Batman, Vol. 1: Failsafe

Batman by Chip Zdarsky

by Chip Zdarsky (Writer), Jorge Jiménez (Illustrator), Belén Ortega (Illustrator)

Superstar writer Chip Zdarsky joins legendary artist Jorge Jimenez to define a new era in Batman! Bruce Wayne is at a turning point, haunted by dreams of a dark future, while Gotham City billionaires are being gruesomely murdered. With the discovery of an archenemy’s involvement and a tragedy unfolding, the Dark Knight’s nightmares are just beginning. And when Batman is framed for murder, a deadly protocol activates…and Failsafe begins! Collecting Batman #125-130.

Genres: Comics, Batman, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Superheroes, Comic Book, Fiction

226 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 21, 2023

About the author

Chip Zdarsky is a Canadian comic book artist and journalist. He was born Steve Murray but is known by his fan base as Chip Zdarsky, and occasionally Todd Diamond. He writes and illustrates an advice column called Extremely Bad Advice for the Canadian national newspaper National Post's The Ampersand, their pop culture section's online edition. He is also the creator of Prison Funnies and Monster Cops.

Source: Wikipedia.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Felt like I've kind of read this story before.
But not really.



It's the "classic" Batman story. He has contingency plans in place for EVERYONE should they go rogue, and after he is framed for the murder of Penguin, the contingency plan he has for himself is set into motion.
Why?
Because this time around Alfred isn't there to push the reset button.
Can I just say that Batman comics just aren't the same without Alfred? They just don't hit right and I'm looking forward to the day when they bring him back.



The Failsafe is this adaptive robot with Amazo tech that is hunting Bruce down.
But that's not all that's going on here.
The reasons behind the creation of this Failsafe are all shrouded in a mystery, wrapped in a riddle, and cooked inside a thinly pounded-out chicken breast that is stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped in bacon.
In other words, spoilers.



I did really enjoy Superman, Aquaman, and the Batfamily coming together to save Bruce. And the ending that makes me want to see what happens next, even if I'm not 100% invested.



Definitely readable, though.
But it might seem cooler if you're newer to comics, particularly Batman comics.
However, the art is amazing and more than worth the price of admission.
You could do worse.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Bruce . . . He wants you to know. He wants the world to know . . . Gotham is his, and you need to come and get it." -- Arthur Curry, a.k.a. Aquaman, to Bruce Wayne, a.k.a. Batman

And just who is the 'he' that Aquaman speaks of in the aforementioned and foreboding quote? Years ago Batman - when he was a founding but (at the time) only non-superpowered member of the new Justice League - created a contingency plan should any of his heavy-hitting teammates (Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, etc.) step out of line to go rogue. All well and good, but after catching an earful from a chagrined Superman he [Batman] also planned in the event that he also would turn to the dark side by creating a hyper-capable battle android called Failsafe. It has been kept stored away for years, but we wouldn't have a juicy plot unless it became self-aware and then began rampaging through Gotham City, fully equipped to take on the Justice League. Oh, and Batman is also framed for the murder (!) of his longtime nemesis the Penguin amidst the initial plot thread. I liked this volume a lot, as it immediately throws the reader headfirst into action and terror . . . and the shift in focus to the slinky Catwoman during the final chapters was icing on the Bat cake.

[Sean Gibson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jimenez's art is so fantastically suited for Batman.

I'm not sure I loved this callback to Tower of Babel...it's 6 issues of havoc being wreaked on Gotham because Batman outsmarted himself. Or couldn't outsmart himself. Either way, it effectively makes the case that maybe there just shouldn't be a Batman...

But then what would I read about in Batman books? Quite the conundrum.

[Subham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so good omg, probably one of my favorite Batman stories ever! Also the review maybe a bit spoilery!

SO it starts with Batman stopping Penguin's plans but what happens when he kills himself and frames Batman and then a failsafe activates and thus we have one of the new best threats in DC in quite a while and I love the way he battles Batman and how it involves even Superman and the Justice League and my god those entrance pages were so awesome and this story is so action oriented and I love the fast paced nature and just seeing Failsafe defeat the league and what Batman does to stop him was insanely cool, my god so many high moments in the story and then the ending battle just brilliant and leads into the next story arc so well!

