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Batman Eternal
Batman Eternal, Volume 2
The only one thing more terrifying than the madness currently gripping Gotham City is the method behind it. Gang wars. Viral outbreaks. Riots. Hauntings. Terrorist strikes. Batman and his army of allies have battled them all one by one, taking casualties at every turn. And in the eye of this vortex of chaos stands one man. His face is wrapped in darkness. His name is spoken only in whispers. He is Hush. And he is the Dark Knight’s darkest nightmare. Once Bruce Wayne’s best friend, this maniacal mastermind is out to prove that he is the Batman’s better in every way. To do it, he will burn Gotham City to the ground and crown himself king of the ashes. Distrust and disaster have torn them apart, but now Batman and his family of crimefighters must join closer than they ever have before. Only then can they stop Hush from sinking the city into the silence of the grave…Superstar BATMAN writer Scott Snyder leads an all-star team of creators - including James Tynion IV, Ray Fawkes, Kyle Higgins, Tim Seeley, Jason Fabok, Fernando Pasarin, R.M. Guéra, and more - in BATMAN ETERNAL VOL. 2, the second landmark chapter in the unprecedented weekly Batman series!
Collects: Batman Eternal 22-34.
Collects: Batman Eternal 22-34.
286 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 14, 2015
70 people are currently reading
863 people want to read
About the author
Scott Snyder
1,780 books5,144 followersScott Snyder is the Eisner and Harvey Award winning writer on DC Comics Batman, Swamp Thing, and his original series for Vertigo, American Vampire. He is also the author of the short story collection, Voodoo Heart, published by the Dial Press in 2006. The paperback version was published in the summer of 2007.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 202 reviews
July 17, 2021
(B+) 78% | Good
Notes: Well-executed, it's just partly-polluted: all the magic is stupid! Joker's Daughter included (but that's never disputed).
Notes: Well-executed, it's just partly-polluted: all the magic is stupid! Joker's Daughter included (but that's never disputed).
August 10, 2015
3.5 stars
For pure high octane fun Batman Eternal packs a pretty good punch. Plenty of crazy storylines weaving in and out, plenty of insane villains wreaking havoc, and plenty of the Bat-family heroes taking a stand against evil.
It wasn't until the very last page of this volume that I sort of took a step back and went.. The FUCK is this shit!?
I'm not saying that this was bad, or that I didn't enjoy it, but I was pretty annoyed with the ending of this one. And, yeah, I know it's not The End, but...
Hmmm. I don't think I'm saying this right. I guess what's bothering me is that I just felt like I'd already read this story somewhere before. Did this feel regurgitated to anyone else? Anyone?
I mean, first of all, Hush is the Secret Villain behind a far-reaching conspiracy...
I know that's been done before.
Is concocting needlessly elaborate schemes now considered Tommy Elliot's superpower? Is it?!
Shhhh. Hush.
And, second...
WARNING: SPOILER ALERT!
Ok. And, second...
I'm not sure if Bruce has ever lost control of Wayne Enterprises before, but plenty of other superheroes have lost their companies, so (combined with Hush's wash-rinse-repeat storyline) it didn't feel like it was anything new or fresh.
After I finished, I felt a bit like a deflated balloon.
That's it?
BUT.
Before I got to the end, I was really entertained with all of the different threads of this volume.
Stephanie Brown's Spoiler comeback was quite a lot of fun to read about. I'm not saying that there weren't holes in this plot, but it was entertaining, nonetheless.
And Catwoman! There can never be enough Catwoman in a Batman title, as far as I'm concerned. I love to watch these two do their little dance...
Most of you already know that what happens --> here <-- pushes Selina into becoming one of Gotham's crime lords.
Crime lord? Am I saying that right? It sounds so cheesy...
Anyway, bad stuff happens to an innocent 'someone' in this volume, and Selina decides that instead of trying to take the bad guys out, she should just take them over. There was a preview of her new title in the back of my copy, and it looks kinda cool.
Alfred & his daughter both play a big role here.
Al gets jacked up by Hush, and his daughter finds out that he was keeping a few secrets from her...
After a meet-cute with Batman, she reluctantly takes over as Penny-Two and becomes Bruce's eyes and ears in the Batcave.
Also, Alfred gets to kick some undead ass with Bane in Arkham Asylum!
Shhh. Go with it...
Lots of other stuff happening, as well. Batwing & Spectre get dibs on the paranormal angle, Batgirl & Red Hood do a little angry team-up, and Harper & Red Robin are getting closer to finding {insert random evil dude}.
It's a Bat-family reunion!
Well, not everyone shows up, of course.
Grayson is still playing dead/James Bonding it up over at Spyral, and Jim Gordon is still rotting in jail. Speaking of Gordon, his former protege, Bard, is still running around fucking up Gotham's infrastructure as per Eliot's instructions.
I was actually kinda hoping Barbara would have dropped him off that roof.
Ok. I think overall this was fun, even if it was a bit unwieldy. Sure, some of it feels like old food that was scraped off and re-plated, but certain foods re-heat well enough. Volume 2 wasn't as good as next day pizza, but it's also not a total loss...like leftover nachos.
It seems like some important things are happening in this title that are going to affect the Batverse, so if you're interested in keeping up with the current goings-on, this is probably a must-read. However, it's super readable, especially if you're willing to overlook a few of the nuttier aspects.
Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for a digital review copy.
