Chip Zdarsky and Jorge Jimenez taking over Batman after issue 125

[Mr. White]

Despite the fact I generally prefer more grounded stories for the Bat books, Zdarsky writes an entertaining story. Only on the surface though.

Because when you think about it:

1. We're getting a take over of Gotham yet again (which is boring in itself) following the Bane, Joker and Scarecrow arcs we got over the last few years; and

2. It does not make sense (from a story/in-universe perspective) that Bruce will design something that will be able to take down the entire Leauge. I mean considering the "need" for Failsafe stemmed from the Tower of Babel fiasco, and the subsequent conversation with Superman (last issue), it just defeats the entire purpose.

In effect, Bruce simply designed another "him" and we're back to square one.

**As others have pointed out, seems Bruce makes better villains than his Rogues Gallery. Begs the question why he just doesn't launch Failsafe against Joker and Co...

Guess the simple answer is DC needs to sell books.

[Top Hat]

The thing is, it's been a standing practice for decades in superhero comics that at the end of a writer's run, you put the toys back in the box, so to speak. Every once in awhile you do get something that genuinely changes things up and you see progress made, but you also get a lot of complaining when said changes are made. I'm not necessarily sure I blame Zdarsky for that. If anything, I blame editorial and the superhero genre in general. If you want to see permanent, long lasting changes to characters, you go to the indies.

That’s why I’ve got more into manga in recent years as that mostly has a beginning middle and end. Being endless is the biggest weakness in some way of superhero comics at the big two.

[marvelprince]

Ok so not just me thought that ending was a little weird? I’m still overall quite enjoying this run but the whole “take over Gotham” is just too soon to have that happen again, seemingly out of nowhere. Which is what every bad guy does when they “beat” Batman which just motivates him to come back (which is the stated plan) but then he comes back and wins so I don’t see why Failsafe would play into that. Is there an editorial mandate that states that a bad guy doesn’t matter unless he takes over Gotham for an hour? Still really looking the character work and emotional beats but the level of the escalation seems to much and the takeover element seemed to come from nowhere.

[Godlike13]

This was eeh. The idea is over used, and quite frankly a little op. I mean if Batman can build a robot that can beat the JL I feel like a lot of issues can be solved with those.

[Top Hat]

Why not disband the JL and use an army of Failsafes if they are that powerful.

[Mantis-Ray]

Ok so not just me thought that ending was a little weird? I’m still overall quite enjoying this run but the whole “take over Gotham” is just too soon to have that happen again, seemingly out of nowhere. Which is what every bad guy does when they “beat” Batman which just motivates him to come back (which is the stated plan) but then he comes back and wins so I don’t see why Failsafe would play into that. Is there an editorial mandate that states that a bad guy doesn’t matter unless he takes over Gotham for an hour? Still really looking the character work and emotional beats but the level of the escalation seems to much and the takeover element seemed to come from nowhere.

Its why I keep thinking that Bruce is hallucinating or something cause otherwise the sheer level of escalation is nonsensical

[Mantis-Ray]

This was eeh. The idea is over used, and quite frankly a little op. I mean if Batman can build a robot that can beat the JL I feel like a lot of issues can be solved with those.

Even then its just a robot.

At least Omac was a whole-ass computer system.

[marvelprince]

This was eeh. The idea is over used, and quite frankly a little op. I mean if Batman can build a robot that can beat the JL I feel like a lot of issues can be solved with those.

At this point you’ve gotta wonder how this guy is a league member still. Rampant child endangerment aside, between Tower of Babel, Omacs, Metal and now this he has been directly responsibe for the league being taken down multiple times. In Tomasi and Synders run he actively fought them at points. And every other week his city gets taken over, usually due to something he did (Joker caused chaos with Wayne funds and tech in Joker War, he gave Bane what he needed to control the villains in City of Bane, etc). He’s got a super rigid moral code unless it comes to his murderous children, murderous allies, murderous romantic interests, murderous family members, murderous in laws, and the occasional murderous murderers. Plus he’s mean. Being rich and Superman’s best friend gets you a crazy amount of goodwill (and making up 60% of the publishing line doesn’t hurt but this is really pushing it)

[Frontier]

To be honest it's not that I need this run to be revolutionary or game-changing, especially since Zdarsky is just starting, but it's just that starting out with so many rehashed story bits is just...not that engaging.

Now, Zdarsky seems to want to be around for the long haul, so maybe he's just getting all of this out of the way so he can get to the real meat of his run afterwards. Maybe.

[lefthanded]

Even then its just a robot.

At least Omac was a whole-ass computer system.

You're discounting that this is Batman, and Batman is better than any computer.

Batman Joker took out the whole universe, so I think Batman Robot can at least take out the Justice League.

I'm just waiting for the next issue to reveal that Batman Dog (bring back Ace!) is what is needed to win.

[phonogram12]

That’s why I’ve got more into manga in recent years as that mostly has a beginning middle and end. Being endless is the biggest weakness in some way of superhero comics at the big two.

Exactly. Which is why man preferred Vertigo when it was around.

[MAR420X]

BATMAN #131

[MAR420X]

FOC Date:
10/09/2022

[charliehustle415]

The thing is, it's been a standing practice for decades in superhero comics that at the end of a writer's run, you put the toys back in the box, so to speak. Every once in awhile you do get something that genuinely changes things up and you see progress made, but you also get a lot of complaining when said changes are made. I'm not necessarily sure I blame Zdarsky for that. If anything, I blame editorial and the superhero genre in general. If you want to see permanent, long lasting changes to characters, you go to the indies.

man that's why when a fav writer finishes a run spectacularly on a particular character I tend to take a break for years on said character.

I didn't pick up Batman after Morrison until King started writing him and once he left (kinda) I skipped everyone until Zdarsky; however, for whatever reason Batman doesn't hit the way it used to even with the spectacular art.

I may have to trade wait for a bit to see where I stand with Batman and DC in general.

[phonogram12]

man that's why when a fav writer finishes a run spectacularly on a particular character I tend to take a break for years on said character.

Whoa. I suddenly realize that I may do that without even realizing. I've never been a completist, so if I go through the trouble of picking up a writer's full run, that must mean I really like it and it's rare that the follow-up writer can meet those same lofty expectations I may have. Like you, I skipped everything between King's last issue and Zdarsky's first because I just didn't care for the direction the in between writers took the book. I literally think the only time I picked up nearly every issue from one writer to the next was when Bendis passed Daredevil along to Brubaker way back when. And I think that was only as seamless as it was because their friends and worked together to see how they wanted to hand the book off (and of course it helped that I am a huge Brubaker fan).