Zdarsky beginning his run on Batman on a bang and showing why he is one of the best writers atm and like his understanding of Batman is next level and perfect. The story is an action movie basically and I love the connections to some landmark DC stories and its awesome. BUT its the art of Jiemenez which should get the most credit as he makes each page look like a million bucks and so worth it and ugh I can't praise it enough!

So yeah do read it, its action filled, high octane, great connection to other DC stories and leads into a new status quo for Batman really well!

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bat-Ultron was...a bit much.



On the one hand I kind of liked how this comic was a bit more of a Justice League title from issue #2 onward, but on the other I really didn't appreciate how it leaned into the whole "Batman Is So Totally Unbeatable, Bro!" mythos, to the actual extent that the architect of the only credible plan to kill Batman is Batman himself???

I like Zdarsky and the glimpses we saw of Bruce's strained new relationship with Selina, but on the whole I'm hoping he can come up with some better story ideas than this one.

[Jim Ef · Rating 3 out of 5]

6.1/10
I was very excited to read this new era by Zdarsky and Jimenez. And at first it did look like this would be a home run. But the story became over the top and it lost me. It's not bad but i definitely wasn't that invested after a while. The art is very good.
I actually enjoyed the extra story with Catwoman more than the main one.

[Khurram · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good story by Chip and Jorge's artwork is amazing. The thing I don't like about this book is, recently, I have just read too many books of Batman bring on the back foot or getting to put it another way, getting his butt kicked.

A plot to frame Batman has unforseen consequences. The Failsafe is unleashed. This is Batman's own protocols to if he ever went bad, to put him down by any means necessary and anyone who stands with him. There are also backup stories staring Catwoman doing a bit of detective work while Batman is busy. Also, the origin of another Batman "Failsafe ".

The ending of the book let it down for me, but I artwork and action up to that point was great. I am hoping this is a building point to Batman getting back on track. There is a lot of potential here. The book finishes with an awesome variant cover gallery.

[Molly™☺ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very much built on the ideas brought about in JLA: Tower of Babel, this highlights both Bruce's biggest strength and his biggest weakness. It's certainly gripping, but sometimes it teeters on the edge of being a little far-fetched. Countless cameos are brought in to demonstrate threat level, and a few of them are done a little dirty. Other than that, it's an enjoyable, fast-paced story that, despite being built on misunderstanding, can hold its head high amongst its popcorn warranting peers.

[Shaun Stanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Light Spoilers Ahead

Batman Vol. 1 Failsafe collects issues 125-130 of the DC Comics series written by Chip Zdarsky with art by Jorge Jiménez, Belén Ortega, and Leonardo Romero.

Haunted by a reoccurring dream, Batman is in a different headspace while The Penguin starts killing Gotham’s rich and famous. After Penguin kills himself to make Batman look responsible for his death, a failsafe is unleashed to take out Batman. This failsafe was created in the darkest recesses of Bruce’s mind and knows all of Batman’s weakness and moves as well of his allies’ weaknesses. Batman must subvert to his subconscious alter ego as the Batman Zur-En-Arrh to defeat his greatest and most deadly weapon.

Chip Zdarsky starts his run in Batman with a bang and is the best main continuity story arc in YEARS. It touches on so many historic Batman moments to tell an all new story of Bruce being pushed to his limits. I loved the compassion behind Batman’s actions that aren’t always apparent in many books. This book is a straight action movie with Jorge Jimenéz’s art being the only special effects you need. Jorge’s work is absolutely gorgeous and is quickly becoming an artist who will go down as one of the best Batman artists of all time. It’s been a long time since I have said “Holy Shit!” at a cliff hanger. It’s going to be hard to wait for volume two to come out and I’m so happy to be excited for the anticipation.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

You know that old chestnut ‘can God create a weight so heavy even He can’t lift it’? Well, in this book, Chip Zdarsky asks the same question about Batman. Can Bats create a threat so terrible even he can’t defeat it?

It’s all a bit ridiculous, to be honest, and the scene where Batty falls to Earth from space is one of the most ridiculous things I’ve read since Robert Langdon survived a fall from an aeroplane using only a handkerchief in one of those terrible Da Vinci Code books.

The main reason I’ve scored this so highly is because of the artwork, which is mostly pretty good.

3.1 stars, rounded down.

