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Written by: Chip ZdarskyArt by: Jorge JiménezColors by: Tomeu MoreyLetters by: Clayton CowlesCover art by: Jorge Jiménez, Tomeu MoreyCover price: $4.99Release date: March 5, 2024
Yes, Batman #145 generally works, except for one super-annoying problem that Chip Zdarsky and DC Editorial should have seen coming. What is that problem? Read on.
When last we left Batman, before the poorly-timed Joker: Year One arc, Failsafe returned after Zur-En-Arrh briefly took control of Bruce Wayne’s body to win a brutally decisive fight against the Joker. Joker was left with a broken back, and Failsafe put a battered Batman in an adjoining jail cell, leading to the start of Joker’s tall tale about his first year as the Clown Prince of Crime.
Now, with Joker’s story finished, Bruce makes a strong attempt to escape his jail cell in the underbelly of Blackgate Prison. Meanwhile, Failsafe/Zur-En-Arrh assumes the mantle of Batman and begins an uncompromising takedown of Gotham’s criminals while sweet-talking the Bat Family into believing he’s really Bruce’s consciousness uploaded into the Failsafe shell. Gotham citizens get a front-row seat to Batman in his most authoritarian phase yet… but is it really him?
What’s great about Batman #145? Except for the annoying problem, the issue is action-packed, fast-paced, dramatic, well-plotted, and intriguing. The positive aspects Zdarsky displayed in his writing when he first took over Batman and introduced Failsafe are on full display, so the issue feels like a return to (good) form.
What’s not so great about Batman #145? On the first and last pages, we get a very clear pronouncement that the Joker: Year One story that interrupted the flow and momentum of this series is complete and utter bull hockey. It was all made up, and readers who paid money to get a more definitive take on Joker’s first year have now been told that they got suckered by DC… again.
It’s one thing to interrupt a series for a tie-in to an event or a cooldown for a side story. It’s another to interrupt the series to tell a story about the same characters that appear to be a complete fabrication. How many times is DC going to waste its readers’ time and money?
To be fair, the developments in this issue are potentially exciting, and the steps taken are clearly a setup for this coming Summer’s Absolute Power event. That said, it would serve everyone greatly if DC would get its writing and scheduling act together.
How’s the art? The big deal visual in this issue is Failsafe’s new look as a cyborg version of Batman, and it looks great. Kudos to Jiménez for creating a “new” Batman that looks familiar from the shadows but is different enough close-up to be an intimidating thing that stands on its own.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Bits and Pieces:
Batman #145 delivers great art, action, pacing, and cool plot developments for a present threat to Batman and a future threat to the world in the forthcoming Absolute Power event. That said, this issue almost immediately invalidates the Joker: Year One arc, which means DC Editorial is doing a very poor job by wasting everyone’s time and money.
7/10