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Batman: Bad Seeds - Streets of Gotham (2026-) #1
As the chaos of Bad Seeds erupts across Gotham City and the Bat-Family races against daylight, the citizens of Gotham City must endure the threats of Poison Ivy’s superbloom on their own. Join Eisner Award-winning writers Matt Fraction and Mariko Tamaki as they tell six street-level tales of fear, courage, and perseverance, starring everyday people who must learn what it means to be a hero—with or without a cape.
Kindle Edition
Published October 14, 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.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 17, 2026
I had 0 idea what this book was going into it, but wow did that blow my expectations away from what is a fairly boring cover. I mean how misleading can you get? Batman doesn’t show up once nor should he. If anything it should heavily feature Duke. The only story I’ve read with Signal up to this point is Duke’s debut in the pages of zero year, this book single handily made me realize why people love him so much. This was honestly so fantastic. I was just praising the Gotham central tie-in for the sense of community it leans on but this book just blew that out of the water going into that concept. This feels like exploring what happens to the “good seeds” during the bad seeds event. And to be perfectly honest, the first two stories made me tear up. Jumping right in with a great vibe setting story as we focus on an apartment building in Gotham as their power goes out and everyone inside decides to retreat to the roof for a blackout BBQ to go through their food before it spoils. it just so happens this building was already the target of two robbers, one you can’t tell doesn’t have his heart in it, and now that everyone will be vacating their apartments it’s open season. But as the younger one heads down with his ski mask on, he finds an older woman struggling getting her groceries upstairs for the party. So he puts away his mask and helps her out. All the while his partner is stealing a TV from an apartment clearly the home of a family. The older woman takes the young would be robber and makes him feel right at home, how nervous and out of place he is feeling totally palpable as he joins the party he doesn’t feel like he should stay. But the older woman assures him that she wants him here and she is no fool, she knows why he was really here but hammer has spent 80 years in Gotham, it’s a hard place to live but that doesn’t mean life has to be hard all the time. “When life in Gotham is at its worst…we work to make it better.” Said like the most seasoned Gotham native who has truly lived through some shit. As Lenny enjoys the party and the newfound friends, his partner in crime walks outside with a tv only to be gobbled up by a plant monster. Like I said earlier, the good seeds seem to be getting by during this event. Like one big collective test of karma. I really mess with this special.
The next story focuses on a woman who has had a hell of a timing finding work life balance when she decided to date someone else in the office. He met the new girl and she tried to show off by showing up in heels, now she is completely in her head as she walks back home in heels, intending to make her cat watch her get drunk, all while the world falls apart around her. As a vine causes her to trip, she looks over to see a young boy huddled up and now worried if she is okay. But she if course asks if he is, as the boy explains a plant tried to eat him but it turned into something else so he left to try and get help for a friend from school named Ash. But he couldn’t find Ash when he went back to where he was stuck. She asks the boy where he lives, turns out it’s pretty far away in the “Crooks” neighborhood and usually he takes a bus, then a train, then another bus and a walk to get home…but none of those are running. So Beth decides to throw her plans away to help walk Freddie home…no matter how stupid they may be right now. As they walk and talk about the differences between adults and kids and how it’s actually harder to make friends as an adult, a window is smashed next to them as three robbers jump out with TVs in hand. They yell to Beth and Freddie to take whatever, and there are a pair of shoes that could replace her heels…but Beth is here to set an example for a good kid with a bright future like Freddie. It’s a hard thing to say to a kid but Beth tells him that everything around them (money, laws, concepts of right and wrong) are all human constructs we made up to make the world go round. Some nights it gets harder to pretend it’s real as nothing makes sense, not even the laws of nature as Freddie points out, but the need for that organization is real. As they walk around a corner they come across two more robbers now eyeing what they are carrying, only to be blinded by a flash if light as the signal zips in and sends both of the robbers running…scolding them for robbing a mom and pop shop when a big box grocery is a block away. As Freddie walks up and fist bumps signal it’s clear the two of them know each there already. Signal helps Beth up as he mentions Freddie is one gifted kid and asks if he mentioned it, he didn’t but he did mention a dinosaur with a Mohawk who wears its own skin for pants…Signal of course knows she is talking about Scrafty (Pokémon reference!!) and sends them on their way to get indoors and day indoors until this is over. Single handily this moment seeing Signal so in touch with his community made me fall in love with him as a character. I always loved him conceptually but this truly sold him for me. Unfortunately signal has the habit of telling kids like Freddie his real name is Duke, probably shouldn’t do that, lol. Been is able to get Freddie home, but she doesn’t go with him a scolds herself for being stupidly as she begins the long walk back to her own house. BETH! Hide somewhere! LOL.