[Chantaal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Usually when I read anything DC, it's whatever strikes my fancy because I don't follow DC religiously. I just know major plot and character beats from pop culture/comics osmosis. I understood some of the plot call backs here, especially to the idea that Batman knew exactly how to take down every member of the Justice League...not sure I liked how it played out here. While the beginning was incredibly strong, the reason for Failsafe being fully activated this time was lame, and it got waaaay too over the top after a while. I'm not sure I even understood WTF the point of this story arc was supposed to be by the end.

Jiménez's art is fucking KILLER, though. Just fantastic all around.

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another Batman story where his penchant for contingency planning comes back to bite him on the ass. I might have enjoyed this Terminator retread anyway but it goes so over the top with the unwelcome return of the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh, self-induced dissociative identity disorder, and a parachute jump from the Moon.

When I was ready to be done with the book, I found myself still having to trudge through two back-up stories with Catwoman tracking down the Penguin's children and then even more Batman of Zur-En-Arrh crap.

I don't think I can read any more of Zdarsky's Batman run if there's any chance Batman of Zur-En-Arrh is going to be a recurring thing.


FOR REFERENCE:

Contents:

• Failsafe, Parts 1-6, Batman (2016) #125-130 / Chip Zdarsky, writer; Jorge Jiménez, artist
• Two Birds, One Throne, Parts 1-3, Batman (2016) #125-127 / Chip Zdarsky, writer; Belén Ortega, artist
• I Am a Gun, Parts 1-3, Batman (2016) #128-130 / Chip Zdarsky, writer; Leonardo Romero, artist

[Lukáš Pokorný · Rating 2 out of 5]

Answer to a question "What if Grant Morrison and Scott Snyder had a bat-child?"
We saw everything before. I expected more personal take on Batman from Chip Zdarsky, not a "Batman vs forgotten super robot built by Batman with so much power he can beat anyone in any universe with one finger in his robot ass". Too bad nobody knew about him during for example Darkseid invasion. They could just send him and go for brunch.
Meh.

[Benji Glaab · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Dang this was one exciting read and Jorge Jimenez is a beast on art in this volume. They might be my favourite artist working right now it's just plain incredible. Each panel is so full of life and the colors of Gotham are outstanding. So if Batman has pushed himself too far would he have a backup plan to keep himself in check turns out he would a cybernetic foe that can easily out think and outfight Bruce and remain one step ahead of him AKA the ultimate villain. It's a fairly original concept and I have no idea where things are headed really looking forward to getting back into Batman

[Matthew Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Chip Zdarsky has begun his Batman run in a way that’s pulled me in similarly to how Snyder did with his Court of Owls. This is the best new Batman I’ve read in quite a while. Absolutely incredible work from an obviously talented team. Ridiculously excited to read more Zdarsky Batman.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chip Zdarsky starts his Batman run with a bang: Robin is shot through the neck and a deathbed Penguin blows himself up, framing Batman in the process. Stakes are high, and they only grow higher as this framing of Batman reveals a "failsafe" that past-Batman implemented: a merciless robot that knows everything Batman knows and so is ideally suited to defeating him (and his comrades).

I mean, there are dumb elements here. The killer robot eventually takes over all of Gotham, for example. And Zdarsky pulls up deep cuts (Zur En Arrh Batman??) and swings for the fences with some of the action scenes. For example,Batman goes to a Justice League base on the Moon, fights the robot, and then somehow survives falling from the Moon to the Earth! But it's all good fun in a loose, comic book way.

The art is fantastic throughout, the action kinetic and the coloring brooding. This isn't the smartest, most clever Batman book, but it feels surprisingly new and fresh amidst all the usual carnage. The ending too promises some unique follow-ups.

A handful of backup issues round out the story in relatively bland fashion: Catwoman follows up on Penguin's will (shocker, he's still alive) and Batman creates his Zur En Arrh identity (still baffling, even with this explanation).

[Joakim Ax · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having never picked up the Tynion Batman run before this cause I thought Tom King made a fenomeal work and "ending of the character". I never thought that I would get back into the game of the regular Batman title again. Well. I´m back baby!

This book hits so hard on so many points for me. Nostalgia is the critical point. This book is book a love letter to prior runs without looking down at the reader.

The ever phychological play in Batman´s mind is one of my most favorite aspects, and this book just went and layed another layer on it!

Can´t wait till the next volume comes out!

[Willow Heath]

Ever since the end of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's now-legendary run on Batman, the caped crusader has been passed between a few different competent and innovative writers and artists, but none have reached the heights achieved here in Failsafe by Chip Zdarsky and Jorge Jiminez.

