Writer: Matt Fraction
Artist: Jorge Jiménez
Colorist: Tomeu Morey
Letterer: Clayton Cowles & Jorge Jiménez
Cover Artists: Jorge Jiménez & Tomeu Morey; Jim Lee, Scott Williams & Alex Sinclair; Julian Totino Tedesco; Gerald Parel; Jorge Jiménez; David Aja; Chrissie Zullo-Uminga
Editors: Jessica Berbey & Rob Levin
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $4.99/ $5.99 (Card Stock) / $7.99 (Foil)
Release Date: February 4, 2026
Dr Annika Zeller wants to help criminals reform. One day, she hopes her Crown of Storms will be as common as a Pacemaker. But it's been an uphill struggle. Dr Hugo Strange attacked her on the Gotham Gang TV show. Killer Croc escaped from Arkham Towers and mistook Gotham Zoo for a smorgasbord. The Riddler broke into her office after hours. And the board of Bruce Wayne’s company doesn’t want to fund her unprofitable experiments.
After surviving attacks from motorcycle ninjas and a samurai made of ravens, how will Annika respond to discovering Bruce Wayne's identity? And after learning that his city has become a labyrinth of crime, can Bruce free Gotham from the Minotaur’s control? Let’s don our armored capes, leap into Batman #6, and see!
Story
The Minotaur put his foot down. Each member of his Torus must work together or suffer the penalty. But as the crime bosses recover from the Minotaur's punishment, their unsanctioned attacks provoke enmity among Gotham's villains, which can only spell further trouble for the Torus.
Yet in Batman #6, Bruce Wayne is concerned with the people in his life. He realizes that fighting crime takes its toll on one's relationships. Like the Torus members' loved ones, discovering Batman and Robin's secret identities places a target on Dr Annika Zeller's attack. But the psychiatrist's immediate reaction is to remind Bruce that he not only has a responsibility to his city, but also to his sidekicks.
As Matt Fraction investigates life among Gotham’s villains and its protectors, he focuses on how strong leaders transform the government. By bending the law to meet his objectives, Commissioner Savage strips people of their voice and creates a climate of fear. Like a Hyrkanian warlord, Batman #6 asks what is best in life: the power to get things done, accumulate wealth, or protect the weak from the strong.
Art
Jorge Jiménez utilizes Old School layouts as characters respond to recent events. He employs a fixed camera position to cover Bruce and Annika's stilted conversation. As Bruce tries to move their relationship forward, Annika erects barriers. After sweeping Annika off her Crocs and announcing they would spend an evening together, the psychiatrist repulses Bruce's attempts at reconciliation. So he leaves her with a symbol of what she values most.
While Tomeu Morey paints scenes with a lavish mix of colors, red dominates the pages of Batman #6. As Bruce and Annika sit on the rear bumper of a yellow-and-red ambulance, police lightbars cast reflections across their silver shock blankets. Red invades the Torus members' limos, and nearly every one of Gotham's protectors exhibits cuts and bruises. The night glows red through a villain's windows as a hated face regards him from yellow-and-red monitors. Huston Gray's red hoodie sounds a warning bell about the costs of protecting Gotham.
Clayton Cowles and Jorge Jiménez fill dialogue balloons and narrative boxes with black uppercase letters amid life-changing trauma. The letters grow bold for intonation and shrink for lowered voices as people process their pain. Large and small white letters in gray fields accompany icons identifying Batman’s tools of the trade as he looks out for those who value his protection. Sound effects heighten monster mayhem, and the hail of bullets that signals the storm building over Gotham. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.
Final Thoughts
Damian Wayne knows what he wants and expects the people in his life to honor his decision. When they don't see things his way, the troubled teen exemplifies Dr Annika's concerns about Bruce's parental skills and grows more dedicated than ever to his ideals in Batman #6.
Rating 9.8/10
To look inside see my preview of Batman #6.
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