Get this review and more at:
For pure high octane fun Batman Eternal packs a pretty good punch. Plenty of crazy storylines weaving in and out, plenty of insane villains wreaking havoc, and plenty of the Bat-family heroes taking a stand against evil.
It wasn't until the very last page of this volume that I sort of took a step back and went.. The FUCK is this shit!?
I'm not saying that this was bad, or that I didn't enjoy it, but I was pretty annoyed with the ending of this one. And, yeah, I know it's not The End, but...
Hmmm. I don't think I'm saying this right. I guess what's bothering me is that I just felt like I'd already read this story somewhere before. Did this feel regurgitated to anyone else? Anyone?
I mean, first of all, Hush is the Secret Villain behind a far-reaching conspiracy...
I know that's been done before.
Is concocting needlessly elaborate schemes now considered Tommy Elliot's superpower? Is it?!
Shhhh. Hush.
And, second...
WARNING: SPOILER ALERT!
Ok. And, second...
I'm not sure if Bruce has ever lost control of Wayne Enterprises before, but plenty of other superheroes have lost their companies, so (combined with Hush's wash-rinse-repeat storyline) it didn't feel like it was anything new or fresh.
After I finished, I felt a bit like a deflated balloon.
That's it?
BUT.
Before I got to the end, I was really entertained with all of the different threads of this volume.
Stephanie Brown's Spoiler comeback was quite a lot of fun to read about. I'm not saying that there weren't holes in this plot, but it was entertaining, nonetheless.
And Catwoman! There can never be enough Catwoman in a Batman title, as far as I'm concerned. I love to watch these two do their little dance...
Most of you already know that what happens --> here <-- pushes Selina into becoming one of Gotham's crime lords.
Crime lord? Am I saying that right? It sounds so cheesy...
Anyway, bad stuff happens to an innocent 'someone' in this volume, and Selina decides that instead of trying to take the bad guys out, she should just take them over. There was a preview of her new title in the back of my copy, and it looks kinda cool.
Alfred & his daughter both play a big role here.
Al gets jacked up by Hush, and his daughter finds out that he was keeping a few secrets from her...
After a meet-cute with Batman, she reluctantly takes over as Penny-Two and becomes Bruce's eyes and ears in the Batcave.
Also, Alfred gets to kick some undead ass with Bane in Arkham Asylum!
Shhh. Go with it...
Lots of other stuff happening, as well. Batwing & Spectre get dibs on the paranormal angle, Batgirl & Red Hood do a little angry team-up, and Harper & Red Robin are getting closer to finding {insert random evil dude}.
It's a Bat-family reunion!
Well, not everyone shows up, of course.
Grayson is still playing dead/James Bonding it up over at Spyral, and Jim Gordon is still rotting in jail. Speaking of Gordon, his former protege, Bard, is still running around fucking up Gotham's infrastructure as per Eliot's instructions.
I was actually kinda hoping Barbara would have dropped him off that roof.
Ok. I think overall this was fun, even if it was a bit unwieldy. Sure, some of it feels like old food that was scraped off and re-plated, but certain foods re-heat well enough. Volume 2 wasn't as good as next day pizza, but it's also not a total loss...like leftover nachos.
It seems like some important things are happening in this title that are going to affect the Batverse, so if you're interested in keeping up with the current goings-on, this is probably a must-read. However, it's super readable, especially if you're willing to overlook a few of the nuttier aspects.
Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for a digital review copy.
Get this review and more at:
February 28, 2017
This book starts out with the interesting premise of Batman's ally being in prison and his renegade status being underlined with few allies in the changing power structure of Gotham. Page-turning and well-illustrated, it is a great follow-on to Vol 1 in this New 52 cycle.
June 11, 2020
This book is the source of all kinds of change throughout the Batman related books. After reading this, I understand why the ancillary Bat books like Catwoman are now so different. That being said, it's not my favorite Batbook. The pacing differs from issue to issue as the writers change. There are some promising new artists doing issues in this book, such as Javier Gordon. His art really stood out to me, even among such other great DC artists like Jason Fabok.
July 14, 2015
I usually try to summarise a book’s story at the top of a review but there isn’t really a plot to Batman Eternal, DC’s weekly Batman series, just a lot of little storylines playing out. I suppose the main bad guy is Hush doing what he always does - “I wanna be Bruce Wayne, waaah!”. Put a sock in it, Tommy!
This second volume is a lot shorter than the first, collecting issues #22-34 (13 issues) compared to the first 21 issues in Volume 1. Also, while Scott Snyder’s name is on the cover, he didn’t write this comic - he plotted it, along with James Tynion IV. The actual writers are Tynion IV, Ray Fawkes, Tim Seeley, and Kyle Higgins - very much the B-team of DC’s writers.
So: Hush, aka Tommy Elliott. He’s back. Again. That’s either a good or bad thing depending on your feelings toward the character - for me it’s definitely bad as I think he’s the pits. He doesn’t really have a motivation besides he hates Bruce Wayne because he’s not Bruce Wayne and that’s it. It’s the worst. His character design’s just a rip-off of Unknown Soldier (bandage-face, guns) and we’re meant to believe he’s coordinating this massive, meandering plot about bringing down Wayne Enterprises or something vague? Boo!