Right out of the gate, the first issue of this arc does some mad and bold stuff with established characters, letting readers know that they're in for a wild ride. And from here, the book really hits the ground running. It's a story that challenges Batman with an entirely fresh and new villain, while also harkening back to the more strange and absurd concepts from his past (like Zur-En-Arrh, for instance).

Batman writers often hone in on specific aspects of the character: his detective work, his combat skills, his family of bats and birds, his connection to the Justice League, and so on. Focussing on one of these usually leads to a specific kind of story: a mystery, an adventure, an action story, etc. Zdarsky has made the bold and brilliant choice here to do all of this. Failsafe is every kind of Batman story.

And did he pull it off? Amazingly, yes! Especially with Jorge Jiminez on art duty, playing the role of director, designer, and cinematographer. These two are a dream team, and Failsafe is the best Batman comic in years.

[Rory Wilding · Rating 4 out of 5]

Considering Chip Zdarsky has been doing wonders with his current run on Daredevil, it is only a matter of time before he was going to tackle Batman, who is the closest DC analogue to the Man Without Fear. For the first time, a writer is writing both DC and Marvel’s brooding vigilantes concurrently, which is quite the challenge as both characters require their creators to be on their A-game. However, Zdarsky’s debut of the mainline Batman book isn’t his first Bat-outing, having previously written for Batman: Urban Legends and collaborated with artist Carmine Di Giandomenico on a new version of the character’s origin story: The Knight. Taking over after Joshua Williamson’s reign on the title, what does Zdarsky bring to the Caped Crusader?

Please click here for my full review.

[Michael J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this one. Obviously, I read comics for the action and escapism they so often provide. So, if you feel the same way and/or you're a Batman fan (my favorite DC character) then I still recommend this to you. The fabulous art of Jorge Jimenez is always worth the price of admission.
However, in addition to the action/escapism my favorite Batman stories contain character reveals that get to the heart of what motivates and compels Bruce Wayne/Batman to do what he does. When Zdarsky was announced as part of the new creative team on BATMAN I was expecting some of that psychological reveals, based on the fine work he did with his run on DAREDEVIL ( a deep dive into Matt Murdock's purpose/mission and whether he should continue). While Zdarsky does touch on that in the early issues of this story arc, he downplays it in favor of the action story.
For me, this was a decent read but I found it to be a little too over-the-top and a lot of the set-up raised questions. Sure, Batman might have developed a counter to himself (a Failsafe) should he ever stray from his mission and actually take a life - - - but shouldn't Failsafe have been activated long before this story? Haven't there been plenty of Batman stories where he's wanted for murder, a fugitive pursued by the police? Oh well. The scene in the late part of the story where Batman manages to find his way back to Earth (without benefit of a spaceship) was a bit much to accept.
Failsafe is a Terminator-inspired character, and entertaining, but I hope to not see him again. Once was enough. Also, the dramatic fatalistic but anti-climatic ending failed to wring any emotion out of me. You just know it's not going to hold up. The back-up story with Catwoman trying to find the survivors/inheritors of Oswald Cobblepot/Penguin's estate also didn't seem true to her character. After learning what she did (no spoilers here) I'm extremely doubtful that she wouldn't reveal her findings to Batman and bail him out.

[Peter Looles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Batman Vol. 1: Failsafe

