Wonder Woman #34 Review

 

Wonder Woman #34 Review

Writer: Tom King

Artists: Daniel Sampere & Bruno Redondo

Colorist: Alejandro Sánchez

Letterer: Clayton Cowles

Cover Artists: Daniel Sampere & Tomeu Morey

Variant Cover Artists: David Nakayama; Inhyuk Lee; Annie Wu

DC Pride Cover Artist: Fatima Wajid

Editors: Marquis Draper & Brittany Holzherr

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99/$5.99 Card Stock

Release Date: June 24, 2026

 

Discovering Steve Trevor on Themyscira should have overjoyed Diana. Yet she had battled and slain soldiers to reach the secret prison. Worse, the Matriarch's male soldiers guarded her sacred shores. So, while Elizabeth hugged the father she knew only from her Corgi-chasing trips through time, Diana held back. Then, defying the Gods that allowed the Matriarch to murder her friends and defile her homeland, Diana used Lex Luthor's God Killer sword to carve open a passage to the Underworld.

 

The Gods dislike it when their subjects defy their omnipotence. So, when Diana, Steve, and Elizabeth enter the Palace of the Moirai, the Fates invite another guest to the impromptu party. Can Elizabeth and Lyssa rediscover their childhood friendship? Or must Wonder Woman and the Matriarch fight to the death in Hades? Let’s leap into Wonder Woman #34 and see!

 

Story

The Matriarch smiles, not realizing that the sword stored in her White Palace is a copy. When Diana shatters her sword, the Matriarch is as surprised as when she went too far torturing Superman. But as the Fates debate the origins and meaning of myths, the Matriarch claims that there are more powerful things than gods and their swords. Then she uses her power ring to summon a hard light construct.

 

As the Matriarch confronts Diana in Wonder Woman #34, she recalls how she secured the power ring and what she has done to keep it. While the two warriors fight, Lyssa recognizes that she faces the pride of Themyscira. Diana defeated her mother to become her island's emissary to the world. So, after slaying other superheroes and becoming a world leader, Lyssa regards killing Diana as the final act in securing her domination.

 

While Tom King ponders how we relate to others, he focuses on how we judge our worth and determine what will make us happy. Lyssa may not clothe herself in chains to celebrate her victories. Yet she values strength. As the Matriarch, Lyssa has devoted her life to enduring pain to become the ultimate oppressor. Diana defines herself in different terms. Lyssa thinks she must have everything to be happy. But even amid her greatest trial, Diana protects others and takes only what she needs in Wonder Woman #34.

 

Art

Amid arid terrain, a Green Lantern corpse on the road evokes extraterrestrial events in another reality. As the power ring rises from the still hand in this ravaged future, the red surrounding her eyes defines what drives Tomar-Lyssa. Despite taking place two decades hence, Daniel Sampere and Bruno Redondo adorn the two Amazons in armor that recalls a brutal past, when the strong took whatever they wanted, and might equaled right.

 

As the absolute ruler of the United States wields her hard light sword, the Matriarch’s grayscale hair and armor contrast with Diana's red, white, and blue uniform. The Princess of Themyscira adorns her head, heart, and shoulders with gold in Wonder Woman #34. Yet the scarlet running down their faces defines their anger at what each other represents. While Alejandro Sánchez paints the God Killer sword brown, its organic shape and color link it with the Green, as Diana battles a leader who will destroy everything and everyone to get what she wants.  

 

Clayton Cowles fills white dialogue balloons with black uppercase letters that grow bold for intonation and shrink for lowered voices. As block letters emphasizing diagonals locate us in time and space, offscreen dialogue in colored boxes provides divine commentary. Balloons become clouds with wavering arrows when a speaker digs deep to summon extraordinary willpower. Sound effects enhance a battle before disapproving gods who wonder how the combatants will determine their future. Thanks to DC Comics for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Diana defied Zeus and the order of the Underworld to reach the Palace of the Moirai. Like Steve Trevor, Diana has sinned against the Fates. As she battles the daughter of a woman she sought to rescue, Diana must determine how she will face Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos' judgment in Wonder Woman #34.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Wonder Woman #34. 

 

For what happened last time, see my preview of Wonder Woman #33. 

For what happened before that, see my review of Wonder Woman #32. 

For how The Wonder War story arc began, see my preview of Wonder Woman #31. 