The next story is definitely a lot more cute, but I love the tenacity it shows for kids growing up in Gotham. There is crazy opportunity around every corner, even if that opportunity is a giant plant wanting to rip you apart. This issue we find 4 kids whose parents aren’t home and two of them are dressed up as batman. Sure one of the girls doesn’t have a cape and one girl doesn’t have a utility belt but both are adamant they are batman…so they will just have to prove it by stepping outside and saving Gotham. The dropped expressions say everything as they stare out at the overgrown city for the first time and realize how daunting a task it will be. But then they hear a scream as one of the batmen run off to help work the other batman right behind as the two boys chase after. But when they arrive they find an older woman beating a plant monster with a cane as it took her purse…not exactly ends they were thinking. But then they hear another scream and this time a plant monster has a man in its vines. The two batmen punch at it, finally the batman with the utility belt rips out her “explosives” and shoves it in the monsters mouth. And somehow the monster actually explodes! The vial was killed with perfume, sink cleaner, and green muscle mil and somehow did the job. But now that they are covered in plant slime it’s time to head back for a bath, lol.
All of these stories thus far have been very community focused, showcasing what a community can do when they come together in the worst of times and out the love they have for it right back into it. This next story is the opposite of that mentality, focusing on a group of people who see the city as a “cesspool” only they can clean up by force. I’m of course talking about the TUCOs, a group who feel empowered by Savage all while fighting petty grievances and a poor home life they reflect right back into the place and people they are supposed to be protecting and helping. But without any accountability they lack and care. They openly mock and spit at the civilians they perceive as having them, even fling so far as to leave civilians the find trapped in veins. Along the way they find a group robbing a store, their response is to beat the kids senseless. Any day they aren’t in the field they are training to hunt what they call primaries…the batman and his associates. And for the first time ghost squad bravo has come across a primary by the name of signal. He’s not hard to miss as he lights up the world around him and this group is quick to rattle off gunfire.but then stop as they approach to find signal raising up his hands and staging very still as the building on front of them is teeming with vines and plant monsters which have a few civilians wrapped up already and react to his ire contact. Signal just needs all of them to chill out Sonny can help these people, but it’s clear one of them, who keeps complaining in his head about the fight with his girlfriend over his new tattoo before coming out here, is keeps ring to fire. Signal moves fast as the assault rifle goes off, knocking it kit of the TUCOs hand…only for the TUCO to shove a pistol in Duke’s face as he uses Duke’s “attack” as justification to murder him. But the initial gunfire already causes the plants in the room to react and before either Duke or the TUCO can react the vines have taken over the TUCO and dragged him into the air. The other TUCOs focus on getting their squad mate down as Duke frees the civilians. The world goes black as the vines make their way into the man’s system, eventually he wakes up in the hospital with half of his face taken over by plants. He finds signal at his bed side, not only did he beat that kid up but he had civilians in his line of fire. If he survives the night they are fling to use words. Again, these stories make me love Duke so much. That officer spent the night screaming in pain.