Chip Zdarsky's Batman run starts with Penguin killing the people of Gotham who were born in extreme wealth. Batman is able to stop him from killing more people, but one of his goons injures Robin and Penguin kills himself, in order to frame Batman for his death. This leads to Batman getting attacked by a strong robot called Failsafe. At first he doesn't know how to defeat it or what it is, so he turns into the Batman of zur-en-arrh. It turns out that he made Failsafe as a safety measure, to kill him, in case he got out of control. With people (and Failsafe) thinking than Batman killed the Penguin, Failsafe gets activated and he tries whatever he can to kill him. The whole Justice League tries to stop him, but even that's not enough.
This was a great beginning to Chip Zdarsky's Batman run. It's very dark, maybe even darker than his Daredevil run. Batman's narration consists of worries, regrets and fears. This beautifully written narration sets very well the mood for the whole story. A brooding Batman, filled with guilt and regrets, is trying to stop his creation from leading to more destruction and pain, which could (and certainly will) lead to more self-hatred from the Dark Knight, who has nothing darker than his own soul and his broken heart. I haven't been following very closely the latest Batman comics (there are so many of them that I'd have to do only that if I wanted to follow all of them), but from what I understand this comic finds Batman in a very bad state, since Alfred has recently died and Bruce has lost his fortune. This is truly a great stepping stone for Chip Zdarsky, who loves to see his characters suffer, with self-hating monologues with which they question their entire careers. Batman has surrounded himself with a team of young crime fighters. During this story he constantly questions this decision, since he's afraid that they'll get hurt because of him and he also feels like this has made him weaker, making him rely on someone besides himself. Of course, the help of other superheroes and his great team-work with Superman and Robin (in this case Tim Drake) are some of the main reasons why he's able to survive for so long against Failsafe, but I guess that's not important to him. In general, it feels like Bruce has lost himself and Failsafe is the proof that Batman is afraid more than anything else of himself and where his actions might lead. Furthermore, even if Batman can feel a bit stubborn, the writing in this volume is fantastic. Chip Zdarsky is able to capture Batman's personality perfectly, in order to create a dark and exciting story, with action that feels interesting, instead of boring and dialogues that feel realistic, instead of cheesy.
Jorge Jimenez's artwork is really good. He has a very beautiful and detailed style, which might seem a bit generic at a first glance, but is actually unique and distinctive, with great use of almost cinematic perspective. That being said, sometimes it's a bit hard to tell exactly what is happening, because of how dark the colors can be and how much detail there is. Besides that, the artwork is truly great.
Besides the main story, this volume also includes two secondary stories that were featured in these issues of Batman. Both of them are also written by Chip Zdarsky. The first one follows Catwoman, who's looking for Penguin's kids, on the behalf of the executor of his will, in order for them to go to get what he left for them. It's an interesting story that ends with the reveal that penguin is still alive (that was a rather short lived death...), in Metropolis, seeking a more quiet life. Chip Zdarsky captures Catwoman's character very well and even though she's not one of my favorite characters, I had fun reading it.
The second story shows the creation of the Batman of zur-en-arrh. After a scientist tampers with Batman's mind, he gets terrified of what he'd be capable of doing, if he lost control, so he creates this secondary personality, as a safety measure. This was a truly great story, maybe even better than the main one, that perfectly showcases Batman's personality, his fears and his relationship with Joker. The writing is really great, with Chip Zdarsky's characteristic narration and Leonardo Romero's beautiful artwork.
Overall, this was a very good volume and a great start to Chip Zdarsky's run. I have very high expectations from it and if this volume is any indication, I trust that it'll meet them.
Main story: 9/10
Second story: 8.5/10
Third story 9.5/10
Overall: 9/10

[Naim Luqman · Rating 2 out of 5]

DC's main Bat-title follow up to Tom King's divisive run was met with a stretch of two rather bland and non-event separate run from Tynion and Williamson. When Zdarsky was announced as the new writer and Jorge Jiménez staying on art duty, I, like many others are rightfully excited. I am well acquainted with Zdarsky's run on Marvel's own Batman-like character - Daredevil.

That excitement however didn't last long. Something about how over the top the storyline was while calling back to the serious and slick Tower of Babel doesn't mesh well. Maybe it's just me but I was hoping for grit and gloom with a few Zdarsky's charm. Instead, I got a popcorn-fun instead. Not that's bad or wrong but I have set an expectation for Zdarsky's writing and I was whiplash with something else differently.

Jorge's art is still the best though.

[Mik Cope · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this in individual issues. It's basically another Batman "Doh!" moment à la "War Games" where this time it's a plan to take down himself, should he ever go rogue. Entertaining enough, with solid artwork. The Catwoman back-up story was a bit silly, but the Zur En Arrh one was solid, with appropriately modified artwork as Batman flips between the two identities (three, if you count Bruce Wayne!)

[Dakota · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always a fan of seeing Batman put in seemingly inescapable circumstances and then watching him work his way out. This time we see the intellect of Batman go directly up against....the intellect of Batman. You will never believe who wins!

[Danny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Works as both a sequel to both Tower of Babel and Death in the Family. Too sleepy to elaborate. Proud of myself for collecting each issue as they came out. Excellent comic. Got choked up a couple of times. I'm just gonna say it, I love Robin

[Matty Dub · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a big surprise, even with this quality creative team, I didn’t expect this level of greatness. Zdarsky’s vision and out of the box ideas are beautifully brought to life by Jimenez. The back-ups were good two, especially on the last two issues!

