Batman #150 is written by Chip Zdarsky and published by DC. The book features two stories, the first with artwork by Denys Cowan & Jorge Jimenez, inks by John Stanisci and colours by Tomeu Morey, the second features pencils by Mike Hawthorne, inks by Adriano Di Benedetto and colours by Romulo Fajardo Jr. Both stories are lettered by Clayton Cowles. Main cover art (left) is by Jimenez & Alejandro Sanchez.
Batman #150 is available from today, in print and on digital where all good comic books are sold. Grab your digital copy from Amazon Comixology UK right here.
Synopsis
A milestone issue featuring art by the legendary DENYS COWAN (The Question) and series regular JORGE JIMÉNEZ! When a two-bit crook uncovers Batman’s true identity, he becomes the most dangerous man in Gotham City! Can Batman stop him before it’s too late? Does he even want to?Plus, an Absolute Power backup story by Chip Zdarsky and Mike Hawthorne teaming Batman and Catwoman on the heist of their lives against Amanda Waller!
Review
With Absolute Power in full swing it’s time for each of DC’s main titles to feed in to Mark Waid’s ongoing event narrative. So this week Chip Zdarsky brings us not one but two Bat-stories which present very different angles of the Dark Knight.
“Be Better” which has artwork by Denys Cowan and Jorge Jimenez picks up on a lingering plot thread from the recent Gotham War event. We follow the story of Teddy, one of the goons Catwoman trained to become more than just a simple street thug. When last we saw Teddy he had seemingly uncovered Batman’s true identity. Now he’s looking to cash in on that information and hit the big time.
Bruce becomes a cameo in his own story. A ghost haunting Teddy as he tries to broker deals with a number of higher ups including Two-Face and the Cobblepot kids. It’s a clever angle. Firstly because it gives us a chance to see what life is like on the streets of Gotham following the Failsafe siege. But more importantly we get a better sense of how the criminals of Gotham currently see Batman. Knowing that Absolute Power is an all out assault on DC’s heroes by Amanda Waller it feels apt to see this angle as this exact moment in time.
From a moral standpoint “Be Better” also challenges the reader to put themselves in Teddy’s shoes. What would we do if we had the knowledge of Batman’s true identity? Would I use it for my own personal gain? Or would I simply keep quiet and allow him to continue to be? Teddy has a young family to think of. But what he sees as his own mission to provide for his child soon backfires when his perspective is challenged. Dzarsky perfectly taps in to the mind of a character like Teddy. His lack of insight in to his own actions is startling but not at all surprising. So the moment Batman deposits Teddy in his son’s dorm room plays out the only way it can. With Yuto giving it to his Dad straight, “Be Better” gets right to the heart of its message and culminates in a positive message about the impact Batman can have.
That’s followed by “Brick by Brick”, again written by Zdarsky but this time with pencils by Mike Hawthorne and inks by Adriano Di Benedetto. This one takes place after Absolute Power #1 and picks up on how Bruce reacts in the wake of Amanda Waller’s devastating actions. Though there is still plenty of action, the crux of the story seeks to further explore how Bruce shoulders the blame for the Amazo technology which has been used to capture many of the metahuman heroes across the globe.
This chapter opens deep in to a narration from Bruce as he reminisces on the gun which set him on the trajectory to becoming Batman. It’s an unusually contemplative moment for the Dark Knight but one which builds to an unexpected analogy. We learn that Bruce feels the Failsafe robot is his own smoking gun. Musing that the gun Joe Chill used to kill his parents made the job easy, Bruce likens handing Waller Amazo technology as handing her the keys to defeating each of the former-Justice League heroes and setting her plan in to action.
We learn that Bruce has retreated from Gotham to Blüdhaven in search of Cyborg, who he sees as the heroes best chance to break through Waller’s armour. Unfortunately Waller is one step ahead and has infected Victor with a virus which threatens to shut him down. The story works two-fold. Its foremost purpose is to explore Batman’s place in the story, something which Zdarsky has absolutely no issue in communicating through the agonising emotion in the narration. “Brick by Brick” also acts as a second chapter in the Absolute Power story more than I had anticipated. It explores how the remaining heroes are communicating and coordinating their resistance against Waller.
No spoilers from me, but it leads in to a revelation about how Waller is powering her endeavours and how Bruce intends to disrupt that power. Whilst we’re early days in the event this is still a potentially pivotal revelation and certainly one which will have an impact on the opening salvo of the resistance movement. It signals potentially huge twists right across the next couple of months and I can’t wait to see where it goes.
Verdict
A surprising and honest portrait of the Dark Knight in two very different points in his life. One which reminds us of everything he stands for. Another which shows us everything he’s lost thanks to the choices he has made.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
