Batman #134 – Chip Zdarsky, Writer; Mike Hawthorne/Adriano Di Benedetto, Miguel Mendonca, Artists; Tomeu Morey, Roman Stevens, Colorists
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: Zdarsky’s run on Batman has been one of the most ambitious since Snyder’s, but with this issue it becomes clear he’s aiming for something even crazier. This is a full-fledged multiversal saga, maybe the most ambitious Batman story in decades, and we’re just scratching the surface. The reveal of Red Mask’s identity—a seemingly new character named Darrin Halliday—seems like an anticlimax until one hell of a reveal. What does a sane Joker but one who has become a completely different and maybe even more twisted threat look like? It’s a fascinating question and one that I hope Zdarsky gets to explore beyond this story. But Red Mask, while he may be the biggest thread in this story, is far from the only one.
This story reminds me of the classic early 2000s tale Emperor Joker in some ways, in how it gave us warped versions of iconic DC heroes and villains. The number of cameos in Red Mask’s cells is surprising, as this masked villain has managed to turn half the DCU into his thralls. Among them is Ghost-Breaker, a Venom-addled version of Khoa who has all the brutality, maybe a bit less skill, and even more strength. The showdown between him and Bruce at the end of the main story has some shocking stakes that leave lasting scars—and make me wonder just how the hell this is going to be resolved. Along with the great quiet moments featuring characters like Alfred, it’s absolutely top-notch.
The same goes for the backup, which concludes the Tim Drake story. Tim had successfully rescued refugees from the multiverse and captured Toyman, but now he has an even bigger mission—tracking Batman through the multiverse and rescuing him. Before that, Tim makes an unexpected stop-over in another world where his mother is still alive. Janet Drake, having been killed off very early in Tim’s history, never got much development until now, but this story is a great tribute to Tim’s entire history.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
