BatWatch Reviews: @DCComics Batman #23.4s

Here are today's Guest Reviews by Jeremy Sims from Batwatch for DC's; Batman #23.4 (Bane #1), Batman and Robin #23.4 (Killer Croc #1), and Detective Comics #23.4 (Man-Bat #1). I have also added my rating after each review. If you have any questions about my rating or want to discuss anything just leave me a comment.

See the Review Rating Overview page for more information on how I rate each comic.

Batman #23.4 - Dark Destiny

Batman is gone, and the inmates of Arkham Asylum are running wild in the streets! Bane is in Gotham City with one goal…to take it over no matter who he has to break!

Preview

Bane #1

This is just a super short review since I'm catching up on a month old comic.

Without question, this Bane issue is missing something vital for a solo story. Specifically, it's missing a coherent vision of the Back Breaker from Santa Prisca. I think I get what Tomasi was striving to present; a Bane existing somewhere between his own good and bad instincts, but it came off as a character with no central motivation. He is worshiped as a dictator, a folk hero or even a god, but he does nothing to earn the love he is given and provides only hostility in return for praise, so it becomes impossible to view this story, which is all about Bane as this important figure to his people, in a serious light.

Read the rest of Jeremy Sims' review on Batwatch

My Rating

Cover & Solicit - 4
Art, Colors & Inking - 3
Layout & Flow - 4
Story - 4
Verdict - 3.7 (7.5/10) - (Buy Batman #23.4) SAVE 10%

Batman and Robin #23.4 - Blood in the Water

As the battle for Gotham City continues to build, the scales become unbalanced when the ferocious Killer Croc enters the fray!

Preview

Killer Croc #1

Not being a fan of Killer Croc, I expected very little from this issue, but I found quite a bit more than I expected.

Croc, who is almost always presented as a thug or a monster, is actually represented as sympathetic here. I actually did find myself feeling at least some sympathy for the beast. It was also nice to see him as a sort of niche hero for those society has overlooked and discarded. That's something we've seen in The Animated Series and more recently in Batwoman, and it was nice to see that view of him continued because it is infinitely more interesting than him as simply a giant lizard who eats people. It was also interesting to see that he was originally black. I'd never considered Waylon's ethnicity before, and it's kind of nice to get some color in Batman's almost all white Rogues Gallery.

Read the rest of Jeremy Sims' review on Batwatch

My Rating

Cover & Solicit - 4
Art, Colors & Inking - 4
Layout & Flow - 4
Story - 4
Verdict - 4 (8/10) - (Buy Batman and Robin #23.4) SAVE 10%

Detective Comics #23.4 - Descent

Dr. Langstrom has given in to the Man-Bat side of his personality. Left unchecked in a world without heroes, he brutally stalks his prey in Gotham City! If Langstrom won’t stop himself…who will?

Preview

Premise Promises Popped

I'm just doing a super short review since I'm so far behind.

Man-Bat was a really good Villains Month issue with a lot of tragedy and a little mystery. At first glance, it appears to be the story of Kirk Langstrom's downfall, and unquestionably, there is some of the in it, but shortly after reading it, I found myself wondering again if Langstrom's actions were really that bad. We see Langstrom doing things which are probably hideous, but since we are not given the context leading up to the encounters or the aftermath, there's actually room to view Man-Bat as an antihero. It's probably not the most likely interpretation, but you can make the case.

Read the rest of Jeremy Sims' review on Batwatch

My Rating

Cover & Solicit - 4
Art, Colors & Inking - 4
Layout & Flow - 4
Story - 4
Verdict - 4 (8/10) - (Buy Detective Comics #23.4) SAVE 10%

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Jeremy Sims is a blogger at https://batwatch.squarespace.com/ and a comic book reviewer at Comic Vine. The use of these reviews has been authorized by the original author.