman enjoyed the torturous nightmare he was stuck in and us readers were subjected to.
I appreciate the change of pace and hope this title keeps moving forward, maybe then it would become a fully satisfying read. As it stands it’d be slightly above average at best. more
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May 01, 2019
Basically this is another filler, because all Batman is doing is beating up his villains& boasting about how great& badass he is, while walking out of Arkham Asylum. That’s really it. It is the same, what Bane did in issue 19.
While I’m happy to see the villains, especially Scarecrow I’m also disappointed how much they are wasted here. They all get beaten with one punch, what makes them look weak& it’s quite boring. Villains should challenge the hero, but if the hero can knock them out so easily it’s just boring. They all deserve better! Speaking of hero, Batman also looks bad here, because he is beating most of the villains with no reason. Some of them are just standing there, not even attacking him& still he is punching& mock
ing them. With some of them like Manbat he is allied in other runs or I don’t know why Kings Batman has such a big problem with Mr. Freeze, since he normally is one of the villains Bruce sympathizes with. Boasting about how great he is also seems out of character for him. I can’t see Batman being so foolish. And at this point I’m asking myself, why Gordon hasn’t arrested him. And I can only roll my eyes about Bruce shouting „I’m living in a nightmare“ 🙄
Since it was Scarecrow‘s fear gas, that lead to Batman’s nightmares I would expect a worthy confrontation with Scarecrow, but all we get is Batman mocking Scarecrow& also beating him with one punch. Batman of course is also immune to Scarecrow‘s fear gas he is using here, what makes it look all too easy for him. The story also leaves it open, if Scarecrow even was the one affecting him or whether Bane just stole a version of his fear gas ( I still say it’s a version gone wrong), what ends up in even more plot holes. If Scarecrow wasn’t the one, then I’m asking myself, why Batman is even punching him, since it’s not Scarecrow’s fault, if someone stole it& used it on Batman. Point is Scarecrow deserves better. He should have stayed in Bludhaven a little longer.
The only good thing about this issue is the art, which is really great, just like the cover& even so the villains are portrayed badly here I’m happy to see them. If that’s how King is going to use them in City of Bane I don’t want to see it& I hope he leaves my favorites out of it.
King is also quoting the Divine Comedy at some point, while I’m a fan of quoting more demanding literature in comics, I say Dante deserves better than being quoted in such a simple story just to make it look intellectual.
more
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May 01, 2019
Issue had good art. However we’ve already seen this not too long ago where he fights everyone in Arkham about Bane. The dialogue was awful, like always. Is there a panel with Man-Bat even though he’s in JLD
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May 01, 2019
Man, was that... underwhelming.
The purpose of a villain in a superhero story is to challenge the hero, make them embrace their best self, grow and learn. None of that can happen when a random sleection of baddies is being taken down one by one by a hero so overpowered he puts Arya Stark to shame.
I'm aware it's just a set-up for something bigger, and Batman is going specifically after Bane, but such a waste of good bad guys, one shotting them one after another, doesn't serve this issue whatsoever. There's no tension, there's no actual stakes, there's no feeling of constant danger that should be present in a place like this.
You can skip it and you wouldn't miss a thing, since we already knew Bruce woke up after the last arc. A horri
ble arc, I may add. This, for now, doesn't look much better, with its disjointed schizophrenic art and non existent narrative. more
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May 01, 2019
While this was an improvement over Knightmares, that’s not really saying much. Batman escapes the nightmare machine, talks like an asshole, and beats the crap out of almost everyone of his rogues in single panels. Really let’s you know how incredibly NOT dangerous and threatening they really are. He even drops Solomon Grundy and Amygdala bare handed without breaking a sweat. Solomon Grundy, who gives Superman pause, got his ass beat in between panels while Batman goes on about being a nightmare himself. People who complained about hating Batgod should be pissed but since Tom King is writing it, most will give him, yet another, free pass. Batman walks straight out of Arkham saying he’ll be back with his team later. If this is all par
t of Bane’s plan, it’s a really stupid plan that is needlessly convoluted. This story, like so many by this writer, makes no sense. Oh, and then there was the public domain literature that is a King staple as well. The art was not bad but, again, was not enough to make up for a poorly written issue. His last arc drug on and on and then this issue Batman takes on almost his entire rogues gallery in single panels. King needs to learn what pacing is because his sucks. Anyway, this was another mediocre issue from an overhyped writer. more
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May 02, 2019
Guys, I don't think you understand how deep this issue is. Did you realize that it's a parallel to the I Am Bane issue where Bane fights the Arkham inmates? Did you realize that Maxie Zeus* was quoting Dante's Divine Comedy? Because it's like Batman is entering the inferno?? Isn't that deep and inspired???
