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Batman
Batman/Deathblow: After The Fire
One is the World's Greatest Detective with unlimited resources for his vigilante quest for justice. The other is a soldier; a blackops killer who does whatever it takes for the greater good. What happens when the two meet? We'll never know because Michael Cray, code-name Deathblow, is dead. The Dark Knight faces the daunting task of finishing a job that someone else started but
for reasons that remain a mystery, refused to finish. That someone was Michael Cray.
The 3-issue miniseries by Brian Azzarello (100 BULLETS, WONDER WOMAN), with stunning, evocative art by Lee Bermejo(JOKER, NOEL), Tim Bradstreet (HELLBLAZER, Punisher covers) & Mick Gray (PROMETHEA) is presented here in a new Deluxe Hardcover edition.
for reasons that remain a mystery, refused to finish. That someone was Michael Cray.
The 3-issue miniseries by Brian Azzarello (100 BULLETS, WONDER WOMAN), with stunning, evocative art by Lee Bermejo(JOKER, NOEL), Tim Bradstreet (HELLBLAZER, Punisher covers) & Mick Gray (PROMETHEA) is presented here in a new Deluxe Hardcover edition.
168 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2002
5 people are currently reading
447 people want to read
About the author
Brian Azzarello
1,296 books1,106 followersBrian Azzarello (born in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American comic book writer. He came to prominence with 100 Bullets, published by DC Comics' mature-audience imprint Vertigo. He and Argentine artist Eduardo Risso, with whom Azzarello first worked on Jonny Double, won the 2001 Eisner Award for Best Serialized Story for 100 Bullets #15–18: "Hang Up on the Hang Low".
Azzarello has written for Batman ("Broken City", art by Risso; "Batman/Deathblow: After the Fire", art by Lee Bermejo, Tim Bradstreet, & Mick Gray) and Superman ("For Tomorrow", art by Jim Lee).
In 2005, Azzarello began a new creator-owned series, the western Loveless, with artist Marcelo Frusin.
As of 2007, Azzarello is married to fellow comic-book writer and illustrator Jill Thompson.
information taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Az...
Azzarello has written for Batman ("Broken City", art by Risso; "Batman/Deathblow: After the Fire", art by Lee Bermejo, Tim Bradstreet, & Mick Gray) and Superman ("For Tomorrow", art by Jim Lee).
In 2005, Azzarello began a new creator-owned series, the western Loveless, with artist Marcelo Frusin.
As of 2007, Azzarello is married to fellow comic-book writer and illustrator Jill Thompson.
information taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Az...
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
November 3, 2013
3.5 stars
I loved the artwork, but unless you're really wanting to read a Batman vs. Spy comic skip it.
It had potential, but by the time I got to the end I was totally uninterested in anything that happened to any of the characters. Plus the ending was a bit confusing, and yet...I didn't care enough to go back an re-read anything to find out what I maybe missed. I have a feeling I didn't actually miss anything though.
I think it was one of those endings that was supposed to make you go No Way!
But it just sort of made me do a Huh. Really? And then shut the book.
Nice art, iffy plot.
Read it if you want to.
I loved the artwork, but unless you're really wanting to read a Batman vs. Spy comic skip it.
It had potential, but by the time I got to the end I was totally uninterested in anything that happened to any of the characters. Plus the ending was a bit confusing, and yet...I didn't care enough to go back an re-read anything to find out what I maybe missed. I have a feeling I didn't actually miss anything though.
I think it was one of those endings that was supposed to make you go No Way!
But it just sort of made me do a Huh. Really? And then shut the book.
Nice art, iffy plot.
Read it if you want to.
November 13, 2021
Batman and Deathblow never actually crossover in this story. Deathblow is a Wildstorm Comics character from the 90's. He was a black ops agent for a CIA type organization, International Operations, in the Wildstorm universe, back when it still existed. Deathblow's story is set 10 years before Batman's as they both hunt for the same pyrokinetic assassin. I thought it was a neat story and Lee Bermejo's art is always the star of the show.
April 13, 2008
I couldn't make heads nor tails of the plot: something about Batman going undercover as Deathblow (I think) in order to capture some pyrokinetic government agent (I think) who chopped off some dude's hand and left it in a tollbooth change-bucket.