[Lashaan Balasingam · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.

Sometimes you need to be five steps ahead if you’re not to encounter an unwelcomed surprise. Life can turn out to be a game with devastating consequences without exploring worse-case scenarios and elaborating contingency plans. For the Dark Knight, such plans need to be devised when it comes to the world’s finest heroes. Despite their pure intent to save the world, it only takes one bad day to see them turn against those that they serve and protect. And with that kind of mindset, plans need to be laid out to stop himself if he’s to ever veer too deep into the darkness. Now the lead writer of the canonical Batman comic book series, Chip Zdarsky (Spider-Man: Life Story, Daredevil, Jughead) teams up with artist Jorge Jiménez (Justice League, Batman) to continue the legacy of the Caped Crusader in this latest volume, collecting Batman #125-130, as Gotham’s guardian of the night faces off against a startling new enemy, a nightmare of his own making.

What is Batman (Vol. 1): Failsafe about? Gotham is changing. The wealthy are not safe anymore, hunted by a predator who has twisted the narrative in his favour to justify his acts. When Batman (Bruce Wayne), already tormented by nightmares of a future he can’t stop, witnesses Robin (Tim Drake) go through a near-death experience, unearthing terrible tragedies from deep within his mind, he goes after the person behind it all only to inadvertently fall into a trap where he’s framed for murder. Unaware to all, this triggers the activation of Failsafe, a programmed AI machine hidden away within the recesses of the Bat cave with only one mission: to put an end to Batman when he crosses the line. What follows is a story of survival as Batman attempts to fight off against a machine that harnesses all of his strengths without restraints or weaknesses.

It might not be a perfect return to form but writer Chip Zdarsky has given fans the first solid Batman story in a very long time. Right from the get-go, he establishes a vulnerable Batman ruminating on his recent nightmares and the fear of being unable to stop the worse from happening to those around him, those who put their lives in his hands to fight a war he originally wanted to embrace alone. Serving as a spiritual expansion on creator Mark Waid’s JLA: Tower of Babel, this volume introduces a fearsome new enemy born from Batman’s own fear of himself if he was ever to do the unthinkable, to cross that line he has always set for himself and his allies, that is to never kill. Being now framed for murder, this unstoppable freight train in the form of an indestructible AI machine, he must outthink himself to put an end to this chaos generated by Failsafe, a devastating force that does not hesitate to put his loved ones at risk, no matter the costs.

Writer Chip Zdarsky wonderfully ups the stakes in this tale, drawing in help from all kinds of corners of the world, allowing readers to better gauge the devastating strength of Failsafe as he faces off against countless of Batman’s greatest allies; sure, some heroes do get destroyed too easily but watching it all unfold is loads of fun, especially to discover the how it gets it done. Readers are also rewarded with a neat reference to a classic character known as Zur-En-Arrh, as Batman is forced to hide away from the psychological attacks by calling upon help within his subconscious. Although the thrilling pace amidst the constant action makes for an engaging and exciting story, making readers restlessly wonder how the Caped Crusader will succeed in stopping this AI from wreaking havoc, there are some nagging plot holes or illogical instances that do take you out of certain moments. Nevertheless, these moments are too few and inconsequential to deter readers from appreciating this exciting new story told by writer Chip Zdarsky, especially with the crazy cliffhanger by the end of this volume.

Where no complaint whatsoever can be done is in the artwork department. Having always been a die-hard fan of his artistic style, artist Jorge Jiménez achieves once more a gorgeous portrayal of Batman’s universe. From his ability to depict emotions to portray movement, it is astonishing what he achieves in this volume, from environmental to character designs, with only writer Chip Zdarsky’s quality material to work with. The fantastic colouring by Tomeu Morey also elevates the artwork to undisputable grounds of exquisite visual storytelling. As if the action-packed narrative wasn’t already enough, the artwork in this volume makes it all even more exciting to read through. In fact, even the two short stories drawn respectively by artists Belén Ortega and Leonardo Romero have excellent artwork that brilliantly fits with the stories being told there. If anything, it is a relief to find artist Jorge Jiménez coming back for this volume, giving readers at least one sure thing to love in this new series.