This series is getting schizophrenic. One issue, I like it, the next I'm hating it again. Occasionally, this series gets me drunk enough, but the morning after is always a mess. Can we just talk about how badly this issue is executed? First of all, this should've been the finale of Knightmares. But I guess that arc needed no ending or beginning. That certainly helps with reader enjoyment. Second, why is there such a drastic change in a
rt here? I prefer Jorge Fornes' art over Mikel Janin's art, but I think it doesn't fit at all here. Especially for the random page at which it starts. Third, the villains are just jobbers now. They're objects for Batman to overcome quickly. That Riddler riddle has to be the weakest one I've ever read. I knew the answer before the riddle was even finished. What's up with the "scientifically speaking" part with Freeze? I'm fairly certain that's some weak ass banter. Amygdala and Grundy obviously shouldn't go down so easy. Lastly, the pacing here. Is this run just DC's attempt to see how much they can squeeze out of a reader before they drop this title? Any other book with this type of pace would probably tank. But since it's Batman, people will continue to eat it up. It's basically an impulse at this point. more
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May 04, 2019
THE GOOD:
-Hey, this is a lot better than the last couple of issues of this series.
-I liked that first page. Yes, it's Tom King being gimmicky, but I liked acknowledging that the Knightmares happened.
-I didn't hate Batman's dialogue here, even if "I am the nightmare" is one of the cheesiest lines in a recent Batman comic. At least he wasn't his usual pouty self.
THE BAD:
-Not sure about the art. Jorge Fornes is a good artist, and Mikel Janin is a good artist, but their style just doesn't flow together very well, and there's no real storytelling reason why the art should change.
-Yet another issue that could be done in less pages.
-Aside from maybe Riddler, none of the villains have any sort of character that sets
them apart from the others. They're all just mannequins for Batman to fight which happen to have familiar faces.
-I mean, hasn't this been done before? In the Bane story arc? Even if you liked that, you have to admit, redoing the same thing, with minimal differences, is just lazy.
-What's with Tom King's Calendar Man? He was in one of the first issues, and was pretty original there, but now he just spouts Adam West Batman lines. more
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May 01, 2019
More King tropes in play.
Bats wakes up, meanwhile the text box quotes Rintrah Roars, a poem by William Blake representing the just wrath of the prophet.
Bats beats up everyone in his path to escape Arkham. This is a callback to when Bane beat everyone up to get into Arkham.
Bats does things like punch out Solomon Grundy off panel. He talks to Freeze about how Bats always wins and punches him out, he punches Riddler then solves the Riddle.
Basically a lot of punching in the reverse order Bane punched to get in.
Two-Face tells Bats to go to Hell. Bats tells Harvey to tell Bane he's coming to Gotham, his city.
(This is the 21st century, does no one text?)
The story ends with a character I don't recognize quoting Dante's In
ferno, abandon hope ye who enter here, as Bats heads to the Door With Blinding Light. I guess Gotham is Hell and there's no hope, certainly not in crime alley.
What I liked? The art. It was pretty good.
What I didn't like - everything else. It was, like I said, all King tropes. Using quotes from classic literature to do the heavy lifting. Say what you will about Stan Lee, he wrote the dialogue for a lot of stories and it gave the books character and interest.
The structure is a reverse of Bane's journey. Get it, Bats is the anti-Bane, get it? GET IT? I AM PROFOUND!!!! I DO NOT ACTUALLY HAVE TO GO TO THE TROUBLE OF WRITING ORIGINAL TEXT BOXES OR DIALOGUE, I CAN PAY HOMAGE TO GREATER WRITERS BY STEALING THEIR STUFF THAT IS IN PUBLIC DOMAIN. I AM THE BAT GOD.
The story really doesn't advance from last issue. It starts with Bats waking up, it ends with him walking out a door. He punches a lot of people. There is no wit, no out-thinking anyone, no figuring out a way to get out that doesn't require horrible violence.
Also, just as Bane punched above his class and beat guys like Grundy, who can go toe to toe with Superman, Bats does the same.
Overall a decompressed issue that does nothing and has no cleverness of character or plot. Just mindless action to get a man out a door.
Or I could be wrong. more
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May 19, 2019
This felt like a waste of my time, and kind of an unfair abuse of the villains. How can I ever think of them as credible threats again if they’re so easy to beat?!
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May 06, 2019
Another baby step forward, wrapped up in pretentiousness.
This entire run is written by Otho from Beetlejuice -- a guy so convinced of his artistic greatness that he's oblivious to how buffoonish he looks.
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May 01, 2019
SPOILERS!!
SPOILERS!!
and MORE SPOILERS!!
at long last, Batman FINALLY pulls his way out of the Nightmare machine.
well it’s about damn time!
then Tom King the master of decompression wastes as many pages as he can having Batman march from dummy to dummy, effortlessly punching them out as he goes, and spouting every cliche in the book. even Grundy and Amygdala were knocked out with little to no effort.
then there’s a painfully mismatched shift in the art style. did not fit AT ALL !!!!
in the end we get some swiped dialog from Dante’s The Divine Comedy.
it wouldn’t be a Tom King comic without padding it with as much filler and as little effort as possible.
at least we are more than halfway through this garbage.
Bane
won’t be the one to finally break the Bat, Tom King will! more
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May 07, 2019
Another awful attempt at writing Batman by Tom King. Please DC....get him off of this book and off all major DC characters.
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