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Synopsis
“City of Bane” continues! Bane has taken over Gotham City, and Batman is nowhere to be found. At least, not a Batman anyone recognizes. Flashpoint Batman is now patrolling the city, dispensing a violent brand of justice and taking out rogue villains who haven’t yet signed on with Bane. It’s all building to a rebellion among the bad guys who don’t want to play along— and distrust in those who do! Meanwhile, a surprising ally has come to Bruce Wayne’s aid, nursing him back to health so that he can get back to his city.
Review
Tom King has had his critics, particularly during his run on Batman. But with “City of Bane” it feels like things are all starting to come together.
Elements from all his various arcs dating right back to the beginning of this Rebirth-era are starting to come together to show that there’s more going on than meets the eye.
“City of Bane” is become a complex. global story. With Batman and Catwoman in Paris hiding from the chaos, Thomas Wayne’s Batman and Gotham Girl running the show back in Gotham and various heroes and villains dotted around the map attempting to find their place in the story.
It was interesting to see Kite-Man make a return. He’s been a recurring character and I wonder exactly what his place will be in Bane’s plan going forwards. He’s oddly the emotional centre of this book so I hardly think we’ve seen the last of him after Thomas Wayne crashed through a window and took him down.
I’ve got a funny feeling he may end up on the right side of the law helping Batman to take down Bane and the others.
As for Batman himself, he’s still rather sidelined at the moment. But been incapacitated gives him and Catwoman a chance to reconnect. Their scenes are leading me to believe there will be a reconciliation at some point ready for the Batman/Catwoman series to launch in 2020.
My favourite scenes in this issue were easily those between Tim and Damian. Seeing the two Robins planning on how to help Batman was as exciting as it was funny. Damian claiming he could take down Superman was a perfectly written character moment for him.
King shows throughout the book that he has a good grasp on the characters and their individual personalities. Individuals are well defined and it feels like the story is serving them more than the other way around, a criticism which has often been levelled at him.
The art game in Batman is so strong at the moment. The opening splash of Catwoman is poster worthy whilst the closing splash of the “new” Dynamic Duo is intoxicatingly fear inducing. These are not two “heroes” I want in charge of my city!
Verdict
As the “City of Bane” arc ramps up it feels like we’re entering Tom King’s Batman endgame. Though he has his critics this is shaping up to be one of the best arcs in his 100-issue Batman plan.
8/10
Batman #76 is written by Tom King with pencils and inks by Tony Salvador Daniel, additional inks by Sandu Florea and Norm Rapmund, colours by Tomeu Morey. Cover art is by Tony Salvador Daniel & Tomeu Morey.
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