And now we get into the many little story threads that make up the series as another of Batman’s worst rogues reappears: Deacon Blackfire (from the dreadful Batman: The Cult). Why is Joker’s Daughter trying to resurrect him beneath Arkham Asylum? No clue. Tyger Shark (from Batman: The Black Mirror) is shooting rare tigers because he’s a dick. The Architect, aka Zachary Gate (from Batman: The Gates of Gotham) makes a cameo. Killer Croc’s running some kind of underground orphanage(?!) and is looking for one of his lost kids. Catwoman’s given the task of uniting the disparate mobs of Gotham by a surprise figure from her past. Martial law is declared in Gotham on the flimsiest of reasons. Gordon’s still in jail. Stephanie Brown’s calling herself The Spoiler and is still dodging her dad, Cluemaster, who’s trying to kill her. Poor Alfred’s been injected with a massive amount of fear toxin into his brain so his daughter, Julia, has stepped in to be Batman’s tech support.
It’s just a jumble of bad Batman sub-plots, most of which are boring and which don’t add up to much. One big thing happens that changes the landscape of the city and leads to the Arkham Manor spinoff series, but that’s it.
Vicki Vale is written poorly as a brain-dead journo who’ll write-up whatever anyone throws at her, and, continuing DC’s recent trend in sexifying up its older/uglier characters (Deathstroke is now in his 20s, Lobo now looks like a male model), Dr Leslie Thompkins has gone from being the elderly doctor who looked after young Bruce to a more youthful woman.
Alfred’s storyline is underwritten with him appearing somewhere bizarre without explanation and then his “fatal” condition is suddenly not an issue when the writers need him to be functional.
A lot of scenes are characters doing what they always do, ie. drearily fighting one another, while actual exciting scenes like Batman saving a plane from crashing are done off-page! Gotham’s been in worse shape - Zero Year for example - and the government haven’t stepped in until the last minute but they appear now after a load of minor events happen?
The art is mostly very good with standout artists being RM Guera (holla at Scalped!), Jason Fabok, Dustin Nguyen, and Andy Clarke, but there are a couple dozen artists who contributed to this volume and produced lots of awesome-looking pages.
While the book looks great, the writing is extremely sub-standard and the plotting is all over the shop. Out of this many storylines, the only one I kind of cared about was Stephanie Brown’s but unfortunately she doesn’t get many pages. The rest of Batman Eternal, Volume 2 is a tedious slog. What a disappointing experiment this turned out to be!
This second volume is a lot shorter than the first, collecting issues #22-34 (13 issues) compared to the first 21 issues in Volume 1. Also, while Scott Snyder’s name is on the cover, he didn’t write this comic - he plotted it, along with James Tynion IV. The actual writers are Tynion IV, Ray Fawkes, Tim Seeley, and Kyle Higgins - very much the B-team of DC’s writers.
So: Hush, aka Tommy Elliott. He’s back. Again. That’s either a good or bad thing depending on your feelings toward the character - for me it’s definitely bad as I think he’s the pits. He doesn’t really have a motivation besides he hates Bruce Wayne because he’s not Bruce Wayne and that’s it. It’s the worst. His character design’s just a rip-off of Unknown Soldier (bandage-face, guns) and we’re meant to believe he’s coordinating this massive, meandering plot about bringing down Wayne Enterprises or something vague? Boo!
And now we get into the many little story threads that make up the series as another of Batman’s worst rogues reappears: Deacon Blackfire (from the dreadful Batman: The Cult). Why is Joker’s Daughter trying to resurrect him beneath Arkham Asylum? No clue. Tyger Shark (from Batman: The Black Mirror) is shooting rare tigers because he’s a dick. The Architect, aka Zachary Gate (from Batman: The Gates of Gotham) makes a cameo. Killer Croc’s running some kind of underground orphanage(?!) and is looking for one of his lost kids. Catwoman’s given the task of uniting the disparate mobs of Gotham by a surprise figure from her past. Martial law is declared in Gotham on the flimsiest of reasons. Gordon’s still in jail. Stephanie Brown’s calling herself The Spoiler and is still dodging her dad, Cluemaster, who’s trying to kill her. Poor Alfred’s been injected with a massive amount of fear toxin into his brain so his daughter, Julia, has stepped in to be Batman’s tech support.
It’s just a jumble of bad Batman sub-plots, most of which are boring and which don’t add up to much. One big thing happens that changes the landscape of the city and leads to the Arkham Manor spinoff series, but that’s it.
Vicki Vale is written poorly as a brain-dead journo who’ll write-up whatever anyone throws at her, and, continuing DC’s recent trend in sexifying up its older/uglier characters (Deathstroke is now in his 20s, Lobo now looks like a male model), Dr Leslie Thompkins has gone from being the elderly doctor who looked after young Bruce to a more youthful woman.
Alfred’s storyline is underwritten with him appearing somewhere bizarre without explanation and then his “fatal” condition is suddenly not an issue when the writers need him to be functional.
A lot of scenes are characters doing what they always do, ie. drearily fighting one another, while actual exciting scenes like Batman saving a plane from crashing are done off-page! Gotham’s been in worse shape - Zero Year for example - and the government haven’t stepped in until the last minute but they appear now after a load of minor events happen?
The art is mostly very good with standout artists being RM Guera (holla at Scalped!), Jason Fabok, Dustin Nguyen, and Andy Clarke, but there are a couple dozen artists who contributed to this volume and produced lots of awesome-looking pages.