As mentioned, this volume also contains two short stories. The first story, titled Two Birds, One Throne, follows Catwoman who is tasked by The Executor in finding 10 specific people for the reading of a major villain’s death. The second story, titled I Am the Gun, is a Year One story for Zur-En-Arrh, giving readers the chance to better understand the origin behind the personality splitting of The Batman as he goes after The Joker, as the story explores the age-old conflict of either stopping the Clown Prince of Crime definitively or to live with the idea that he may escape and take more lives. Both written by Chip Zdarsky, these stories turned out to be surprisingly complementary, original, and just as engaging as the main story, which is in itself quite uncommon in previous story arcs helmed by other writers. Not only do they tie into the main narrative wonderfully, but they also delve into some of the characters’ motives and actually add something useful and consequential to ongoing events.

Batman (Vol. 1): Failsafe is an action-packed and visually breath-taking high-stake survival story pushing the psychological and physical limits of the Dark Knight against an almost invincible fail-safe.

[Frédéric · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'd already had trouble with the a priori ridiculous concept of Zur-En-Arrh, which I'd strangely never heard of, and the indefatigable Terminator Failsafe tired me out after 2 issues, but the end of it all was the issue of Batman's return to Earth from the motherf#####’ moon. My suspension of disbelief was broken, martyred and trampled on before Chip Zdarsky finally spat on it. Drop dead, Chippo!

The drawings by Jorge Jimenez are sublime, with magnificent colouring by Tomeu Morey. But this volume is still an unfathomable piece of dung!

[Jesse A · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't 100% remember if I read this before but anyways its a good start to a new writer/arc of Batman.

[Roman · Rating 3 out of 5]

​​Після того як Тайнін покинув серію про Бетмена, на роль нового сценариста ДС поставили Чіпа Здарскі. І оскільки у нас тут завершилася перша арка, давайте дізнаємося, чи вдалося Чіпу вдало почати свій ран.

Зав'язка історії полягає у тому, що після того як Бетмен зриває план Пінгвіна, Коблпот інсценує свою смерть, в цьому починають звинувачувати Бетмена і в результаті цього активується робот Фейлсейф. З того, що мені сподобалося так це те як Здарскі побудував цю історію на основі старих сюжетів пов'язаних з Бетсом ("Tower of Babel" Вейда та "Batman R.IP" Морісона) все таки радує, що ми тепер можемо спокійно згадувати до флешпоїнтовий таймлайн. Взагалі спостерігати за тим як Фейл проходить через героїв для того, щоб дістатися до Брюса було цікаво… однак як виявилося, що сюжет на цьому і затормозив оскільки усі арка йде ось за такою формулою: Фейлсейф б'є Бетса, Бетс втікає поки Фейл б'є інших героїв, Фейл шукає Бетмена, повторювати до завершення арки, на щастя хоть оточення постійно змінюється. Ну і з того, що мені ще не сподобалося це те, що в результаті у нас тут Фейлсейф повністю захопив Ґотем, і це не було би так погано якби чогось схожого не було б недавно у рані Тайніна з Магістратом.

Взагалі, я от зараз так посварив арку, однак там насправді не все так і погано. В історії проскакує багато хороших та емоційних моментів. Та ж сцена коли Брюс намагається повернути собі контроль над тілом поки Фейлсейф б'є Тіма вийшла крутою. Також це той рідкісний випадок коли історія завершується перемогою лиходія. Ну і звісно найголовнішим плюсом цієї арки є просто шикарний малюнок Хіменез. Він тут просто чудовий і враховуючи, що сюжет у нас тут зосереджений на екшені то усі сцени битв тут намальовані чудово.

Тут ще були дві додаткові історії. У першій нам розповіли про те як Жінка Кішка шукала дітей Пінгвіна і в результаті дізналася, що він живий. І другій же нам розповідають про те як Брюс створив собі запасну особистість і як вона вперше активувалася. І якщо історія Кішки вийшла досить прохідною, то от історію Зур-Ен-Ара вартує прочитати.

Як би там не було, перша арка від Здарскі вийшло досить нормальною і я би все таки радив з нею ознайомитися. Буду сподіватися, що далі цей ран ставатиме тільки краще. Ну і чекаємо на наступний сюжет у якому Брюс Вейн буде намагатися відвоювати Ґотем у Фейлсейфа.