Batman #138 – Chip Zdarsky, Writer; Jorge Jimenez, Artist; Tomeu Morey, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: This story was hyped up at the start as a showdown between Batman and Catwoman, but they almost feel like a side act by now. It’s been revealed that this is all actually part of Vandal Savage’s plan to take over Gotham, seeking the rare minerals that created the Lazarus Pit, made him an immortal, and turned Joker into… that. His daughter, Scandal Savage, has infiltrated Catwoman’s side and he’s taken over Wayne Manor. A series of flashbacks reveal how far he’s come and how the currently deceased Ra’s Al Ghul played into it. But as he moves in the background, Batman is involved in a far more personal war—with his own family. His obsession with stopping Catwoman has led to Zur-en-Arrh crossing serious lines—including, shockingly, violating Jason’s bodily autonomy by infecting him with a fear gas-based failsafe that will trigger an intense panic attack if he does anything dangerous or violent.
But it’s not just the black sheep of the family who’s the target of Batman’s wrath—even the “Good sons” aren’t safe, with Damian being sent to stop Dick from activating a fail safe and Tim putting his life on the line to confront Bruce. After these segments, it’s painfully clear that there’s very little left of Bruce under the mask, as his twisted alternate personality ensures no one is safe from his wrath. Even Damian discovers the hard way just how little room his father has for compassion right now. This is a brutal story, not just for the no-holds-barred fights between family, but for how ugly it is when Batman actually abandons the code he’s sworn to protect. This almost feels like a deconstruction on the stereotype of “Batman as lonely grim warrior,” and it’s a bit uncomfortable to see at points. But this is turning out to be a far more emotionally-driven storyline than I was expecting from the solicits.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
