Chip Zdarsky’s final Batman story arc kicked off last issue. The mayor has been murdered, a new superhero is in Gotham, and Riddler is up to something. So begins Batman #154, with Jim Gordon and Batman trying to figure out who killed the mayor while the commissioner is Vandal Savage. Things are complicated in Gotham; after you read Batman #154, it’s more complicated than ever.
Batman #154 opens with the crime scene of the mayor’s death. Harvey Bullock is on the scene with his job back intact while Jim and Batman wait outside. This issue leans into the detective side of things more than ever as Batman vows to get to the bottom of the murder. Expect Court of Owls connections and a heck of a cliffhanger.
This issue also reveals a new threat to Bruce, as someone claims Thomas Wayne is his father. Between this, the public unrest toward Bruce, and the cliffhanger, it’s starting to look like Zdarsky is piling up loose plots he didn’t get to. It’s a lot, but it also works, as the scripting is well-paced and keeps you guessing. The pace only feels a bit hindered when Batman confronts Riddler, as the villain is sorely missed.
Funny how Jim and Batman are waiting.
Credit: DC Comics
Artist Carmine Di Giandomenico does a fabulous job on the art side, making Batman look otherworldly in the suit. A shot of Batman standing beside the batmobile is a scene stealer, while Bruce figuring out protestors is an excellent scene. When Batman confronts Riddler there’s a great bit of fight choreography between Batman and the police.
All of these scenes pop thanks to Tomeu Morey’s colors. The panel of Batman with the Batmobile is next level, from the lighting on the headlights to the smoke and city lights behind him.
Aside from Riddler barely being in the issue, there’s also the element of the new red, white, and blue “hero” who pops up. He remains a big mystery with little to go on. Zdarsky is plucking at the current political climate with this character and the rioters–at one point, he calls Bruce a “bad actor,” for instance–but there’s too little to go on. Between this new hero, Vandal Savage, the Court of Owls, and Riddler, it’s hard to know which enemy is the main. Maybe that’s the point, given the mystery of who killed the mayor.
Batman #154 packs a lot of story into a tightly-paced issue. Different threats to Bruce and Batman hang on the mystery of who killed the mayor, making Zdarsky’s final arc feel a touch overstuffed. Still, it’s never boring.
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