 

Batman #10 Review

 

Batman #10 Review

Writer: Matt Fraction

Artist & Cover Artist: Jorge Jimenéz

Colorist: Tomeu Morey

Letterer: Clayton Cowles & Jorge Jimenéz

Variant Cover Artists: Dustin Nguyen, Jorge Molina, Ryan Sook, Jorge Jimenéz & David Aja

Editors: Jessica Berbey & Rob Levin

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99 US/$5.99 US (Card Stock)

Release Date: June 3, 2026

 

After Mayor Isley gave Vandal Savage a free hand, Bruce Wayne and Barbara Gordon knew the police were coming after them. So as Duke Thomas and Stephanie Brown grabbed what they needed from the Batcaves and destroyed the rest, Bruce played backup while Barbara coordinated their efforts. And when Stephanie stepped into the trap Savage's Tactical Urban Combat Officers laid for her, Barbara sacrificed herself to help Stephanie escape. Now, Barbara is behind bars, and Wayne Manor is as unrecoverable as Barbara's hard drives.

 

As he watched his childhood home burn, Bruce told his son that none of his plans mattered before Damian came along. So, what are Batman's plans? And how will Bruce ensure they make a difference for Damian, Barbara, the rest of the Bat-family, and Gotham?

 

Story

As visions of Barbara Gordon in handcuffs fill TV screens, Commissioner Vandal Savage unveils a new initiative. Citizens can call in and report sightings of costumed vigilantes. The more consequential their intel, the more the informants earn.

 

The next time Bruce Wayne meets with his board, he discovers that they will monitor his movements more closely in Batman #10. After ninjas on motorcycles attacked him and Dr Annika Zeller, the board insists the new bodyguards are for Bruce’s own protection. But as Bruce studies the people around the table, he knows they do not share Miss Marjorie's concerns for Gotham and its inhabitants.

 

While Bruce Wayne’s dream of reforming Gotham via Wayne Enterprises is taking a hit, his Bat-family is scattered and fractured. Yet, as Barbara Gordon recently told Dick Grayson in Blüdhaven, it’s nothing Batman hasn’t suffered before. And although the hologram of his late friend counseled him to help his son Damian cope with failure, Bruce insists he’s not beaten. As Bruce Wayne confronts the problems brewing in his financial empire, Matt Fraction ponders the importance of family in our lives in Batman #10.

 

Art

As Vandal Savage watches Wayne Manor burn, he dominates the center of the page, pushing the Bat sidekicks to the edges. While Savage laughs, the cellphone-shaped panels framing him evoke Huston Gray filming the Police Commissioner planting a Batarang on a corpse. After Vandal Savage smiles for the cameras, Jorge Jimenéz uses silhouettes to show the Commissioner barking orders without facing his subordinates. And although Vandal Savage initiates a staring contest, he looks away first.

 

As Tomeu Morey lavishes a loaded palette on Batman #10, white, blue, black, and tan compare the lives of two men who seemingly have the world by the tail. After a night stained by red, men in black suits sit in red upholstered chairs, while Vandal Savage sits in the Gotham Gang’s red studio. And as Bruce contemplates how to resolve the problems afflicting Gotham amid gray and blue, Jim Gordon defends his city with a blue shirt and gray hair.

 

Clayton Cowles and Jorge Jimenéz enliven dialogue balloons and narrative boxes with a variety of background colors, colored letters, and symbols. Uppercase text grows bold with intonation and swells with raised voices, while shouts transform balloons into stars. Amid difficult times, Stephanie Brown seeks comfort, Duke Thomas offers support, and Damian Wayne embodies peace while sending colorful lowercase texts. While he rejoices, Vandal Savage's bold laughter hits speed bumps. Sound effects accompany Bruce Wayne’s war on misery, alarms and gunfire pierce the air. Yet Batman silently regards another assessing pair of eyes. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

Batman has faced the worst that costumed criminals can throw at him. Yet the dangers facing his city are more centered around commerce and helping the rich get richer. Batman is less interested in interfering with the crime families than in protecting people. Still, he's happy to spread a little anarchy for the right reasons in Batman #10.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Batman #10.

 

For what happened last time, see my preview of Batman #9.

To follow Barbara Gordon's journey, see my preview of Barbara Gordon: Breakout #1.

For Miss Marjorie and Huston Gray, see my review of Batman #3.

For Barbara's conversation with Dick Grayson, see my review of Nightwing #134. 