The next stop actually gives me a ton of hope for some of the side characters in the batman series, namely Tim. But the main focus of the book is on our aged and up and coming reporter duo Jack Dean and Huston Gray. You may remember them as Huston took the video of Vandal planting evidence at the scene of that dead cop to pin it on batman, and he went to aged reporter Jack Dead with the evidence. We now find them in the midst of all of this chaos doing what they do best…helping others and spreading the word. Jack introduces Huston to the concept of a Balladeer as someone who goes out and yells the news and spreads the word, usually in song but then can’t focus on that right now. The duo helps to pull people together out of their hideaways so they can all help each other…and they just so happen to come across a strangely shirtless Tim Drake and Bernard Down alongside a wounded man who Jack recognizes as one of Gotham’s great heavyweight boxers. They get close to the boxer as they asked what happened, only for the old timer to mention ninjas. Suddenly a group of ninjas descended on the alley, Tim is pissed as this seems like the moment he finally has to show who he truly is to Bernard as even while shirtless (again, why is he shirtless?) he begins to take on the ninjas. Whipping out all kinds of strikes and even disarming their swords to reverse back on them. And then we find Tim facing down their leader who claims they are here to destroy anyone who would practice the crudeness of boxing. That’s right, Gotham has a problem with unlicensed dojo’s and now that dojo war is spinning out into the streets at this very moment. Honestly the concept of this is so utterly ridiculous and hilarious that I almost mess with it. The master of the ninjas even has a ridiculously stupid name as “Lord Omo Jigoku,” but as Tim points out Omo means lord so his name is “Lord Lord Jigoku.” Ultimately it Jack that stops the fight from going any further, pointing out that they are acting just as bad as street gangs and the streets are in trouble. The ninjas start to notice all the civilians around them and how much heat is on them, as they decide to fall back. They group carries the boxer to get help, and we get a moment where Bernard lets Tim know he is ready to know more when Tim is ready to tell him…but it can’t be for much longer. Oh man I’ve been waiting for the truth to get out between them, let Tim get back into the action PLEASE. But speaking of getting in on the action, seems Jack and Huston are truly going into business together as they are starting their own newspaper and Jack finally knows the name…The Gotham Balladeer.
The final story is a lot more comical and in my opinion the weakest of the bunch, but still fun. It takes place in an office building for a marketing company trying to figure out their big pitch…except the disaster happened and now they are stuck without power still trying to come up with their pitch as the world falls down around them. It’s a bit of a wok lake comedy as they am riff off each other, and then a vine crashes through the window to send them all flying back. Fortunately signal was swinging by as it happened and was able to vaporize the plant with his powers to get them safe passage out of there. One of them comes up with the true pitch as they are walking out. “Gotham: it can only happen here.” Oh how original, lol.
The next story focuses on a woman who has had a hell of a timing finding work life balance when she decided to date someone else in the office. He met the new girl and she tried to show off by showing up in heels, now she is completely in her head as she walks back home in heels, intending to make her cat watch her get drunk, all while the world falls apart around her. As a vine causes her to trip, she looks over to see a young boy huddled up and now worried if she is okay. But she if course asks if he is, as the boy explains a plant tried to eat him but it turned into something else so he left to try and get help for a friend from school named Ash. But he couldn’t find Ash when he went back to where he was stuck. She asks the boy where he lives, turns out it’s pretty far away in the “Crooks” neighborhood and usually he takes a bus, then a train, then another bus and a walk to get home…but none of those are running. So Beth decides to throw her plans away to help walk Freddie home…no matter how stupid they may be right now. As they walk and talk about the differences between adults and kids and how it’s actually harder to make friends as an adult, a window is smashed next to them as three robbers jump out with TVs in hand. They yell to Beth and Freddie to take whatever, and there are a pair of shoes that could replace her heels…but Beth is here to set an example for a good kid with a bright future like Freddie. It’s a hard thing to say to a kid but Beth tells him that everything around them (money, laws, concepts of right and wrong) are all human constructs we made up to make the world go round. Some nights it gets harder to pretend it’s real as nothing makes sense, not even the laws of nature as Freddie points out, but the need for that organization is real. As they walk around a corner they come across two more robbers now eyeing what they are carrying, only to be blinded by a flash if light as the signal zips in and sends both of the robbers running…scolding them for robbing a mom and pop shop when a big box grocery is a block away. As Freddie walks up and fist bumps signal it’s clear the two of them know each there already. Signal helps Beth up as he mentions Freddie is one gifted kid and asks if he mentioned it, he didn’t but he did mention a dinosaur with a Mohawk who wears its own skin for pants…Signal of course knows she is talking about Scrafty (Pokémon reference!!) and sends them on their way to get indoors and day indoors until this is over. Single handily this moment seeing Signal so in touch with his community made me fall in love with him as a character. I always loved him conceptually but this truly sold him for me. Unfortunately signal has the habit of telling kids like Freddie his real name is Duke, probably shouldn’t do that, lol. Been is able to get Freddie home, but she doesn’t go with him a scolds herself for being stupidly as she begins the long walk back to her own house. BETH! Hide somewhere! LOL.