By far the weakest Brian Azzarello I've read. Still, Lee Bermejo's ultra-precise artwork is fun, even despite his annoying tendency to draw Bruce Wayne as a hybrid of Henry Rollins and General William Westmoreland.
By far the weakest Brian Azzarello I've read. Still, Lee Bermejo's ultra-precise artwork is fun, even despite his annoying tendency to draw Bruce Wayne as a hybrid of Henry Rollins and General William Westmoreland.
January 11, 2021
Very much an above average story. Excellent art and plot made this a standout comic set. Very enjoyable read. Very recommended
October 28, 2013
This was a dark, gritty, very well drawn book. However, it's not a Batman book at all. It is, and it probably helped sell quite a few, but it's just an excuse for a crossover with a Wildstorm Universe character, where they don't really crossover at all.
Confused yet? Yup, me too. It takes place at 2 different time periods 10 years apart, with Deathblow tracking one man, and Batman tracking the same 10 yrs later...only connection other than that is that one of Deathblow's contacts (CIA/Black-Ops) is a friend of Bruce Wayne's in the future...ya.
The are is great stuff, dark, Gothic, imposing, all perfect for a Batman story...too bad that's not what Azzarello is doing. There's a few things, like Alfred, and Batman's skills at disguising himself, and a brief Commissioner Gordon cameo, but otherwise, it's just another attempt at a gritty crime/spy/espionage thriller.
It didn't work for me, I was left a little confused about when things were jumping back, and why things happened, and the ending just made me scratch my head.
If someone else has read this and cares to explain to me why it's great, I'm all ears.
Not recommended unless you just want to look at the pictures, and not read it. But then you might get even MORE confused...
Confused yet? Yup, me too. It takes place at 2 different time periods 10 years apart, with Deathblow tracking one man, and Batman tracking the same 10 yrs later...only connection other than that is that one of Deathblow's contacts (CIA/Black-Ops) is a friend of Bruce Wayne's in the future...ya.
The are is great stuff, dark, Gothic, imposing, all perfect for a Batman story...too bad that's not what Azzarello is doing. There's a few things, like Alfred, and Batman's skills at disguising himself, and a brief Commissioner Gordon cameo, but otherwise, it's just another attempt at a gritty crime/spy/espionage thriller.
It didn't work for me, I was left a little confused about when things were jumping back, and why things happened, and the ending just made me scratch my head.
If someone else has read this and cares to explain to me why it's great, I'm all ears.
Not recommended unless you just want to look at the pictures, and not read it. But then you might get even MORE confused...
July 23, 2014
Maybe I shouldn't try to plow through a mini-series reading in bed and falling asleep. The attraction is not the crossover, but Brain Azzarello's writing. While I have a couple of trades left to go I like 100 Bullets, and I thought his Luthor mini-series was pretty good. Here he weaves a nice noirish type of tale between events that take place 10 years apart and competing intelligence agencies.
And, as someone who never read Deathblow's series Azzarello made the name and character at least make sense. The respective plot twists between the C.I.A and International Operations are handled well enough, even though I had to suspend my disbelief that Bruce Wayne would have dinner with operatives from those two agencies, much less dinner in public.
The ending felt a little off, and part of me is attributing that to my nodding off but being determined to finish the tale last night.
Overall, much better than I expected. I had very low expectations based off of what I knew of the Deathblow character.
And, as someone who never read Deathblow's series Azzarello made the name and character at least make sense. The respective plot twists between the C.I.A and International Operations are handled well enough, even though I had to suspend my disbelief that Bruce Wayne would have dinner with operatives from those two agencies, much less dinner in public.
The ending felt a little off, and part of me is attributing that to my nodding off but being determined to finish the tale last night.
Overall, much better than I expected. I had very low expectations based off of what I knew of the Deathblow character.
May 14, 2013
I picked this up on the basis of Brian Azzarello and Tim Bradstreet. I usually enjoy Azzarello's writing, but here it just doesn't work for me. It's a story of doublecrosses and triplecrosses, spread across a decade. The time periods go back and forth, and there were several places where it simply isn't clear which time period we're in, which makes the already complicated story that much muddier.
The artwork is well done, very dark and grim and textured. I might have gotten more out of it if I had been more familiar with who Deathblow is, but he wasn't part of the Wildstorm universe that I explored. So what I got was a gritty noirish story with an unsympathetic lead. There's probably some depth; if I wanted to reread it, I'd probably get a lot more out of it. But the story wasn't interesting enough for me to want to invest the time to read it again.
