Batman #152 – Chip Zdarsky, Kelly Thompson, Writer; Mike Hawthorne/Adriano Di Benedetto, Mattia De Iulis, Artists; Romulo Fajardo Jr, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Chip Zdarsky has taken Batman to some strange places over the course of this run, but the dead world of Czarnia is definitely up there. Batman and Catwoman are going on a couple’s heist to retrieve Amanda Waller’s Mother Box. But when they get there, they’re met with just about every threat in side – not only is the Suicide Squad, including an enraged Bizarro, waiting for them, but there are killer flying scorpions in the air. The first half of this issue is simply a massive fight sequence as Batman takes on this entire forced while Selina sneaks into the base and tries to pull off the most complex heist she’s ever attempted. But it’s what happens when the box opens that really kicks this issue into high gear.
One of the big themes of this whole event has been that Waller has been planning five steps ahead of everyone else. That was clear when it was shown just how long she was working with the other major villains of the story. But this issue ends with a cliffhanger that not just sets up a major development for this event, but for the upcoming massive All In event and the launch of the much-anticipated Absolute Comics line. Before the main story wraps, there’s a great segment with Batman and Catwoman as they share a quiet moment before returning to the war. Zdarsky has been doing great work with this core couple since the start, but with less focus than previous runs. It’s great to see this more restrained scene amid the chaos.
Then there’s the Birds of Prey backup, which finds Kelly Thompson and her The Cull art partner Mattia De Iulis catching up with the Birds before the events of Absolute Power #3. The team has returned to Themyscira despite the bad blood of the first arc, and Dinah tries to sort things out with Nubia while Cass gives the Birds a tutorial in fighting without powers. Sin and her body-sharing partner discover there are still some very unresolved issues, and Barda makes a huge interest. It’s just great to see more Thompson Birds in any format.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