The next story is definitely a lot more cute, but I love the tenacity it shows for kids growing up in Gotham. There is crazy opportunity around every corner, even if that opportunity is a giant plant wanting to rip you apart. This issue we find 4 kids whose parents aren’t home and two of them are dressed up as batman. Sure one of the girls doesn’t have a cape and one girl doesn’t have a utility belt but both are adamant they are batman…so they will just have to prove it by stepping outside and saving Gotham. The dropped expressions say everything as they stare out at the overgrown city for the first time and realize how daunting a task it will be. But then they hear a scream as one of the batmen run off to help work the other batman right behind as the two boys chase after. But when they arrive they find an older woman beating a plant monster with a cane as it took her purse…not exactly ends they were thinking. But then they hear another scream and this time a plant monster has a man in its vines. The two batmen punch at it, finally the batman with the utility belt rips out her “explosives” and shoves it in the monsters mouth. And somehow the monster actually explodes! The vial was killed with perfume, sink cleaner, and green muscle mil and somehow did the job. But now that they are covered in plant slime it’s time to head back for a bath, lol.
All of these stories thus far have been very community focused, showcasing what a community can do when they come together in the worst of times and out the love they have for it right back into it. This next story is the opposite of that mentality, focusing on a group of people who see the city as a “cesspool” only they can clean up by force. I’m of course talking about the TUCOs, a group who feel empowered by Savage all while fighting petty grievances and a poor home life they reflect right back into the place and people they are supposed to be protecting and helping. But without any accountability they lack and care. They openly mock and spit at the civilians they perceive as having them, even fling so far as to leave civilians the find trapped in veins. Along the way they find a group robbing a store, their response is to beat the kids senseless. Any day they aren’t in the field they are training to hunt what they call primaries…the batman and his associates. And for the first time ghost squad bravo has come across a primary by the name of signal. He’s not hard to miss as he lights up the world around him and this group is quick to rattle off gunfire.but then stop as they approach to find signal raising up his hands and staging very still as the building on front of them is teeming with vines and plant monsters which have a few civilians wrapped up already and react to his ire contact. Signal just needs all of them to chill out Sonny can help these people, but it’s clear one of them, who keeps complaining in his head about the fight with his girlfriend over his new tattoo before coming out here, is keeps ring to fire. Signal moves fast as the assault rifle goes off, knocking it kit of the TUCOs hand…only for the TUCO to shove a pistol in Duke’s face as he uses Duke’s “attack” as justification to murder him. But the initial gunfire already causes the plants in the room to react and before either Duke or the TUCO can react the vines have taken over the TUCO and dragged him into the air. The other TUCOs focus on getting their squad mate down as Duke frees the civilians. The world goes black as the vines make their way into the man’s system, eventually he wakes up in the hospital with half of his face taken over by plants. He finds signal at his bed side, not only did he beat that kid up but he had civilians in his line of fire. If he survives the night they are fling to use words. Again, these stories make me love Duke so much. That officer spent the night screaming in pain.
