Batman #156 is written by Chip Zdarsky and published by DC. Artwork is by Tony S. Daniel, colours by Tomeu Morey and letters by Clayton Cowles. Main cover art (left) is by Jorge Jimenez and Morey.
Batman #156 is available from today, in print and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your copy from Amazon Comixology UK right here.
Synopsis
The GCPD is closing in on their suspected killer—and on Batman! Wayne Enterprises is under attack as Nygma’s plans come into focus. The Owls are not what they seem. Don’t miss the thrilling penultimate issue of “The Dying City”
Review
Gotham City is once again on the brink of disaster as we pick up our first issue of Batman in 2025. There’s not a lot of time left for Chip Zdarsky to complete his run before Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee return for H2sh. But it certainly feels like the culmination of all Zdarsky’s storytelling is pointing us towards a big bang of a finale as Riddler’s plans – and the Court of Owls behind it – begin to come in to focus.
I’ve been a big fan of Zdarsky’s Batman. Each arc has felt like it built on the previous one, pushing the Dark Knight closer and closer to disaster. It certainly felt coming in to “The Dying City” that Bruce had turned a corner, welcome the Bat-Family back in to his life and achieving a new kind of balance in his crime fighting life. But that was before Edward Nygma decided now was the right time to take over Wayne Enterprises, hatching a plan with the Court of Owls to overthrow the balance of power in the city.
Ignoring any behind-the-scenes hijinks which have led to changes in the scheduling of this final run. “The Dying City” arc has felt pretty brisk and therefore fairly lethal. This latest challenge to Bruce’s empire came thick and fast which has meant the story has overall felt the most fast-paced of Zdarsky’s run. As we open to a city on fire in Batman #156 it feels like the poor citizens have barely had time to recover from their last nightmare let alone understand what’s going on with this latest crisis.
Zdarsky taps in to that confusion and angst right across this issue. Whether in showing the response to fighting on the streets or in Batman’s own mission to reach Riddler. The sense of urgency created by the shortened arc and the speed of its story ties in perfectly with the anxiety it creates within its audience. It’s that sense of watching everything fall apart in the penultimate episode of your favourite show right before the season finale lands to reset the status quo.
Batman #156 has a lot of ground to cover, narratively speaking. The involvement of the Court of Owls needs to take some of the spotlight in order to highlight just how far behind-the-scenes this corruption reaches. Having Nygma simply able to take over Wayne Enterprises wouldn’t lands with the same gravitas. Having him backed by the ancient cabal, using their intelligent to foster a mistrust in Wayne and usurp the company just hits in a different way. Of course it also honours the legacy of Scott Snyder and other writers who came before which is always a bonus in a long-running book like Batman.
The small hints at the global consequence of current events, forcing Batman to chase after Leonid and revealing the true identity of Commander Star, really turn the dial up to an eleven ready for Zdarsky’s finale. Coming out of Batman #156 there’s a sense that he won’t be leaving anything behind. Putting everything in to this final arc before Hush returns. It’s exhilarating to read and is certainly immersive in the moment.
Tony S. Daniel deserves credit for keeping up with Zdarsky at this white knuckle pace. Daniel is action sequences all over the city. Beyond the core cast of Batman there’s plenty of larger-scale action which requires for often busy panels. Daniel has long proven himself to be a capable artist but is certainly feels like “The Dying City” sits in a sweet spot which has made him the perfect artist to steer Zdarsky in to his final panels as the captain of the Dark Knight’s ship.
Verdict
As Chip Zdarsky reaches the end of his time on Batman the series is working a break neck speed to bring its current arc to a conclusion. Batman #156 is a sprightly issue which helps to amplify the stakes and portent potential doom for the Dark Knight and his city should he fail to achieve his mission.
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