Batman #10 Preview

 

 

After Mayor Isley gave Vandal Savage a free hand, Bruce Wayne and Barbara Gordon knew the police commissioner was coming after them. So as Duke Thomas and Stephanie Brown grabbed what they needed and destroyed the rest, Bruce played backup, while Barbara coordinated their efforts. And when Stephanie stepped in the trap Savage's Tactical Urban Combat Officers laid for her, Barbara sacrificed herself to help Stephanie escape. Now, Barbara is behind bars and Wayne Manor is as unrecoverable as Barbara's hard drives. 

As he watched his old world burn, Bruce told Damian that none of his plans mattered before he came along. So what are Batman's plans? And how will Bruce ensure they make a difference for Damian, Barbara, the rest of the Bat-family, and Gotham?

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

Batman #10 Preview

Writer: Matt Fraction

Artist & Cover Artist: Jorge Jimenéz

Colorist: Tomeu Morey

Letterer: Clayton Cowles & Jorge Jimenéz

Variant Cover Artists: Dustin Nguyen, Jorge Molina & Ryan Sook

Foil Variant Cover Artist: Jorge Jimenéz

1:25 Variant Cover Artist: David Aja

Editors: Jessica Berbey & Rob Levin

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99 US/$5.99 US (Card Stock)

Issue Length: 40 Pages

Release Date: June 3, 2026

 

 

One Dark Night can’t keep the Batman down!

 

 

The GCPD’s “Operation Peregine” struck a deep blow to the heart of the Bat-Family. But while Savage and his TUCOs celebrate their victory, Batman is about to set the record straight. He knows how to take a punch. He knows how to get back up. And he’s about to show Vandal Savage, the Minotaur, and anyone else who threatens Gotham City exactly what they’re messing with.

 

Superstars Matt Fraction and Jorge Jiménez continue their triumphant run with the best character in comics!

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

 

For what happened last time, see my preview of Batman #9.

For what happened before that, see my preview of Batman #8

For how this series started, see my review of Batman #1. 

DC/Marvel: Superman/Spider-Man #1: Truth, Justice, and Great Responsibility Review

 

DC/Marvel: Superman/Spider-Man #1: Truth, Justice, and Great Responsibility Review

Writer: Mark Waid

Artist: Jorge Jiménez

Colorist: Tomeu Morey

Letterer: Tom Napolitano

Cover Artists: Jorge Jiménez, Arthur Adams, Rafael Albuquerque, J Scott Campbell, Olivier Coipel, Clayton Crain, Gabriele Dell'Otto, Mitch Gerads, Adam Hughes, Mikel Janin, Dave Johnson, Scott Koblish, Stanley "Artgerm” Lau, Jim Lee, Steve Lieber, Josh Middleton, David Nakayama, Daniele Sampere, Rafa Sandoval, Evan “Doc” Shaner, Jeff Spokes, David Talaski & Chrissie Zullo-Uminga

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $7.99/$8.99 Card Stock

Release Date: March 25, 2026

 

Dr. Otto Octavius has a list of achievements that many scientists would envy. Yet, as he works in his laboratory, Otto wonders how people regard him. When he confers with his artificial intelligence assistant, D-Cern fails to give him the answers he seeks. Can Doc Ock ensure people remember him as someone who pushed science forward? And who can help him realize his potential? Let's leap into DC/Marvel: Superman/Spider-Man #1: Truth, Justice, and Great Responsibility, and see!

 

Story

When Peter Parker follows a story to Metropolis, he teams with his friend Clark Kent to investigate a break-in at STAR Labs. The journalists may have arrived too late to grab the headlines. But while Peter studies the forensic evidence, Clark approaches Dr. Klyburn as a friend. Because of their relationship, Dr. Klyburn shares something with Clark beyond the official STAR Labs press release. But if Clark was troubled before, her announcement shocks him even more.

 

In DC/Marvel: Superman/Spider-Man #1: Truth, Justice, and Great Responsibility, Mark Waid alternates the spotlight between Peter and Clark and Otto Octavius and his new partner. While Spider-Man is happy to investigate, Superman drives their investigation. As he forces Spider-Man to keep up, Superman needs help now and then. Yet their concern for others outweighs their worries about protecting themselves.

 

In Mark Waid's story, Otto Octavious fears an inadequate legacy, while his new partner fears for his life. The villains may seek strength by weakening others. But in DC/Marvel: Superman/Spider-Man #1: Truth, Justice, and Great Responsibility, the heroes demonstrate that empowering others uplifts everyone.