The artwork is well done, very dark and grim and textured. I might have gotten more out of it if I had been more familiar with who Deathblow is, but he wasn't part of the Wildstorm universe that I explored. So what I got was a gritty noirish story with an unsympathetic lead. There's probably some depth; if I wanted to reread it, I'd probably get a lot more out of it. But the story wasn't interesting enough for me to want to invest the time to read it again.
September 18, 2022
This was recommended to me by a friend who said that this was one of the best Batman books he's ever heard , and having read the stuff , i now conclude that he hasn't read nearly enough batman books .
This was a pile of garbage and then some , apart from the colour work and some homages to the Batman the animated series , this was all over the place with an overly convoluted storyline (which is often the case when Spies are involved) .
The sketches were so weird that the facial features of all characters just meshed into one and it became confusing trying to distinguish one character from another , the action sequences also were weird to follow through .
As i said , the presence of good color work is the only saving grace and I wouldn't spare one second of thought to this book.
This was a pile of garbage and then some , apart from the colour work and some homages to the Batman the animated series , this was all over the place with an overly convoluted storyline (which is often the case when Spies are involved) .
The sketches were so weird that the facial features of all characters just meshed into one and it became confusing trying to distinguish one character from another , the action sequences also were weird to follow through .
As i said , the presence of good color work is the only saving grace and I wouldn't spare one second of thought to this book.
June 13, 2021
Absolutely love a lot of the artwork in this, but unfortunately, I'm way more of a Story Guy. And in that department, this is a bit of a mess.
It starts out very interesting. Batman, in the present, is investigating a murder/series of arsons while Deathblow, a WildStorm character I had never heard of until this comic, investigates similar events ten years in the past. The story bounces back and forth between the two in a way that comes across as stylish if you're able to wrap your head around it. This isn't the easiest task, because a lot of the key players in both timelines are drawn fairly similarly (and the villain looks exactly the same), and there's no difference in colorization between the two timelines. I frequently had to pause and ask myself "OK, when is this again?"
And then there's the story itself. It is... thin. And incredibly hard to follow. Batman is trying to track down this arsonist guy simply because he's bad. Deathblow is trying to track him down because... I don't know. So they're both on this guy's trail, but the villain is never really fully defined, so you're kind of left wondering why you should care about anything that's going on. He's just a general Spy Guy With Sunglasses who also happens to be a pyrokinetic, but seemingly never uses his incredible firestarting skills to kill anyone, well, except some people, but never Batman, because Batman is encased in plot armor. The story keeps everything else about the guy vague as all hell until literally the end, where I guess the reveal of his background is meant to be shocking. I was so uninvested by that point, though, that he could've said he was a Brad Pitt movie character that got wished to life and I still would've shrugged.
So, I would advise you to skip this, unless you're a Deathblow completist (one of the most common completists).
It starts out very interesting. Batman, in the present, is investigating a murder/series of arsons while Deathblow, a WildStorm character I had never heard of until this comic, investigates similar events ten years in the past. The story bounces back and forth between the two in a way that comes across as stylish if you're able to wrap your head around it. This isn't the easiest task, because a lot of the key players in both timelines are drawn fairly similarly (and the villain looks exactly the same), and there's no difference in colorization between the two timelines. I frequently had to pause and ask myself "OK, when is this again?"
And then there's the story itself. It is... thin. And incredibly hard to follow. Batman is trying to track down this arsonist guy simply because he's bad. Deathblow is trying to track him down because... I don't know. So they're both on this guy's trail, but the villain is never really fully defined, so you're kind of left wondering why you should care about anything that's going on. He's just a general Spy Guy With Sunglasses who also happens to be a pyrokinetic, but seemingly never uses his incredible firestarting skills to kill anyone, well, except some people, but never Batman, because Batman is encased in plot armor. The story keeps everything else about the guy vague as all hell until literally the end, where I guess the reveal of his background is meant to be shocking. I was so uninvested by that point, though, that he could've said he was a Brad Pitt movie character that got wished to life and I still would've shrugged.
So, I would advise you to skip this, unless you're a Deathblow completist (one of the most common completists).
