Chip Zdarsky’s run on Batman officially ends this week with Batman #157. A lot is going on in his final story arc, all of which is wrapped up this week. The Court of Owls is messing about, the Riddler is a super-rich oligarch who must be stopped, Mad Hatter manipulated James Gordon to kill the Gotham mayor, Bruce Wayne’s brother may take his fortune, and the KGBeast has been outed after pretending to be a super-patriotic new Gotham hero. With only sheer will, Batman fixes everything, while Zdarsky puts his final stamp on the character.
Batman #157 is a packed issue with action, interesting speeches, and resolution. It’s a good comic that does a lot while offering up another impossible situation for Batman to escape. Zdarsky did it with Batman hurtling to Earth from space, and he does it again with a passenger plane that will crash into Gotham. It’s a highly satisfying issue, even if characters like the KGBeast are defeated far too quickly due to this story’s lack of pages left.
The issue opens with Batman racing to get on a plane and leaving with Leonid, the mastermind behind much of what is happening. It’s an intense sequence in which Batman pulls off another stunning recovery from near death. Say what you will about Zdarsky’s run, but armed with Jorge Jimenez’s art, the two have crafted some of the coolest sequences for Batman to escape from with only seconds of planning.
Jimenez crushes in this sequence, delivering an epic crash landing and a Batman intensely implementing fast thinking. This leads directly into a fight with KGBeast that’s well-choreographed and intense in a whole other way.
Captions by Zdarsky keep us in Batman’s head, revealing his intensity and focus. Above all else, Zdarsky hammers home by the end of this issue. Batman is just a man with his own issues, as seen by the pounding he gives KGBeast.
There’s also a larger allegorical element to the issue, with Leonid’s intentions connecting to the super-rich Bruce Wayne and KGBeast calling out “invaders” who steal jobs and take handouts. Sound familiar? It adds a little extra edge to the larger picture.
Love the use of blur on this page.
Credit: DC Comics
Meanwhile, Harvey Bullock is trying to assess an explosion at Riddler’s skyscraper, only to find Mad Hatter happily sharing he saved the day. Gordon and Riddler are in a bad way inside the skyscraper as the floor may give out, killing them.
Tony S. Daniel draws the scenes with Gordon, delivering his highly-detailed style with great facial expressions. He has some action to draw, but his scenes are mostly conversational. Given the emotional rollercoaster Gordon has gone through in this series, Daniel nails that and helps set up a new direction for the character by the end.
Aside from the Court of Owls being wrapped up more or less via dialogue, there’s also the matter of Bruce Wayne’s brother. This subplot is given an ample three pages, which helps continue to carve out Zdarsky’s approach to the Wayne family. Anyone afraid of long-term damage to Thomas Wayne’s philandering ways should feel at ease with how that is wrapped up. Zdarsky aptly connects the complications of this supposed brother to their humanity and puts a period on whether or not he’s his brother at all.
If you haven’t guessed by reading this review, you’ll note that the many plots tossed about make this issue feel a tad all over the place. The creative team neatly keeps it all tied down well enough, but it’s easy to see how the Court of Owls was an unnecessary inclusion, more to throw off the reader than to add much substance. Mostly, everything ended here is earned, which is saying a lot since so much was going on in this arc.
Zdarsky’s final issue, Batman #157, delivers a high-stakes, action-packed conclusion that cements his portrayal of Batman as a relentless, resourceful force. Despite juggling numerous subplots, the creative team skillfully wraps up key arcs, though not all elements—such as the Court of Owls—receive the same attention. The dynamic art and intense character moments make this a fitting end to Zdarsky’s memorable run, leaving a legacy of Batman’s unyielding spirit.
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