 

Art

While Otto focuses on his workbench, his tentacles attend to related tasks in his laboratory. After one tentacle flicks away his phone, the artificial arms take over Otto's project. As Clark Kent and Peter Parker pass through security at STAR Labs, Clark wears a suit while Peter showcases more casual attire. Peter takes photographs of a gaping hole in the wall with the camera hanging from his neck, while Clark opens his spiral-bound notebook as he speaks with Dr. Klyburn. Compared with the industrial setting of Doc Ock's lab, the white walls, glass doors, and gleaming floors imbue STAR Labs with a high-tech appearance. Still, they cannot compare with the futuristic interior of Brainiac's workplace.

 

In DC/Marvel: Superman/Spider-Man #1: Truth, Justice, and Great Responsibility, Tomeu Morey lavishes a rich palette of colors on Jorge Jiménez's art. Dr. Klyburn’s red hair and skirt link with Peter's red polo shirt. But while the journalists don their familiar red and blue costumes, Doc Ock dons a white lab coat to match Brainiac's white clothes. The android's green skin forms a further link with Doc Ock's suit and the power they wield. As Superman and his friend from Manhattan protect Metropolis, his blue and white X-ray vision harkens back to the interior of STAR Labs.

 

Tom Napolitano fills white balloons with black uppercase dialogue that grows bold for intonation, swells for raised voices, and shrinks for lowered voices. Brainiac's white speech inhabits black balloons with red borders. The same sound that hits Superman as he stands near a golden globe attacks the driver of a golden vehicle as Metropolis descends into chaos. Yet amid the sounds of rescues and battle, the dialogue filling straight-edged balloons with jagged arrows strikes fear into the heroes' hearts. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

Like his friend Peter Parker, Clark Kent strives to help others. It troubles him when he sees his friend embroiled in a bad situation. Yet he holds his tongue, knowing every hero must walk their own path in DC/Marvel: Superman/Spider-Man #1: Truth, Justice, and Great Responsibility.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To look inside this first story, see my preview of DC/Marvel:Superman/Spider-Man #1.

Batman #6 Review

 

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. 

Batman #5 Review

 

Writer: Matt Fraction

Artist: Jorge Jiménez

Colorist: Tomeu Morey

Letterer: Clayton Cowles & Jorge Jiménez

Cover Artists: Jorge Jiménez; Jim Lee, Scott Williams & Alex Sinclair; Julian Totino Tedesco; Leirix; David Aja; Mitch Gerads

Editors: Jessica Berbey & Rob Levin

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99/ $5.99 (Card Stock) / $7.99 (Foil)

Release Date: January 7, 2026

 

Commissioner Vandal Savage wants to run the police like a general commanding an army. The news media refuses to show Huston Gray’s cellphone footage of Vandal Savage planting a Batarang at a crime scene. And while Anarky insists that someone is repressing street gangs, the Minotaur demonstrates how far he will go to control Gotham’s underworld.

 

As Batman learns that someone has locked Gotham in a labyrinth of crime, another person is trying to help criminals forge better futures. Dr Hugo Strange may compare Annika Zeller with late 19^th and early 20^th-century Eugenicists who found their ultimate adherent in Adolf Hitler. But Bruce Wayne wants to know more about the psychiatrist whose experimental techniques he is funding. Let’s don our armored capes, leap into Batman #5, and see!

 

Story

Dr Zeller places a premium on her time. She has looked forward to pleading her case to Bruce Wayne. Yet when he gives her the opportunity, she keeps him waiting for nearly an hour outside the Wayne Experimental Sciences Building. Given how he surprised her in her office, Annika is uncertain of his intentions. Annika has worked hard to achieve success. The last thing she wants is to become a rich man's perk.

 

While Annika regards their evening with apprehension, Bruce remains hyperaware of his surroundings. After Dr Strange attacked her on the Gotham Gang, and the Riddler broke into her research department, Bruce knows Annika has a target on her back. So Bruce Wayne keeps alert as he drives the psychiatrist to dinner in Batman #5.

 

Matt Fraction’s Fast and Furious story hums with energy and conflict. Bruce and Annika aren't a married couple looking to rejuvenate their relationship like Phil and Claire Foster. Still, facing death together allows Bruce and Annika to lower their defenses. Bruce sees how she functions under pressure. And Annika learns there is more to Bruce Wayne than a Gotham socialite swanning through life via inherited wealth.

 

Annika's experiments have left a trail of destruction in their wake. His board would prefer to secure lucrative military contracts than fund her expensive experiments. After the Minotaur demonstrates his dominance to his business partners, Bruce clarifies his feelings about the controversial psychiatrist and how he views their working relationship.