April 17, 2021
Batman/Deathblow: After The Fire is a three-issue miniseries crossover featuring Bruce Wayne as Batman and Michael Cray as Deathblow. It was written by Brian Azzarello with art by Lee Bermejo, and was published by DC Comics and WildStorm Productions. Batman/Deathblow: After The Fire collects all three issues of the 2002 miniseries.
The title is rather misleading as the two titular characters never meet – at least in person. Two parallel story runs along each other separated in time by a decade. In the present, it has Bruce Wayne as Batman investigative who Deathblow was, while his story is told from his perspective a decade earlier to hunt down a pryokinetic hit man with wavering allegiances.
Batman/Deathblow: After The Fire is written and constructed moderately well. Azzarello interestingly enough didn’t go the cliché route of having both titular characters meet, fight each other, only to realize they are on the same side and continue their investigations together. The first part of the story was rather interesting and gripping with the investigation into Deathblow, however it quickly wane interest as the narrative delved into an action/espionage story, which wasn't as well fleshed out. Bermejo's does an admirable job in penciling the tale as his penciling style is rather realistic in style.
All in all, Batman/Deathblow: After The Fire is a mediocre attempt to team-up Batman and Deathblow, after a fashion.
The title is rather misleading as the two titular characters never meet – at least in person. Two parallel story runs along each other separated in time by a decade. In the present, it has Bruce Wayne as Batman investigative who Deathblow was, while his story is told from his perspective a decade earlier to hunt down a pryokinetic hit man with wavering allegiances.
Batman/Deathblow: After The Fire is written and constructed moderately well. Azzarello interestingly enough didn’t go the cliché route of having both titular characters meet, fight each other, only to realize they are on the same side and continue their investigations together. The first part of the story was rather interesting and gripping with the investigation into Deathblow, however it quickly wane interest as the narrative delved into an action/espionage story, which wasn't as well fleshed out. Bermejo's does an admirable job in penciling the tale as his penciling style is rather realistic in style.
All in all, Batman/Deathblow: After The Fire is a mediocre attempt to team-up Batman and Deathblow, after a fashion.
March 19, 2013
“Batman/Deathblow: After the Fire” is a hardcover “deluxe” re-issue of a 3-shot miniseries from 2002 which crossed over Batman and a ‘90s Wildstorm character, Michael Cray aka Deathblow. The book has a really confusing plot that’s hard to explain, but here goes: first off, it’s not really a crossover as the two characters never meet but instead have their two separate stories running parallel throughout. Batman’s storyline is set 10 years after Deathblow’s, though both take place in Gotham. Full review here!
March 28, 2013
“Batman/Deathblow: After the Fire” is a hardcover “deluxe” re-issue of a 3-shot miniseries from 2002 which crossed over Batman and a ‘90s Wildstorm character, Michael Cray aka Deathblow. The book has a really confusing plot that’s hard to explain, but here goes: first off, it’s not really a crossover as the two characters never meet but instead have their two separate stories running parallel throughout. Batman’s storyline is set 10 years after Deathblow’s, though both take place in Gotham. Full review here!
June 19, 2013
A well-told story with depth that never has quite enough excitement and which ultimately is opaque as is much of Azzarello's other work: it doesn't particularly make sense at the end.
February 27, 2013
Finally re-issued after more than 10 years, this 3-parter is one of Brian Azzarello's best works, with incredible art by Lee Bermejo and inks by Tim Bradstreet. This also marks one of the few times where a crossover between the Wildstorm and the DC universes is actually good & worth reading (the other being Planetary/Batman: Night on Earth)
The story takes place in Gotham City over two time periods, "10 years ago" and today.
10 years ago: Deathblow is an assassin working for International Operations with a mission to kill the elusive "Falcon", a foreign terrorist from the fictitious country of Gamorra. Because of the interference of an unknown pyrokinetic (Max Kai, a guy who can start fires with his mind), the mission is botched and Falcon gets away.
Today: A severed hand is found in a bridge toll booth and an investigation is launched by the Gotham City police department to find out whose hand it is (and, also, to find the rest of the body). A mysterious Death Card is found with the hand. After doing some research, Batman finds out that this death card is the call sign of Deathblow. Only problem is that Deathblow's been dead for 10 years! Batman also picks up the trail of Max Kai, back in Gotham for reasons revealed later on.