While the book looks great, the writing is extremely sub-standard and the plotting is all over the shop. Out of this many storylines, the only one I kind of cared about was Stephanie Brown’s but unfortunately she doesn’t get many pages. The rest of Batman Eternal, Volume 2 is a tedious slog. What a disappointing experiment this turned out to be!
August 16, 2017
Oh, snap. Hush!
-
Still just a solid Batman story. This series has been a real breath of fresh air after some of the DC titles I've been reading. It's nice that you can just jump right into this one too, without reading any of the other New 52 titles.
-
Still just a solid Batman story. This series has been a real breath of fresh air after some of the DC titles I've been reading. It's nice that you can just jump right into this one too, without reading any of the other New 52 titles.
September 20, 2015
Batman goes against Hush in this collection of comics. Hush is the man behind gang wars, riots and terrorist strikes against Gotham City and Batman & Co. has to deal with it all.
Personally I felt kind of overwhelmed with this graphic novel. Part of me liked reading 300+ pages of action, and part of me was sometimes a bit confused when stuff happened that made me wonder what the heck is going on, like who is this person and what has this to do with the main story?
Let's just say that some issues was less interesting than others. I liked Batman fight against Hush, I liked Catwoman's problems with her father and of course her and Batman working together (I just wish there was more of them working together in this volume) and of course Julia Pennyworth taking over from her father, who is really sick after being poisoned.
That was great, but then again we had issues with a character called Spoiler (?) and her father who is trying to kill her for some reason (for some reason) and parts like that just made me go wtf?
On the plus side, now I knew what happened to Arkham, why it was destroyed. That made the graphic novel about turning Wayne Mansion into the new Arkham a bit more comprehensible.
The art was almost always great, some issues was not that good, but overall very pleasant to read. Loved the cover arts.
I received this copy from DC Comics through Edelweiss in return for an honest review! Thank you!
Personally I felt kind of overwhelmed with this graphic novel. Part of me liked reading 300+ pages of action, and part of me was sometimes a bit confused when stuff happened that made me wonder what the heck is going on, like who is this person and what has this to do with the main story?
Let's just say that some issues was less interesting than others. I liked Batman fight against Hush, I liked Catwoman's problems with her father and of course her and Batman working together (I just wish there was more of them working together in this volume) and of course Julia Pennyworth taking over from her father, who is really sick after being poisoned.
That was great, but then again we had issues with a character called Spoiler (?) and her father who is trying to kill her for some reason (for some reason) and parts like that just made me go wtf?
On the plus side, now I knew what happened to Arkham, why it was destroyed. That made the graphic novel about turning Wayne Mansion into the new Arkham a bit more comprehensible.
The art was almost always great, some issues was not that good, but overall very pleasant to read. Loved the cover arts.
I received this copy from DC Comics through Edelweiss in return for an honest review! Thank you!
September 25, 2015
I received this from DC Comics and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Outstanding!
Scott Snyder is such an excellent writer for Batman. His skill at weaving a complex storyline is amazing to behold, and watching it unfold in the pages here is simply fantastic.
And I must say, Hush is probably the best Batman villain hands-down. He's an amazing foil to the plans Bruce Wayne/Batman has laid for Gotham City over the years.
Outstanding!
Scott Snyder is such an excellent writer for Batman. His skill at weaving a complex storyline is amazing to behold, and watching it unfold in the pages here is simply fantastic.
And I must say, Hush is probably the best Batman villain hands-down. He's an amazing foil to the plans Bruce Wayne/Batman has laid for Gotham City over the years.
February 17, 2016
Tons of sub plots, lots of Bat Family members and as usual more going on than expected.
Gorgeous artwork.
That said, it's very good but it isn't great or superlative.
OVERALL GRADE: B to B plus.
Gorgeous artwork.
That said, it's very good but it isn't great or superlative.
OVERALL GRADE: B to B plus.
January 15, 2016
As much as I enjoyed the first collection of Batman Eternal, the second volume made me wish the end was nearer instead of having to risk dollars acquiring the third one. It may not be as good as the first one, but it does have Scalped's R.M. Guera on art. That was a welcome treat.
The reveal of Hush as the architect behind Batman's current woes was a relief; at least this collection existed for a reason. I must admit I did not see that coming.
I may not have enjoyed this as much as the first, I could find solace in the fact that this sets up a monster third act; at least that is what I'm telling myself.
The reveal of Hush as the architect behind Batman's current woes was a relief; at least this collection existed for a reason. I must admit I did not see that coming.
I may not have enjoyed this as much as the first, I could find solace in the fact that this sets up a monster third act; at least that is what I'm telling myself.
September 16, 2016
5 stars
Very good comic. Nice to see the Bat Family working together again. Glad that Julia was able to do well in Gotham and helping Batman. Weird that Hush wasn't the real mastermind behind what is happening in Gotham. Hope Gordon will be released soon. Interesting that Catwoman took over as Crime Lord.
Who is the mastermind behind what is happening in Gotham? Will Gordon be set free? How will Selina do as a Crime Lord?
Can't wait to read Batman Eternal Volume 3!!!!!
Very good comic. Nice to see the Bat Family working together again. Glad that Julia was able to do well in Gotham and helping Batman. Weird that Hush wasn't the real mastermind behind what is happening in Gotham. Hope Gordon will be released soon. Interesting that Catwoman took over as Crime Lord.
