Batman #130 is published by DC Comics and written by Chip Zdarsky. Artwork is by Jorge Jimenez with colours by Tomeu Morey and letters by Clayton Cowles. Jimenez also provides the main cover (left) with variant covers by Jock, David Marquez and Stjepan Šejić.
Batman #130 is available now in print and on digital where all good comics are sold.
Synopsis
The final chapter in the Failsafe arc reaches its brutal and stunning conclusion! Batman has one desperate, final option…will he walk away from it? The answer will shock you! The early days of the Dark Knight and his relationship with Zur-En-Arrh continues!
Review
When last we left the Caped Crusader he was floating in space with very little oxygen and no hope of rescue. What better way to kick off the finale of writer Chip Zdarsky’s first arc than with a huge set piece?
Batman #130, of course, offers a huge payoff to the cliffhanger of last month with the first seven pages dedicated to Bruce’s descent back to Earth. The scene is briskly written but also masterfully handled by Jorge Jimenez’s incomparable artwork. By this point the team of Zdarsky and Jimenez is the new Snyder and Capullo, producing a blockbuster finale to Failsafe. Oh and thank heavens for the Bat-trunks!
With Bruce safely back on solid ground, there’s time to catch up with Tim Drake for some emotional B-plot action whilst Superman cameos for another fiery battle with the Failsafe android. The flip-flop between smaller emotional moments and huge action sequences are well balanced. A testament to the level of writing which Zdarsky has been able to bring to the arc. The undercurrent of family, particularly the use of Tim, has been incredibly impactful and several panels in this book really packs an emotional punch for fans of these two characters together.
The culmination of the final battle with Failsafe leads in to a massive cliffhanger. One which leaves the fates of a couple of characters up in the air. This big budget stuff. Failsafe has become somewhat of a Doomsday character for Batman. An unstoppable foe which has shaken Batman to his very core. So as the final panel, presumably a tease for next month’s #131, lands there’s a lot for the reader to take away.
This month also wraps the beautiful back story by Zdarsky and artist Leonardo Romero. The classic styling stands so starkly against the more contemporary work of Jimenez on the main story. Both are outstanding artists at the top of their game and worthy of the five stars I’m giving this book. As for the story itself, if you thought this was simply a backup which happened to feature Zur-En-Arrh then you were sorely mistaken. This final chapter rounds out the story and gives some welcome context as to what led Bruce to create Failsafe.
Verdict
Batman #130 brings Zdarksy’s first arc to a close with spectacular action and a tantalising cliffhanger. Both writer and artist are bringing their A-game in an issue which both starts and ends big.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