I found the story's structure and pacing to be top-notch, the mystery unfolding slowly, with the clues being drip-fed to the reader. This is the best Azzarello book I've read, bar none. Add to that the incredible art by Bermejo (inked by Bradstreet) and the beautiful deluxe-sized hardcover presentation and what you've got is a real keeper. Highly recommended.
The story takes place in Gotham City over two time periods, "10 years ago" and today.
10 years ago: Deathblow is an assassin working for International Operations with a mission to kill the elusive "Falcon", a foreign terrorist from the fictitious country of Gamorra. Because of the interference of an unknown pyrokinetic (Max Kai, a guy who can start fires with his mind), the mission is botched and Falcon gets away.
Today: A severed hand is found in a bridge toll booth and an investigation is launched by the Gotham City police department to find out whose hand it is (and, also, to find the rest of the body). A mysterious Death Card is found with the hand. After doing some research, Batman finds out that this death card is the call sign of Deathblow. Only problem is that Deathblow's been dead for 10 years! Batman also picks up the trail of Max Kai, back in Gotham for reasons revealed later on.
I found the story's structure and pacing to be top-notch, the mystery unfolding slowly, with the clues being drip-fed to the reader. This is the best Azzarello book I've read, bar none. Add to that the incredible art by Bermejo (inked by Bradstreet) and the beautiful deluxe-sized hardcover presentation and what you've got is a real keeper. Highly recommended.
March 16, 2013
Full Disclosure: I received this book as a Goodreads Giveaway on the premise that I would review it.
Those of you who've been following my reviews for a while will know that I'm a longtime Batman fan. Not so much though as regards Deathblow, one of the many Nineties antiheroes Image pumped out back in the day. He's an agent of International Operations (I/O) who, well, kills people.
This is not a promising basis for a team-up, and Mr. Azzarello wisely doesn't try to make it one. Instead, Batman picks up the trail of a pyrokinetic terrorist that the now-deceased Deathblow had encountered a decade before. The story cuts between the two eras, piecing together the murky circumstances through the triple-crossing wires of espionage agencies.
Even with a good writer, Michael Cray, the Deathblow used in this story, never rises above the Nineties cliches he's mired in. Batman is done pretty well, and Alfred is a delight. Commissioner Gordon makes a cameo to give Batman a clue. The villain has a bit more depth than is evident through most of the story, which leads to a neat little last page twist.
Lee Bermejo's art is kind of blocky, which makes for some nice covers, but is less effective in the story itself. For this deluxe edition, he presents some sketches and alternative covers, with notes on each.
To be honest, I think this book is only getting the deluxe treatment because the author has gone on to do better work. This is one I recommend checking out at the library if you can.
Those of you who've been following my reviews for a while will know that I'm a longtime Batman fan. Not so much though as regards Deathblow, one of the many Nineties antiheroes Image pumped out back in the day. He's an agent of International Operations (I/O) who, well, kills people.
This is not a promising basis for a team-up, and Mr. Azzarello wisely doesn't try to make it one. Instead, Batman picks up the trail of a pyrokinetic terrorist that the now-deceased Deathblow had encountered a decade before. The story cuts between the two eras, piecing together the murky circumstances through the triple-crossing wires of espionage agencies.
Even with a good writer, Michael Cray, the Deathblow used in this story, never rises above the Nineties cliches he's mired in. Batman is done pretty well, and Alfred is a delight. Commissioner Gordon makes a cameo to give Batman a clue. The villain has a bit more depth than is evident through most of the story, which leads to a neat little last page twist.
Lee Bermejo's art is kind of blocky, which makes for some nice covers, but is less effective in the story itself. For this deluxe edition, he presents some sketches and alternative covers, with notes on each.
To be honest, I think this book is only getting the deluxe treatment because the author has gone on to do better work. This is one I recommend checking out at the library if you can.