 

Art

Dr Zeller designs a better tomorrow using holographic displays. Bruce's Pontiac GTO celebrates the ingenuity of yesterday. Without the sunroof panels, the car's open roof allows Annika's hair to fly free. But motorcycle ninjas tail them as the GTO heads toward Little Tokyo in Batman #5. Jorge Jiménez spices up the high-speed chase with closeups, silhouettes, high-flying attacks, and slow-motion spins. While Bruce keeps his cool, the fright on Annika's face doesn't incapacitate her.

 

Amid all the die-hard action, Tomeu Morey colors Little Tokyo in pink, blue, and purple. Red overtakes the night sky as birds watch Bruce's award-winning driving. While Bruce tells Annika, "You Can Run," the feathered friends that swoop toward them aren't a Flock of Seagulls. After facing the motorcycle ninjas, a new villain appears in Batman #5. While Bruce faces the woman clad in black, white, and yellow-gold, Annika clasps a pink box wrapped in a yellow-gold ribbon.

 

Clayton Cowles and Jorge Jiménez fill dialogue balloons and narrative boxes with black uppercase letters. The letters grow bold for intonation and shrink for lowered voices. Large and small white letters in gray fields accompany icons identifying Batman’s tools of the trade. Sound effects help us hear screaming brakes, vehicular impacts, engines revving at maximum overdrive, rapid air currents, and swords that slice through metal like butter in this homage to martial arts movies. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

The Minotaur wants to constrain Gotham into a pattern that he can control. Annika Zeller helps her patients escape their destructive behavior patterns. But as she strives to develop an implantable medical device to help people face their fears, Bruce Wayne protects her from a villain with an opposing view on rebirth in Batman #5.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

To look inside, see my preview of Batman #5. 

 

Batman #127 Review

 

Writer: Chip Zdarsky

Artists: Jorge Jiménez & Belén Ortega

Colorists: Tomeu Morey & Luis Guerrero

Letterer: Clayton Cowles

Cover Artists: Jorge Jimenez & Tomeu Morey; Guillem March & Arif Prianto; Alex Garner; Inhyuk Lee; Ryan Sook; Jock

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99

Release Date: September 6, 2022

 

Batman feels blessed to have fostered so many capable sidekicks. They are more than fellow crimefighters. Bruce Wayne regards them as his sons and daughters. When he needs them, they drop everything and leap to his aid. But Bruce and his proteges cannot stop Failsafe. With the robot intent on killing him, Batman seeks his former Batcave.

 

Failsafe feels familiar to him. Bruce believes he knows why he does not remember the lethal Bat-robot. Who created Failsafe? And who is the hero who emerges from Batman's old Batcave? Let's leap into Batman #127 and see!

 

Story: Failsafe Part Three

When Tim Drake next sees Batman, his mentor wears a different costume, and his voice has changed. Tim wonders if he can trust this man. But as Batman reveals a secret control room, he explains that Bruce Wayne created him as a backup personality. Zur-En-Arrh is in charge, and his first job is to take down Failsafe.

 

Chip Zdarsky steps outside the chaos in the old Batcave to revisit the scene of Failsafe's clash with Batman and his proteges. GCPD Commissioner Renee Montoya confers with Nightwing as medical attendants treat Duke, Cassandra, and Stephanie. But she cannot protect Batman and his team from censure if Failsafe continues its reign of terror. Unfortunately, that is what is occurring in Wayne Manor, as the robot pursues Zur-En-Arrh and Tim Drake through Bruce Wayne's beloved home.

 

While Batman #127 is a fast-paced thriller, Zdarsky ponders how people who work outside the law must self-check their actions. Like in Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum #1, Batman prepares for every contingency. But as Failsafe tries to shut down Bruce Wayne, Batman realizes all this is his fault. Superman challenged Bruce to ensure that he could prevent himself from hurting others should he become someone he does not want to be.

 

Art: Failsafe Part Three

In a glimpse of the past, Jorge Jimenez shows Batman in his Batcave. We see Batman from a distance, and from above, but mostly he keeps his back to us. When Superman appears, he faces the camera and demands that Bruce remove his mask. Bruce faces his friend. But he closes his eyes.