Who is the mastermind behind what is happening in Gotham? Will Gordon be set free? How will Selina do as a Crime Lord?
Can't wait to read Batman Eternal Volume 3!!!!!
July 20, 2015
(Received from Netgalley for review.)
Volume two of Snyder's enormous Batman story felt rather less plodding than volume one had. This may be partly because there are simply less issues here. Instead of 20+ issues, we get about a dozen. Which is much more manageable to read, and I think it kept me from getting quite as bored by the end as I might have been with another 20 issue monster.
Overall, this is turning out to be little more than a roll call of every Batman oriented character ever created. Do we really need to have everybody from Deacon Blackfire to Joker's Daughter to appear? What about Batmite? Is Batmite coming? Because he would be just about the only Batman character left out, and that would be sad.
In the whole tangle of minor plot desperately trying to become one cohesive story, there are two things that I actually really enjoy reading. Most of all, and this should come as no surprise to anybody who's heard me rant about how she'd been treated by DC, STEPHANIE. It's so, so damn good to see her back in action. And I'm finding that I'm really enjoying her storyline. Seeing her turn into Spoiler has been more fun to read than I would have thought, though I really wish she could have been given her own book. Or maybe just a storyline focused on her in one of the books. And, though this goes by really quickly, I kind of totally loved seeing Killer Croc as a sort of sewer-dwelling Fagin. Croc is a character who can easily wander back and forth across the anti-hero line, and I feel like this is a good fit for his character.
But those few bright spots aside, this book is kind of a mess right now. There's just way, way too much happening, which is largely because there's so much space to fill. The concept of Batman Eternal is ambitious, but maybe too much so. Sadly, this doesn't seem to be another 52. I'm being a little generous in my star rating, because I honestly am just that happy to see Stephanie again. I just hope DC does more and better with her.
Volume two of Snyder's enormous Batman story felt rather less plodding than volume one had. This may be partly because there are simply less issues here. Instead of 20+ issues, we get about a dozen. Which is much more manageable to read, and I think it kept me from getting quite as bored by the end as I might have been with another 20 issue monster.
Overall, this is turning out to be little more than a roll call of every Batman oriented character ever created. Do we really need to have everybody from Deacon Blackfire to Joker's Daughter to appear? What about Batmite? Is Batmite coming? Because he would be just about the only Batman character left out, and that would be sad.
In the whole tangle of minor plot desperately trying to become one cohesive story, there are two things that I actually really enjoy reading. Most of all, and this should come as no surprise to anybody who's heard me rant about how she'd been treated by DC, STEPHANIE. It's so, so damn good to see her back in action. And I'm finding that I'm really enjoying her storyline. Seeing her turn into Spoiler has been more fun to read than I would have thought, though I really wish she could have been given her own book. Or maybe just a storyline focused on her in one of the books. And, though this goes by really quickly, I kind of totally loved seeing Killer Croc as a sort of sewer-dwelling Fagin. Croc is a character who can easily wander back and forth across the anti-hero line, and I feel like this is a good fit for his character.
But those few bright spots aside, this book is kind of a mess right now. There's just way, way too much happening, which is largely because there's so much space to fill. The concept of Batman Eternal is ambitious, but maybe too much so. Sadly, this doesn't seem to be another 52. I'm being a little generous in my star rating, because I honestly am just that happy to see Stephanie again. I just hope DC does more and better with her.
November 19, 2019
This was a bit better than volume 1. The meandering though is killing me. Might as well read the last one while I’m at it lol.
June 28, 2017
And again.. another whopper!
I flew through this one actually! :D
Going to keep it short (like always), because I want to go the next one ;)
I flew through this one actually! :D
Going to keep it short (like always), because I want to go the next one ;)
October 24, 2025
A solid but sometimes jumbled mess. It's main focus is on Hush this time around, which he is not the best villain outside his original storyline. Overall decent, with some great moments for mostly Spoiler.
May 25, 2015
3.5
Maybe I'm just getting too old for the types of plot holes this series has. And I'm willing to ignore things I wouldn't in novels because it's a superhero comic. But when you make them major plot points...
First off, I still enjoyed this. It's fun and crazy, which is what I'm after in my spandex comics. As the middle volume, it has the weakness of not getting to hook us, nor of resolving anything truly important. Some subplots get resolved and new ones immediately opened, but the main plot thread is still there, as unresolved as expected. If you enjoyed the last one, you'll want to read this one... and then hope Volume 3 doesn't screw everything up. ;)
Next!
Did we go from smart Vale, who was using Bard to get the story, and who cared about getting the correct story, to stupid Vale who is easily manipulated into printing whatever Bard wants? This isn't so much a plot hole as it is inconsistency in character (is that a type of plot hole? Let's pretend it is).
How does the author expect this to ever get cleared up in the court of public opinion before the next arc, when I'm sure things will be fine again? I assume he plans to ignore it, which is weak.
Next!
Let's talk about the the government. We know how slow our government is to act, right? And how amazing lawyers are at trapping things in court proceedings for years? And I'm supposed to believe that the feds acted with that much authority in like two hours? After ignoring Gotham for the past 30 issues? The only way I buy that is if it turns out the DOJ is behind this whole thing and it has been years in the making.
About the last page...
Huge spoiler. You were warned...
Maybe I'm just getting too old for the types of plot holes this series has. And I'm willing to ignore things I wouldn't in novels because it's a superhero comic. But when you make them major plot points...