August 14, 2019
3.5
I always like the detective version of batman, and in this story bruce is trying to uncover the mystery of a man set by fire which connects him to Michael cray *Deathblow* story that happened 10 years earlier.
its a very good mystery but the problem is it was very confusing in some parts that you don't know which timeline is this page, I had to go back and almost read it twice to get the whole story right.
it could have been avoided by simply mentioning it *it happened few times* or make the it in different color tone or different artist
I always like the detective version of batman, and in this story bruce is trying to uncover the mystery of a man set by fire which connects him to Michael cray *Deathblow* story that happened 10 years earlier.
its a very good mystery but the problem is it was very confusing in some parts that you don't know which timeline is this page, I had to go back and almost read it twice to get the whole story right.
it could have been avoided by simply mentioning it *it happened few times* or make the it in different color tone or different artist
August 21, 2016
This story was pretty good for the first 50 pages. The middle 50 pages was okay but starting to get weird. The last 50 pages lost me completely and didn't make any sense at all.
August 21, 2016
First book by Azzarello that was awful. By the end, I wanted to be one of the characters that got killed, just so I didn't have to finish.
July 28, 2017
2.5 Stars
March 2, 2020
I picked this up because of the cover. Yes I know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover but it seems pretty cool. But I also decided to read this book because who authored it (Brian Azzarello); previously I have read comics that he wrote the story for and I enjoyed them. I also thought this was worth reading because it introduces to me a character that is new to me: Deathblow. What did I think of it?
Overall I enjoyed it. The book collects three issues of a mini-series in which Batman is out to hunt down a villain who has the ability to burn things up supernaturally while there’s also a veteran covert action soldier doing the same. It was an interesting premise. There’s a sense in which the author and illustrator is trying to parallel both Batman and Deathblow so readers will see a comparison and contrast.
The illustrator did a good job with the art work. I love the colors in the book that gave the story a more noir feel in which it is part detective part urban crime thriller. As the story progress you do learn more about the villain and also the covert warrior Deathblow. That was enjoyable.
I would have to say I have a major constructive criticism of the book. There’s time where the story is too choppy of going back and forth in time and the writer and illustrator didn’t make it clear which was which event. I think the creative team behind the story might have tried to do that to make a parallel between Batman and Deathblow but it could have done that better without sacrificing clear demarcation of which panel was taking place in what time. I see that I’m also not alone with this criticism since other reviewers said the same thing.
Overall this was fun. You see a realistic Bruce Wayne, a realistic Batman and also other operatives. Yet there’s a lot of backstory that a first time reader like me didn’t know about concerning Deathblow and the world of Wildstorm. I guess I have to read more of those other graphic novels.
Overall I enjoyed it. The book collects three issues of a mini-series in which Batman is out to hunt down a villain who has the ability to burn things up supernaturally while there’s also a veteran covert action soldier doing the same. It was an interesting premise. There’s a sense in which the author and illustrator is trying to parallel both Batman and Deathblow so readers will see a comparison and contrast.
The illustrator did a good job with the art work. I love the colors in the book that gave the story a more noir feel in which it is part detective part urban crime thriller. As the story progress you do learn more about the villain and also the covert warrior Deathblow. That was enjoyable.
I would have to say I have a major constructive criticism of the book. There’s time where the story is too choppy of going back and forth in time and the writer and illustrator didn’t make it clear which was which event. I think the creative team behind the story might have tried to do that to make a parallel between Batman and Deathblow but it could have done that better without sacrificing clear demarcation of which panel was taking place in what time. I see that I’m also not alone with this criticism since other reviewers said the same thing.
Overall this was fun. You see a realistic Bruce Wayne, a realistic Batman and also other operatives. Yet there’s a lot of backstory that a first time reader like me didn’t know about concerning Deathblow and the world of Wildstorm. I guess I have to read more of those other graphic novels.
August 4, 2017
Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo bring a tale of two eras - and companies - together with this Batman/Deathblow crossover. In flashbacks, Michael "Deathblow" Cray is on a black-ops mission to eliminate the Falcon. The interference of a firestarter botches the mission, and also forces Deathblow's partner Scott Floyd to reveal that the Falcon is actually another government operative. Years later, Bruce Wayne's friend Scott Floyd is targeted for an assassination by the same firebug. Visiting Floyd, Bruce reveals his secret and becomes drawn into the ages-old conflict. Determined to rid Gotham of the menace, Batman uses disguises and guile to track down the killer and get the truth about Deathblow. Brian Azzarello attempts to navigate between two different worlds with this crossover volume, and the struggles shows. The focus on Batman is well-done, playing to Azzarello's strengths as a crime writer; the plot points of Deathblow are more convoluted and contrived, as mercenary ops in American cities do not fall in Azzarello's wheelhouse. Despite some solid attempts at mystery, intrigue, and misdirection, the entire ordeal feels jigsawed together for a cash grab. The gritty art from Lee Bermejo fits the darkened streets of Gotham and its Dark Knight, but the human characters feel sharp, angular, and out-out-joint. Batman/Deathblow: After the Fire is a little more than a match in the annals of Batman's fiery history.
