DC Comics reviews 5/2/23 – The Flash #798, SHAZAM! #1

Batman #135

Chip Zdarsky hasn’t been afraid of taking chances on his Batman run. Even when the results haven’t always worked out it’s nice to see a Batman writer go against the norm to come up with some original story ideas.

This double-sized issue marks the finale of The Bat-Man of Gotham arc as Batman attempts to take down The Red Mask. To do that, Batman is going to have to traverse the multiverse and partner with some familiar faces to stop the would-be Joker.

Zdarsky takes full advantage of this premise to have Batman encounter several different versions of himself including a few with big screen experience. This is the kind of story Grant Morrison would do and have fans raving and Zdarsky makes it just as fun and unpredictable.

With the extra pages, artist Mike Hawthorne gets some backup from Mikel Janin and Jorge Jimenez, who mold their styles to play more in line with the era of Batman they’re handling. It’s pretty impressive work as the trio channel other artists while keeping the story cohesive with the jumps through the Multiverse.

Colorists Tomeu Morey and Romulo Fajardo Jr. likewise have a similar challenge in lighting the respective pages with the right amount of brightness and using the appropriate dark colors to quickly establish the particular Bat era. Letterer Clayton Cowles does fine work with the dialogue boxes and font choices for the different Batmen.

There’s a great payoff to the Tim Drake backup as well as an emotional moment between Batman and Alfred. Zdarsky’s track record might not be 100%, but an arc like this should be encouraging for Batman fans who want something beyond the normal somewhat stale presentation of Batman.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10