The next stop actually gives me a ton of hope for some of the side characters in the batman series, namely Tim. But the main focus of the book is on our aged and up and coming reporter duo Jack Dean and Huston Gray. You may remember them as Huston took the video of Vandal planting evidence at the scene of that dead cop to pin it on batman, and he went to aged reporter Jack Dead with the evidence. We now find them in the midst of all of this chaos doing what they do best…helping others and spreading the word. Jack introduces Huston to the concept of a Balladeer as someone who goes out and yells the news and spreads the word, usually in song but then can’t focus on that right now. The duo helps to pull people together out of their hideaways so they can all help each other…and they just so happen to come across a strangely shirtless Tim Drake and Bernard Down alongside a wounded man who Jack recognizes as one of Gotham’s great heavyweight boxers. They get close to the boxer as they asked what happened, only for the old timer to mention ninjas. Suddenly a group of ninjas descended on the alley, Tim is pissed as this seems like the moment he finally has to show who he truly is to Bernard as even while shirtless (again, why is he shirtless?) he begins to take on the ninjas. Whipping out all kinds of strikes and even disarming their swords to reverse back on them. And then we find Tim facing down their leader who claims they are here to destroy anyone who would practice the crudeness of boxing. That’s right, Gotham has a problem with unlicensed dojo’s and now that dojo war is spinning out into the streets at this very moment. Honestly the concept of this is so utterly ridiculous and hilarious that I almost mess with it. The master of the ninjas even has a ridiculously stupid name as “Lord Omo Jigoku,” but as Tim points out Omo means lord so his name is “Lord Lord Jigoku.” Ultimately it Jack that stops the fight from going any further, pointing out that they are acting just as bad as street gangs and the streets are in trouble. The ninjas start to notice all the civilians around them and how much heat is on them, as they decide to fall back. They group carries the boxer to get help, and we get a moment where Bernard lets Tim know he is ready to know more when Tim is ready to tell him…but it can’t be for much longer. Oh man I’ve been waiting for the truth to get out between them, let Tim get back into the action PLEASE. But speaking of getting in on the action, seems Jack and Huston are truly going into business together as they are starting their own newspaper and Jack finally knows the name…The Gotham Balladeer.
The final story is a lot more comical and in my opinion the weakest of the bunch, but still fun. It takes place in an office building for a marketing company trying to figure out their big pitch…except the disaster happened and now they are stuck without power still trying to come up with their pitch as the world falls down around them. It’s a bit of a wok lake comedy as they am riff off each other, and then a vine crashes through the window to send them all flying back. Fortunately signal was swinging by as it happened and was able to vaporize the plant with his powers to get them safe passage out of there. One of them comes up with the true pitch as they are walking out. “Gotham: it can only happen here.” Oh how original, lol.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 17, 2026
This book brings the color that I’ve been missing from recent issues of Batman. Fraction and Tamaki’s voices complement each other well, and we get a nice mix of artists. This has me excited for the next phase of Fraction’s Batman run - and the Javier Rodríguez variant cover has me especially amped for Shadow of the Bat. Can’t wait to see his Gotham.
October 18, 2026
I love when we see the everyday stories that happen in this earth shattering events. Fraction and Tamaki cover a lot of ground from reports to kids and each story was fun and offered something. Some good artwork on display here too.
October 14, 2026
Skip this.
October 23, 2026
Loved the premise behind this. I have no clue about any of the happenings of the Batman: Bad Series series outside of an understanding that Poison Ivy has unleashed a plant pandemic upon the city, but I love the take of exploring the city and its citizens without the caped crusader around. A girl walking home from a failed attempt to make her man jealous only to discover herself as she helps a young kid get home safely (The Long Walk Home), an ICE-laden parable about a tactical squad focused on catching vigilantes rather than protecting its citizens (Primaries), and the kindness of a community in a building connecting with a small-time crook attempting to rob them during the crisis (The Party) all gave me something compelling to chew on. The rest of the parts didn't do much for me, but honestly, all anthology works tend to have weaker segments.
October 14, 2026
A bunch of short vinegrettes of Gotham as things are going down. Some better than others, but overall it's okay. It doesn't add all that much to the event though, and I feel like these stories would have been better as extras tacked on to some of the tie-ins, or something like that.
October 25, 2026
It was ok
The only good stories were from Matt Fraction. Other than his stories, the rest were first draft material. A cool concept of a book but nothing really crazy or grand happens.
The only good stories were from Matt Fraction. Other than his stories, the rest were first draft material. A cool concept of a book but nothing really crazy or grand happens.
November 5, 2026
A pointless book that did not need to be written in the middle of the event. I get them trying to flesh out what’s happening during the plant invasion but we are already getting unnecessary side quests in the other books.
October 16, 2026
Really enjoyed these stories about everyday people in Gotham. Great little insert to the Bad Seeds event.
October 21, 2026
Great book to see how the people of Gotham handle during this event
October 30, 2026
This was so good, loved seeing all the different perspectives and jumping into the mind of different gotham citizens during a crisis
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews