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Batman (2025)
Batman, Vol. 2: Blood & Money
Not yet published
Expected 1 Dec 26Eisner Award–winning writer Matt Fraction and superstar artist Jorge Jiménez deliver the next chapter in DC’s bold new era of Batman!
Gotham’s criminal underbelly has been transformed from unruly chaos into a labyrinth of mutual profit by the Torus. At the center of it all, the Minotaur oversees everything with a ruthless fist. But tracking down Gotham’s newest criminal mastermind is the least of Batman’s worries: Word has come from Arkham Towers that the Joker wants to talk.
Meanwhile, Police Commissioner Vandal Savage approaches the recently elected Mayor Pamela Isley with a new plan to rid Gotham’s streets of the caped crusaders for good. The war between GCPD and the Bat-Family heats up...and not everyone will walk away free.
Batman Vol. 2: Blood & Money collects Batman #7-12.
Gotham’s criminal underbelly has been transformed from unruly chaos into a labyrinth of mutual profit by the Torus. At the center of it all, the Minotaur oversees everything with a ruthless fist. But tracking down Gotham’s newest criminal mastermind is the least of Batman’s worries: Word has come from Arkham Towers that the Joker wants to talk.
Meanwhile, Police Commissioner Vandal Savage approaches the recently elected Mayor Pamela Isley with a new plan to rid Gotham’s streets of the caped crusaders for good. The war between GCPD and the Bat-Family heats up...and not everyone will walk away free.
Batman Vol. 2: Blood & Money collects Batman #7-12.
184 pages, Paperback
Expected publication December 1, 2026
About the author
Matt Fraction
1,215 books1,911 followers"How he got started in comics: In 1983, when Fraction was 7 years old and growing up in Kansas City, Mo., he became fascinated by the U.S. invasion of Grenada and created his own newspaper to explain the event. "I've always been story-driven, telling stories with pictures and words," he said.
Education and first job: Fraction never graduated from college. He stopped half a semester short of an art degree at Kansas City Art Institute in Missouri in 1998 to take a job as a Web designer and managing editor of a magazine about Internet culture.
"My mother was not happy about that," he said.
But that gig led Fraction and his co-workers to split off and launch MK12, a boutique graphic design and production firm in Kansas City that created the opening credits for the James Bond film "Quantum of Solace."
Big break: While writing and directing live-action shoots at MK12, Fraction spent his spare time writing comics and pitching his books each year to publishers at Comic-Con. Two books sold: "The Last of the Independents," published in 2003 by AiT/Planet Lar, and "Casanova," published in 2006 by Image Comics.
Fraction traveled extensively on commercial shoots. Then his wife got pregnant. So Fraction did what any rational man in his position would do -- he quit his job at MK12 to pursue his dream of becoming a full-time comic book writer.
Say what? "It was terrifying," said Fraction, who now lives in Portland, Ore. "I was married. We had a house. We had a baby coming. And I just quit my job."
Marvel hired Fraction in June 2006, thanks largely to the success of his other two comics. "I got very lucky," he half-joked. "If it hadn't worked out, I would have had to move back in with my parents.
- 2009. Alex Pham. Los Angeles Times.
Education and first job: Fraction never graduated from college. He stopped half a semester short of an art degree at Kansas City Art Institute in Missouri in 1998 to take a job as a Web designer and managing editor of a magazine about Internet culture.
"My mother was not happy about that," he said.
But that gig led Fraction and his co-workers to split off and launch MK12, a boutique graphic design and production firm in Kansas City that created the opening credits for the James Bond film "Quantum of Solace."
Big break: While writing and directing live-action shoots at MK12, Fraction spent his spare time writing comics and pitching his books each year to publishers at Comic-Con. Two books sold: "The Last of the Independents," published in 2003 by AiT/Planet Lar, and "Casanova," published in 2006 by Image Comics.
Fraction traveled extensively on commercial shoots. Then his wife got pregnant. So Fraction did what any rational man in his position would do -- he quit his job at MK12 to pursue his dream of becoming a full-time comic book writer.
Say what? "It was terrifying," said Fraction, who now lives in Portland, Ore. "I was married. We had a house. We had a baby coming. And I just quit my job."
Marvel hired Fraction in June 2006, thanks largely to the success of his other two comics. "I got very lucky," he half-joked. "If it hadn't worked out, I would have had to move back in with my parents.
- 2009. Alex Pham. Los Angeles Times.
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
Review of advance copy
A lot of tablesetting here along with a lot of revelations. The return of the Joker is pretty damn cool, especially that final page. Wonder when he's going to get unleashed again? Vandal Savage has it out for the Bats, declaring war on them. The setup here has me really curious about that new Barbara Gordon series. Then there's Verity Pennyworth. What now! I want to know more about this. Anyway, I'm here for this run. BTW, Jorge Jimenez and Ryan Sook are welcome to draw all my comics.
Review of advance copy
Read as single issues
Read
September 10, 2026Still pretty great up until the last issue, which felt like the first chapter that didn’t tell its own story and instead just moved things along/set up elements in the larger arcs. The Alfred niece hasn’t added anything yet either.
The stuff with Joker was amazing. Impossibly, Fraction and Jimenez found a new way to make such an often overused character unsettling again.
The stuff with Joker was amazing. Impossibly, Fraction and Jimenez found a new way to make such an often overused character unsettling again.
Review of advance copy
Read in single issues
This volume just wasn't good. The art from the first four issues was a total drop in quality from the first volume. The technical skill from Jimnez was still there, but the coloring was incredibly dull and lifeless, and the paneling was static. It was such a drop in quality, that when I was reading the first issue, I double checked and was shocked to find out the artist and colorist hadn't changed. The art from issues 11-12 returned to the quality of the first volume/was great, but the first four were lifeless. I also really dislike Verity's design; that blonde is awful, and Catwoman looks crazy.
Every issue I read, I had the feeling that none of this was at all consequential and that nothing mattered, and it certainly felt like nothing from the last volume mattered either. There some jarringly out-of-character moments as well. I also just didn't want to read it, and it took me until October to finish all six issues even though I collected them as floppies as they came out. In fact, I had to force myself to stop reading other ongoings before catching up to this run, and it still took me so long to force myself through that I'm now a full month behind on all of my ongoing reads. This felt like six more issues of setup, which is fine for a first volume, but I'm much less amused with it now that we're twelve entire issues/a full year into this run.
Also, the Talia thing is also insane. With the context of the league of assassins, you can kind of pass it off for Bruce, but with DC's track record, it's a horrible look nonetheless. Also, it makes Annika's character look bad which probably was not intentional.
The only explanation I can come up with for how big of a mess this volume is and the drop in quality and complete disregard of the events from the first six issues is that editorial must have derailed Fraction's plans for this volume last minute or something. I'll give the next arc another chance, but really, I'm only continuing with this run because its Batman.
This volume just wasn't good. The art from the first four issues was a total drop in quality from the first volume. The technical skill from Jimnez was still there, but the coloring was incredibly dull and lifeless, and the paneling was static. It was such a drop in quality, that when I was reading the first issue, I double checked and was shocked to find out the artist and colorist hadn't changed. The art from issues 11-12 returned to the quality of the first volume/was great, but the first four were lifeless. I also really dislike Verity's design; that blonde is awful, and Catwoman looks crazy.
Every issue I read, I had the feeling that none of this was at all consequential and that nothing mattered, and it certainly felt like nothing from the last volume mattered either. There some jarringly out-of-character moments as well. I also just didn't want to read it, and it took me until October to finish all six issues even though I collected them as floppies as they came out. In fact, I had to force myself to stop reading other ongoings before catching up to this run, and it still took me so long to force myself through that I'm now a full month behind on all of my ongoing reads. This felt like six more issues of setup, which is fine for a first volume, but I'm much less amused with it now that we're twelve entire issues/a full year into this run.
Also, the Talia thing is also insane. With the context of the league of assassins, you can kind of pass it off for Bruce, but with DC's track record, it's a horrible look nonetheless. Also, it makes Annika's character look bad which probably was not intentional.
The only explanation I can come up with for how big of a mess this volume is and the drop in quality and complete disregard of the events from the first six issues is that editorial must have derailed Fraction's plans for this volume last minute or something. I'll give the next arc another chance, but really, I'm only continuing with this run because its Batman.
Review of advance copy
I'm hooked on this current Batman run. The art is amazing and dynamic, the colors are vibrant and makes the characters and Gotham look so cool. There seems to be many different things going on plot wise, with some issues and parts being slower and feeling kinda separate - but they're still highly engaging and building up towards something!! I really like Batman in this series - in and out of the suit. He's intelligent, calculated, and willing to own up to his mistakes - I love the scene where he apologizes for being a bad father to Damian, and gives him the chance he's been waiting for as Robin. I hope their relationship continues to grow. I also love when Batman demolishes those 2 guys in the elevator lol - need those scenes so everyone knows you don't mess with him haha. Joker's return is eery and intriguing - why he's in that tank, I don't know, but he's super creepy. Ojo is a very cool new character that I'd love to see more of - the fight choreography is really really cool with her. Verity Pennyworth was a surprising but welcome introduction as the successor of Alfred. The idea of her character is awesome, but we don't get to see much of her in that last issue unfortunately :( Anyways, this is a fire series, and it's the first Batman series that I've really loved! I'm glad it's ongoing right now. I can't wait to read what happens next!!
Review of advance copy
This volume felt a lot more like table-setting than payoffs — aside from the Joker moment in the first issue, most of this is Fraction and Jiménez moving pieces into place. Barbara getting sent to jail and Alfred's replacement showing up in the final issue are the big hooks, but neither really lands yet.
Definitely a slow burn compared to the last volume, but I like where it's headed. With Bad Seeds crossing over right after this, it feels like this arc was building toward something bigger rather than trying to stand on its own. Worth reading if you're already invested in this era of Batman — just don't expect a self-contained arc here.
Definitely a slow burn compared to the last volume, but I like where it's headed. With Bad Seeds crossing over right after this, it feels like this arc was building toward something bigger rather than trying to stand on its own. Worth reading if you're already invested in this era of Batman — just don't expect a self-contained arc here.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I think I would like this more in a physical format instead of digital, and I do plan on picking it up when it is out, but it’s still more setup. Big things are coming soon, but still no climax. The art keeps impressing me and I really like the character interactions, but I’m waiting for something to pay off. It’s hard that it’s easily compared to other Batman runs in terms of currency. I’m still excited for future installments, this is a phenomenal story with so much potential, I hope it isn’t squandered.
August 18, 2026
I like where Fraction is taking this. It’s different from a traditional comic book arc, but Fraction has always been creative with how he structures his comic runs, so I’m choosing to trust. There are so many pieces on the board right now and more keep getting added (which can make it difficult to follow, especially reading on a month by month basis) but I trust that Fraction has a plan which will culminate into something really cool.
Review of advance copy
As much as I enjoyed this volume it was a big step down from volume one. Issue 7 is definitely the highlight and while there are a lot of awesome moments nothing quite feels super memorable. The art is great with Jimenez as always and still excited for future of this run.
Review of advance copy
Feels like a transition volume, that doesn't really stand well on its own but is still enjoyable. Barbara Gordon's fate and the introduction of a new Pennyworth both set up interesting narratives to be followed up on...
Currently Reading
April 8, 20267, ☆☆☆☆☆
8, ☆☆☆☆
8, ☆☆☆☆
Review of advance copy
Read this in single issues, good run
Review of advance copy
bruce’s relationship with damian is so mischaracterized. character development all out the window.
August 7, 2026
Finally finished issue 12. Lots of set ups over the issues but Fraction’s storytelling and the artwork is masterful. Really enjoying where this goes next.
Read
August 19, 2026Blue & Grey supremacy
Review of advance copy received from Autre
apoutchou joker
Review of advance copy
so fucking good holy shit.
Review of advance copy
Actual rating: 4.5 stars
Review of advance copy
I read these as singles, really good book.
Review of advance copy
(issues, not tpb)
Review of advance copy received from Publishers Weekly
I just love this story, can't wait to see where it's going
Review of advance copy
issue absurdo com o joker, muito boa conversa e o final do "bruce" foi lindo, engraçado aparecer o green lantern e a poison ivy com um belo design e a mayor, definitivamente mais fraquito que o primeiro, ah e a adição da sobrinha do alfred também foi giro, mas still muito entusiasmado pelo que aí vem, continue cooking matt fraction
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews