Spinning out of Absolute Power #2 is Batman #151, an issue that’s fully tied into the event. Batman is on a mission to gain an edge on Waller and must break into a place to get that edge. Who better to team up with Batman than Catwoman, who comes along for the ride in a Bizarro battle for the ages?
Batman #151 opens with Cat and Bat chatting about the state of the world. Call it a soft recap of the events so far. Soon, they’re flying off to a secret island with new identities. On top of the superhero fight scenes, writer Chip Zdarsky and artist Mike Hawthorne sneak in a bit of sneaky detective work for the heroes.
If the main story proves anything, it’s that Batman and Catwoman are outmatched against Waller’s goons. The Suicide Squad is protecting the goods on the island, and Bizarro is their heavy. In a great fight scene, Hawthorne makes you believe Batman has all but lost, but some quick thinking keeps him alive for a spell. The most interesting thing about this issue is what Bat and Cat find and how that puts them in danger. That should be interesting to read about in the next issue.
Time for a team up!
Credit: DC Comics
This issue does seem to get stuck in the weeds on some things. It takes a while to get going, and the story spends too much time pointing out that Waller’s military men are open to bribes. The creative team makes the best of an espionage Batman, but this issue feels like it’s forcing its tie-in roots.
Bat/Cat romance fans will enjoy the two’s brief moment in this issue. Given what Zdarsky has been up to with this series, one can imagine he will bring these two love birds back together. That’ll be a win for many fans.
This issue also features a Harley Quinn backup by Tini Howard and Marianna Ignazzi. It has nothing to do with Batman but does tie into Absolute Power. If you were wondering what Harley was up to during this event, this backup story gives you that answer. The story is perfectly fine, albeit quite verbose.
Howard brings Harley’s zany voice up front with captions, and Ignazzi delivers on the comically large hammer. The villain and sometimes hero, Harley, learns the hard way how being a hero doesn’t always come with accolades and parades.
Batman #151 is a perfectly serviceable tie-in to Absolute Power. I can’t say it did a lot to feel like a story worth picking up, but it leaves readers at a cliffhanger that might matter in the grand scheme of things.
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