 

In his gold, red, and purple suit, Zur-En-Arrh shows solidarity with Robin's gold, red, and green. And instead of gray, Zur-En-Arrh's secret ops room shines with pink lighting. As the black Terminator-like robot hunts them, Failsafe's head glows red and projects beams of red into the darkness. Tomeu Morey adorns their battle with radiant colors, enhancing the big-screen spectacle of Batman #127. But while Batman and Robin fight for their lives, police tape and emergency vehicles surround the crater in a Gotham intersection where Failsafe leapt into the air before crashing down and flinging vehicles away.

 

Clayton Cowles places black uppercase dialogue in white balloons. Zur-En-Arrh speaks white uppercase letters into bluish-purple balloons. Failsafe's white utterances change size and case within their red boxes, while Batman's white lowercase thoughts fill black paper scraps. Sound effects accompany Failsafe as it demonstrates that it can be a more ruthless Batman than Bruce Wayne or Zur-En-Arrh.

 

 

 

Story: Two Birds, One Throne Finale

While Chip Zdarsky began this series with a nightmare of Jokers, the Penguin fuels the engine. In this short story, Catwoman discovers the truth behind the Penguin's ruse. She has gone from being a spectator to a reluctant participant. In the final issue, Catwoman goes beyond her brief to learn why Oswald Cobblepot had to die.

 

This second story in Batman #127 ponders how our environment and adversaries shape us. While seeking to be a force for good, the way we go about solving problems can create conflicts. The short tale also addresses the possibility of starting afresh. Yet it leaves the reader wondering if someone can turn their life around, once they have blackened their soul.

 

Art: Two Birds, One Throne Finale

Belén Ortega transports readers to Metropolis, where a man purchases a muffin from a bakery. When he returns to Blossoms and looks into his bag, a bat-like shadow appears on his counter. Catwoman enters the brightly lit shop in a black cat suit and blazer. His reaction, colored entirely in blue, evokes his previous place of business.

 

Luis Guerrero fills the shop with yellow light as Catwoman confronts the man surrounded by brown wood, green plants, and colorful blossoms. While his face glows pink as he makes a point, the man later plucks a pink rose as he justifies his decision. Clayton Cowles fills this quiet interlude with black uppercase letters in white balloons and shares Catwoman's thoughts with white lowercase letters in black boxes. Thanks to DC Comics for providing a review copy.

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

As someone who inhabits the night and attacks from the shadows, Batman prepares for the day when others will lash out at him. Batman #127 ponders how circumstances can force people into roles, making them wonder if life will ever allow them to fulfill their dreams.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

 

Batman Vol 1: Failsafe is available in hardcover, paperback, and digital formats.

Batman #126 Reread

 

Writer: Chip Zdarsky

Artist: Jorge Jimenez

Colorist: Tomeu Morey

Letterer: Clayton Cowles

Cover Artists: Jorge Jimenez; Jock; Inhyuk Lee; Alex Garner; Guillem March & Arif Prianto

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $4.99

Release Date: August 2, 2022

 

Chip Zdarsky kicks off Failsafe: Part Two with a nightmare that reminds Bruce Wayne of the price he paid to remain Batman. He hopes his former sidekicks will not also have to forego happiness and fulfillment to continue protecting their community. But when a robot attacks Bruce, his sidekicks leap to his aid.

 

Jorge Jimenez delivers explosive action worthy of a big-budget action film, while Tomeu Morey helps the characters glow amid the nighttime battle. Fans will want to see all the great characters working together to defend their mentor amid the high-flying action. Despite his metal body and glowing face, their assailant resembles Gotham's greatest guardian. Amid the fighting, Bruce cannot help but think that, somehow, this is all his fault. But then, the past often has a way of catching up with us, even if we acted from the best motives.

 

 

 

In Two Birds, One Throne, Selena Kyle spends two weeks working for the Executor. As she tracks down her leads, Selena discovers others have arrived before her. Tonight, she endures a brutal scramble in tight confines with a killer. Once again, she fails to capture the object of her search. Selena is frustrated as she reports to the robot. But fate is about to hurl her another curveball.

 

Belén Ortega gives Catwoman an iconic look as she swings through the night sky before a full moon. Selena exhibits poise and beauty as she navigates dangerous confrontations and dramatic encounters. Luis Guerrero enhances interiors and the night with ambiance and energy, while making the metal marvel shine with a Human approachability. Clayton Cowles uses his lettering to communicate exhaustion, determination, a robot emulating his creators, and a tragic moment that frustrates and angers Selena. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

 

Batman #126 is available in compilation Batman Vol 1: Failsafe.