First off, I still enjoyed this. It's fun and crazy, which is what I'm after in my spandex comics. As the middle volume, it has the weakness of not getting to hook us, nor of resolving anything truly important. Some subplots get resolved and new ones immediately opened, but the main plot thread is still there, as unresolved as expected. If you enjoyed the last one, you'll want to read this one... and then hope Volume 3 doesn't screw everything up. ;)
Next!
Did we go from smart Vale, who was using Bard to get the story, and who cared about getting the correct story, to stupid Vale who is easily manipulated into printing whatever Bard wants? This isn't so much a plot hole as it is inconsistency in character (is that a type of plot hole? Let's pretend it is).
How does the author expect this to ever get cleared up in the court of public opinion before the next arc, when I'm sure things will be fine again? I assume he plans to ignore it, which is weak.
Next!
Let's talk about the the government. We know how slow our government is to act, right? And how amazing lawyers are at trapping things in court proceedings for years? And I'm supposed to believe that the feds acted with that much authority in like two hours? After ignoring Gotham for the past 30 issues? The only way I buy that is if it turns out the DOJ is behind this whole thing and it has been years in the making.
About the last page...
Huge spoiler. You were warned...
August 16, 2015
3.5 Stars
This of course picks up where the first volume finishes. I enjoyed this quite a bit: both Batman and Gotham are really put to the test. This volume is much more focused than the last volume without as many extra plot-lines, which I think is a good thing. The few extra story threads weren't expanded upon enough, IMO, but I'm hoping that the next volume clears up some of that stuff. There are some pretty major changes here and I'll be curious if those stick around. Also, the level of art stays fairly high as well.
This of course picks up where the first volume finishes. I enjoyed this quite a bit: both Batman and Gotham are really put to the test. This volume is much more focused than the last volume without as many extra plot-lines, which I think is a good thing. The few extra story threads weren't expanded upon enough, IMO, but I'm hoping that the next volume clears up some of that stuff. There are some pretty major changes here and I'll be curious if those stick around. Also, the level of art stays fairly high as well.
February 11, 2020
I apparently have previously read this -- no recollection of it. Oops.
The Bat Family's enemies, those mystical and those very real, continue to build strength and wreak havoc in Gotham. Batman's bunkers in Gotham are compromised, physically and metaphorically both.
The Bat Family's enemies, those mystical and those very real, continue to build strength and wreak havoc in Gotham. Batman's bunkers in Gotham are compromised, physically and metaphorically both.
February 5, 2019
Really more like 2.5 stars, as this entry's ever so slightly more readable than the previous volume, but this series is still suffering the side effects from the first volume's complete mess created by a neverending series of cooks.
The main problem is, none of the big twists or shocking moments in this feel earned. There are so many balls in the air that's impossible to keep track of any of them (I'm really using every metaphor today I guess). At the end of volume 1, we learned who the secret mastermind was behind all of the insane events affecting Gotham at once. Only, when we find out who it is, it doesn't do anything to justify that person's ability to pull off a massive plan like this. I fully do not buy that this person could've done all this, and no pains are taken to make me believe it. It's just a twist built on pre-existing Batman lore that technically doesn't exist in this universe, since this is a reboot. It ends up feeling more stale than anything.
I will say, as some of the dumber storylines (i.e. anything Ray Fawkes came up with) are resolved and thrown in the trash, the story starts to clear up a little. Towards the end of this book, I started to feel like I could actually keep track of all the moving pieces without losing my mind. There's also some fantastic art here and there in this volume, which always makes it infinitely more enjoyable to read.
So, even though this thing is sloppy as hell, it's not as bad as it could be. I'm sure I'll finish the final volume since this seems to affect the larger Batman universe pretty frequently. I just wish it was a much cleaner and more pared-down story.
The main problem is, none of the big twists or shocking moments in this feel earned. There are so many balls in the air that's impossible to keep track of any of them (I'm really using every metaphor today I guess). At the end of volume 1, we learned who the secret mastermind was behind all of the insane events affecting Gotham at once. Only, when we find out who it is, it doesn't do anything to justify that person's ability to pull off a massive plan like this. I fully do not buy that this person could've done all this, and no pains are taken to make me believe it. It's just a twist built on pre-existing Batman lore that technically doesn't exist in this universe, since this is a reboot. It ends up feeling more stale than anything.
I will say, as some of the dumber storylines (i.e. anything Ray Fawkes came up with) are resolved and thrown in the trash, the story starts to clear up a little. Towards the end of this book, I started to feel like I could actually keep track of all the moving pieces without losing my mind. There's also some fantastic art here and there in this volume, which always makes it infinitely more enjoyable to read.
So, even though this thing is sloppy as hell, it's not as bad as it could be. I'm sure I'll finish the final volume since this seems to affect the larger Batman universe pretty frequently. I just wish it was a much cleaner and more pared-down story.
November 11, 2015
Umm...that was one of the more ugly artwork books I've ever seen from a supposedly major event...
There are a few bright spots (not literally, because Skittles and Rainbows are illegal in Gotham and DC) but otherwise ugh.
Hush? Really? Been there, done that, got the face bandage wraps.
Lucius Fox being the conscience? Seems like a Nolan movie...
The best stuff? Bane saving Alfred, and them fighting creatures together.
Alfred's daughter and him.
Catwoman and her new direction.
Spoiler being given a chance.
Killer Croc.
But still, no Dick, no Damian, no major bad guys, these are all the b-list and below.
Where are my Joker, Riddler, Penguin, Two Face? Hell there's no Ivy! Does Snyder get dibs on people?
This literally feels like a cash grab to milk everyone of Batman 75th anniversary stuff...
I'd say 2.5 and just a touch more because I want to see where it goes from here...
But not great. Like a hot mess.
There are a few bright spots (not literally, because Skittles and Rainbows are illegal in Gotham and DC) but otherwise ugh.
Hush? Really? Been there, done that, got the face bandage wraps.
Lucius Fox being the conscience? Seems like a Nolan movie...
The best stuff? Bane saving Alfred, and them fighting creatures together.
Alfred's daughter and him.
Catwoman and her new direction.
Spoiler being given a chance.
Killer Croc.
But still, no Dick, no Damian, no major bad guys, these are all the b-list and below.
Where are my Joker, Riddler, Penguin, Two Face? Hell there's no Ivy! Does Snyder get dibs on people?
This literally feels like a cash grab to milk everyone of Batman 75th anniversary stuff...
I'd say 2.5 and just a touch more because I want to see where it goes from here...
But not great. Like a hot mess.
April 8, 2016
If reading Batman Eternal Vol. 1 was the comics equivalent of making sweet, sweet love to me now, then Vol. 2 is the what I imagine making the beast with two backs with me will be like in 30 years: sporadically spunky, often meandering and apparently pointless, periodically flaccid, a lot of buildup with very little payoff, trying to get by with a lot of flash and little substance, and no real idea how to finish.
I begin to worry that Vol. 3 is going to get into the necrophiliac stage of bouncing on Sean’s giggleberries (which, to be fair, might actually prove to be my period of greatest prowess).
(2.5 Stars, so we'll round up to 3.)
I begin to worry that Vol. 3 is going to get into the necrophiliac stage of bouncing on Sean’s giggleberries (which, to be fair, might actually prove to be my period of greatest prowess).
(2.5 Stars, so we'll round up to 3.)
February 27, 2025
It is still chaotic everywhere in Gotham, but the culprit behind it all is finally revealed, as Batman faces an arch enemy from his past, a friend turned foe, and one that knows his true identity, as Batman focuses his efforts to capture Hush, the bizzare events taking place under Arkham Asylum literally blow up in conclusion, so that now after tying the ends for all the seemingly unrelated events of book 1, we have everything tied up in one narrative that will take us into book three with a single question, will it end in the fall of batman or will he redeem his status as the knight of Gotham, and lay to waste the master plan of Hush?
Absolutely loved it, and in general, Scott Snyder's Batman has found a special place in my heart...
MiM
Absolutely loved it, and in general, Scott Snyder's Batman has found a special place in my heart...
MiM
February 23, 2015
Another great read! So like the first volume it has multiple stories, however this one seems to have multiple "Main plots' in the first volume the main plot was Gordon being Framed; this volume it jumps from story to story, first you think The Architect from Gates of Gotham is the final boss, oh wait no now Hush shows up, oh no wait there's more boss fights after him! They Really do a great Job keeping you entertained and revealing multiple plot twists throughout!
There are a few negatives like they maybe could of done more with The Architect, also some of the art in this book is ugly, there is some good art but some bad to.
Overall this is a great batman read!
There are a few negatives like they maybe could of done more with The Architect, also some of the art in this book is ugly, there is some good art but some bad to.
Overall this is a great batman read!
September 27, 2018
Lots of characters and subplots to keep up with so far in these two volumes, but if you can manage to keep it all straight- you'll enjoy the story! The pacing is a bit uneven from issue to issue, but the overall arc that focuses on Arkham being taken over and Batman trying to prevent this, makes for an exciting read. Alfred's daughter running things from the Batcave as Penny 2 while the actual Alfred teams up with Bane to escape Arkham make for fun subplots in a story dealing with demons. As a whole Batman New 52 has some of my favorite and most consistent artwork of all the titles, and this mostly continues with the Eternal title with a few inconsistencies here and there.
July 22, 2015
5 Stars may be a little high, But I did enjoy this. Batman Eternal reads a lot better in a volume format, than week to week as it's released. If You're a fan of any of the Batfamily, this is a must read. Batwing, Batgirl, Red hood. I mean even Alfred teams up with Bane for a while. Nevertheless all the villains that appear in this volume, Bane, Killer Croc, Mr. Freeze, Hush, And so on. Also this sets up Catwoman as the kingpin of Gotham. I highly recommend reading this if You're a Batman fan
I recieved an advanced copy from Netgalley.com and DC comics
I recieved an advanced copy from Netgalley.com and DC comics
March 13, 2016
This was OK, but still suffers from the same inconsistency of both story and art seen in vol. 1.
I wish there had been more time dedicated to the "Spoiler" story line, it just kind of...ended?
Also, the supernatural Arkham stuff was a dud. Nightwing is pretty cool, give him something more fun to do!
Alfred's daughter being forced to be, em, Alfred was kind of weak.
Catwoman, Killer Croc, and Batgirl were all pretty solid.
I wish there had been more time dedicated to the "Spoiler" story line, it just kind of...ended?
Also, the supernatural Arkham stuff was a dud. Nightwing is pretty cool, give him something more fun to do!
Alfred's daughter being forced to be, em, Alfred was kind of weak.
Catwoman, Killer Croc, and Batgirl were all pretty solid.
October 29, 2020
Umí Snyder i něco jinýho než ničit Gotham? Furt zbytečně roztáhlé, ale vlastně porád překvapivě dobré.
3,5*
3,5*
February 24, 2020
Really interesting and the atmosphere is perfect
August 3, 2015
I got into this weekly series because of Scott Snyder (the chief writer and mastermind of all the great Batman comics of the past 4+ years) and Harper Row (badass working class sister who's developing into a great hero in the Bat-family).
Kudos to the artists for keeping the quality so consistent through such a complex story arc week after week. It's the script writers who couldn't keep up the consistency of tone in this volume. Specifically one writer stands out as having ruined an otherwise great story: Tim Seeley. I don't know who this guy is, but he makes Ray Fawkes' portions look great by comparison. The story-plotting/scripting/co-advisor junior assistant team for this series is Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV at the top, Ray Fawkes and Kyle Higgins doing an admirable job of both dark and more light-hearted moments throughout what is one of the most intricate Batman stories I've ever read. There are SO many threads to this plot all happening at once that to pull it off was truly a feat - and on a WEEKLY deadline! But then there's Tim Seeley, whose issues read like the Scooby Doo interlude in Batman Begins.
Whole pages of good artist talent are wasted so Seeley can slowly set up a corny joke, everyone's voice becomes that of Jay Leno, looking at the reader and squeaking out, "Ya git it?! See? Cuz...It's funny!"
Thankfully Seeley gets pulled after a few issues and Fawkes/Higgins, with direction from Snyder/Tynion pull it together for the closing act of this dense volume.
One final quibble I forgot to mention in my review of Vol. 1, which carries over into this one: The plot arc about Gordon getting thrown in jail hinges upon one moment, wherein he fires a single bullet past a hired villain, and that bullet hits an electrical panel, causing a subway train to be unable to brake, resulting in the loss of hundreds of lives. Even Batman points out early on that frying that control panel shouldn't have been enough to cause the tragedy, but nobody ever looks further at that point. So they sweep this unlikely plot point under the rug and never look back for the sake of the bigger picture. But seriously, you can't just smash a visible control panel at pedestrian level on a subway platform and make trains crash into one another like that! Gordon was framed and (at least in these 2 volumes) we never get to see the World's Greatest Detective put the pieces together of the incident itself - more just making excuses and looking at the red herrings strewn about the scene.
Kudos to the artists for keeping the quality so consistent through such a complex story arc week after week. It's the script writers who couldn't keep up the consistency of tone in this volume. Specifically one writer stands out as having ruined an otherwise great story: Tim Seeley. I don't know who this guy is, but he makes Ray Fawkes' portions look great by comparison. The story-plotting/scripting/co-advisor junior assistant team for this series is Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV at the top, Ray Fawkes and Kyle Higgins doing an admirable job of both dark and more light-hearted moments throughout what is one of the most intricate Batman stories I've ever read. There are SO many threads to this plot all happening at once that to pull it off was truly a feat - and on a WEEKLY deadline! But then there's Tim Seeley, whose issues read like the Scooby Doo interlude in Batman Begins.
Whole pages of good artist talent are wasted so Seeley can slowly set up a corny joke, everyone's voice becomes that of Jay Leno, looking at the reader and squeaking out, "Ya git it?! See? Cuz...It's funny!"
Thankfully Seeley gets pulled after a few issues and Fawkes/Higgins, with direction from Snyder/Tynion pull it together for the closing act of this dense volume.
One final quibble I forgot to mention in my review of Vol. 1, which carries over into this one: The plot arc about Gordon getting thrown in jail hinges upon one moment, wherein he fires a single bullet past a hired villain, and that bullet hits an electrical panel, causing a subway train to be unable to brake, resulting in the loss of hundreds of lives. Even Batman points out early on that frying that control panel shouldn't have been enough to cause the tragedy, but nobody ever looks further at that point. So they sweep this unlikely plot point under the rug and never look back for the sake of the bigger picture. But seriously, you can't just smash a visible control panel at pedestrian level on a subway platform and make trains crash into one another like that! Gordon was framed and (at least in these 2 volumes) we never get to see the World's Greatest Detective put the pieces together of the incident itself - more just making excuses and looking at the red herrings strewn about the scene.
January 19, 2016
Quite possibly one of the best weekly series I have read in a while. Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV along with other Batman family writers are really shaking things up in Gotham. In this volume we are now aware that Hush is the puppet master for all the mayhem in Gotham. The action in this book never lets up and the artwork is really top notch for a tit;e that was publish almost every week. I am a bit glad that I am reading this collectively because their are so many characters to follow in this adventure. The plot is so smart but yet simple Hush is trying to hurt Batman by hurting his city and those closest to him. I loved how all Batman's allies intersected with one another in different points in this collection. Surprisingly even the inclusion of mystical character Spectre makes sense in this story. It has just been a blast reading all the great Batman books being publish these last few years. Even more impressive is that the events in this series set up the future changes in the Batman comic universe. Catwoman begins her journey here to become a kingpin. The destruction of Arkham Asylum is the lead into Wayne Manor becoming the new asylum. The chaos taking place in Gotham will lead the city unprepared for the return of the Joker. I really love this take on a Hush story.
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