July 21, 2018
I enjoyed the comic, but it is confusing, and not completely satisfying. Still it's got a good story and it takes a while to figure out some things -which is really rewarding! But the flashbacks should have been titled (the fact that some flashbacks are titled and some not, make it difficult to follow - but when you realise that Scott died in the first Bruce Wayne scene, the flashbacks are easier to recognise!
It's well written and the art is great - a worthwhile purchase.
The flashback scenes make it confusing, and you have to put some work into understanding the story.
The story seems to revolve around Scott's words about needing money, funding for producing....(first Bruce Wayne scene)
In this case the funding is for finding the Falcon. But at the end, agent Fente says that he's dead, something Deathblow realised 10 years ago.
Max's motives are not made clear...why the decision to wait 10 years? This seems to be a plot device to continue the story of the CIA getting funding. For chasing down someone they know is dead????
Why does max leave the hand of the Falcon, with Deathstroke's killing card?
Batman - the great detective - should have realized that the Falcon is dead, when he heard Max say the hand is from his employer and his employer is the Falcon?
If anyone has answers to these questions, I would be interested to hear them!!
It's well written and the art is great - a worthwhile purchase.
The flashback scenes make it confusing, and you have to put some work into understanding the story.
The story seems to revolve around Scott's words about needing money, funding for producing....(first Bruce Wayne scene)
In this case the funding is for finding the Falcon. But at the end, agent Fente says that he's dead, something Deathblow realised 10 years ago.
Max's motives are not made clear...why the decision to wait 10 years? This seems to be a plot device to continue the story of the CIA getting funding. For chasing down someone they know is dead????
Why does max leave the hand of the Falcon, with Deathstroke's killing card?
Batman - the great detective - should have realized that the Falcon is dead, when he heard Max say the hand is from his employer and his employer is the Falcon?
If anyone has answers to these questions, I would be interested to hear them!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2021
Que bueno que ni de lejos fui él único o de los pocos en darle rating muy bajo. Es que es malo, es aburrido, es confuso y blabla.
Sinceramente no es ni recomendable. Mucho menos comenzar a leer a Batman con estas interpretaciones tan decadentes. Azzarello es hasta ahora de mis favoritos en hablar del murciélago. Pero esta historia nada de nada.
Es confusa, es como ver una película de Rambo o todas esas exaltaciones de las guerras americanas y diría que del espionaje, pero es más mencionar a organizaciones "secretas" que hoy en día ya son como lo más normal.
Lo que tenía un gran potencial es el personaje piroquinético, que recuerda mucho a la novela Ojos de Fuego de Stephen King y que igual sigue una línea de organizaciones gubernamentales intentando cazarlo. Pero... no. Nada que ver. Se apagó la historia igual de rápido que un cerillo.
Sinceramente no es ni recomendable. Mucho menos comenzar a leer a Batman con estas interpretaciones tan decadentes. Azzarello es hasta ahora de mis favoritos en hablar del murciélago. Pero esta historia nada de nada.
Es confusa, es como ver una película de Rambo o todas esas exaltaciones de las guerras americanas y diría que del espionaje, pero es más mencionar a organizaciones "secretas" que hoy en día ya son como lo más normal.
Lo que tenía un gran potencial es el personaje piroquinético, que recuerda mucho a la novela Ojos de Fuego de Stephen King y que igual sigue una línea de organizaciones gubernamentales intentando cazarlo. Pero... no. Nada que ver. Se apagó la historia igual de rápido que un cerillo.
December 7, 2025
Batman/Deathblow: After the Fire is a noir story weaving two parallel timelines in which Batman and Deathblow attempt to expose a government operation within Gotham.
The story alternates between the two characters’ attempts at uncovering the truth a decade apart from each other. There are layers of covert agencies, terrorist plots, and shifting allegiances that Batman and Deathblow must navigate to uncover the truth. While the twists, betrayals, and conspiracies can be convoluted, the mystery remains compelling enough that pulled me through to the end.
Brian Azzarello’s narrative reflects early-2000s anxieties around intelligence agencies, secret operations, and American intervention abroad. This narrative is bolstered by Lee Bermejo’s striking artwork with every page carrying a hefty atmospheric presence that fits the tone perfectly.
However, the final reveal is unsatisfying and the story ultimately sidelines Batman, who never shares a moment with Deathblow despite the title. The absence of interaction between the two characters leaves the crossover feeling unnecessary and more of a Deathblow story than a Batman story.
The story alternates between the two characters’ attempts at uncovering the truth a decade apart from each other. There are layers of covert agencies, terrorist plots, and shifting allegiances that Batman and Deathblow must navigate to uncover the truth. While the twists, betrayals, and conspiracies can be convoluted, the mystery remains compelling enough that pulled me through to the end.
Brian Azzarello’s narrative reflects early-2000s anxieties around intelligence agencies, secret operations, and American intervention abroad. This narrative is bolstered by Lee Bermejo’s striking artwork with every page carrying a hefty atmospheric presence that fits the tone perfectly.
However, the final reveal is unsatisfying and the story ultimately sidelines Batman, who never shares a moment with Deathblow despite the title. The absence of interaction between the two characters leaves the crossover feeling unnecessary and more of a Deathblow story than a Batman story.
February 11, 2023
Don't even know why I keep trying to read Batman. Confusing storyline keeps jumping back and forth in time. The Falcon, I.O. Agent Fante, Mr. Blue, Gammora, Seijun Sadaharu no idea who or what these people? organizations? countries? are or why they are important. There's a burnt mummified hand in the beginning of the story that is revealed on the last page that answers at least one of these things, but it wasn't worth the frustration of reading through 180 pages with all of these other questions. I did like Deathblow though, but it really wasn't his story, he just runs around mad and shoots stuff.
April 7, 2020
I suppose it could have worked to crossover Wildstorm's mercenary killer into a Gotham scenario, but this feels pretty detached, there's not even a satisfactory confrontation between the two lead characters, and the plot is average at best for Azzarello. I think Bermejo's art is pretty impressive, but maybe a little too square-jawed, to the point that I was often confusing a few of the characters.
March 4, 2017
The art in the comic was really enjoyable. The story however, was not. None of the characters were that interesting and the plot was all over the place and unclear. Some of the scenes were well done, specifically (spoilers) when Bruce flashed a business card with the bat symbol on it and his shadow was Batman.
July 26, 2020
Ich hab das Cover gesehen und den Klappentext und mein Interesse war geweckt. Nach Batman Damned war ich dieses Düstere schon gewohnt und so viel mir der Einstieg in diesen Comic sehr leicht. Die Zeichnungen sind Kantig und Brutal und dies wird von den Farben noch unterstützt. Die Story ist gut und fesselnd, jedoch hat mir immer so ein klein wenig was gefehlt. Langweilig wird es aber nie.
September 27, 2020
Цю історію витягує лише художній талант Лі Бермехо. Саме через нього трійка. Скупий на діалоги сюжет, в якому дуже рідко проскакують дати подій, і це заплутує. І через куцість пояснень фінал тоне. Бетмена наче помістили посеред подій, до яких він не має відношення, і заставили щось робити. І робить він мало. Мало настільки, що я прочитав цю збірку у три підходи, хоча там і немає що читати.
April 23, 2021
BATMAN/DEATHBLOW – AFTER THE FIRE
#1 – Chinatown and Gotham City… rather intense.
‘Alfred?’
‘Right here, Sir.’
.
#2
‘Well, black-ops is a SHORT career.’ – Alfred
‘A FIRE-STARTER… in MY city.’ – Batman
.
#3
‘Who’s your SNITCH?’
‘Won’t rat out your mole, huh?’
So ... is Batman also the soldier ‘Deathblow’?
.
#1 – Chinatown and Gotham City… rather intense.
‘Alfred?’
‘Right here, Sir.’
.
#2
‘Well, black-ops is a SHORT career.’ – Alfred
‘A FIRE-STARTER… in MY city.’ – Batman
.
#3
‘Who’s your SNITCH?’
‘Won’t rat out your mole, huh?’
So ... is Batman also the soldier ‘Deathblow’?
.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews