Batman (2016-) #2

Batman (2016) (Single Issues)

by Tom King, Batt (Illustrator), David Finch (Illustrator)

“I AM GOTHAM” Chapter Two

In issue #2, after a brush with disaster, Batman struggles to reconcile the fate he could be leaving behind for his city, and reaches out to the idealistic new hero, Gotham. But an evil is building that may overcome both Batman and his new ally.

Genres: Comics, Batman, Dc Comics, Comic Book, Graphic Novels Comics, Graphic Novels, Comics Manga

25 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 6, 2016

Reviews

[Tawfek · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't trust them.
I never really trust new people anyway, but I don't trust Gotham and Gotham girl.
Mr perfect and Mrs perfect. They stink to high heavens.
But what's the angle here?
Are they aliens?
Are they monsters?
Are they made in a lab specifically to cheat Batman and then betray him and kill him?
They seemed way too alarmed when Batman disappeared. They are on edge and focused and can't believe their power failed them in noticing his usual disappearance act.
I know I am probably over the top with this assumption and reading too much into it, but let's call it a hunch.

[Nicolo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking back; this book was published in the midst of a massive marketing campaign for the the first Suicide Squad movie, thus it was smart of the writer to involve Amanda Waller in this story.

Given King's intelligence background, it's a wonder he hasn't had his hands on a Suicide Squad book, but a lot of it is still prevalent in his Batman work.

[محمد خالد شريف · Rating 3 out of 5]

الفصل الثاني من قصة "أنا جوثام" وظهور بعض الشخصيات المُهمة مثل: "سليمان جراندي" و"بروفيسور سترينج"، ويبدو أنه هُناك معركة يقودها أولئك المُنتحرين!

[Siona Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not much happened, but I still had fun reading it! I have my suspicions about Gotham and Gotham Girl, but so far they seem to be interesting foils for Batman.

[Arturo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seems like nothing much happens in this issue, nothing really noteworthy to even review.
On the other hand if this turns out to be a slow burn leading up to a better story, it does pretty good.
We have an opening quick fight with Solomon Grundy, Batman's acceptance of Gotham operating in .. Gotham. Gordon meeting our new heroes after also dealing with some hints tying Grundy with what's to come. Ending with our big villain reveal.
Now why is the government backing this guy?
Do they know who he is and don't care?
Or don't they know and this is part of a slight reboot.
Spoiler...
I start thinking slight reboot because
When I hear 'Monster Men' it makes me think of the original Batman story from the 1940's and the Mini-Series from some 12 years ago. And they're both 'Year One' type of stories.
+Awesome art.
Overall, just enough to keep me interested to follow the series.

[Cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 4.5 stars.

There really isn’t a whole lot to say about this, except that Alfred is pretty great and I’m still thoroughly enjoying this! I’m really curious to know more about Gotham and Gotham Girl, as well. And, these monsters? Yes, I must find out!

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

So far this Batman run has been really meh. Introducing two super people that can fly around and calling them Gotham and Gotham Girl has been rather dumb. There isn't enough Bruce Wayne for me. The art is pretty good from Finch but the story from King isn't the greatest. If it ends up being a slow burn beginning with a huge twist type thing, I hope it happens soon, because I'm not sure if I will continue this run. The Detective Comics Batman is so much better than this one.

[Aldo Haegemans · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t know What it is about Batman But I always find myself finishing an issue faster than any other comic

[Dr Rashmit Mishra · Rating 4 out of 5]

So the series is catching some momentum , in this issue Batman Decides that he can't rely on his mortality to catch up with him and later Dick so he decides to trust Gotham and Gotham Girl and brings them in on the whole Suicide killings of gotham story .

Meanwhile as King had suggested the Villain was revealed and it was indeed what one expected with the "Observe the Clock" hint , similar to the actual Batman #1 issue by bob kane. There was also the announcement of the MONSTER MEN the upcoming megastar batman issues of the future .

Anyways parts of this comic were really good , like the interaction of Batman with Jim Gordon and Bruce and Alfred . Alfred's Snarky , Saracastic and witty remarks really made it fun to read and story wise i'd have given it a 5 or 4.5 star but the art still is very rusty and i really dislike the panels where Batman is standing or not doing his stealth stuff . Basically the Art just pains me too much for a Batman comics that said the colors have been really good and top notch it's just the sketch that bothers me.

There's still the fact that i am clueless with where Tom King is headed with his Batman , i knew he was gonna have a rough time following up on Scott Snyder but still right now i don't know anything about the Gotham and Gotham Girl , i don't know what their characters are like , i don't even know what Batman is trying to do here most of the time and that is really really frustrating

King had told the audiences that his stories would be focused on Giving Batman and Bruce what they deserve and sadly i still fail to see what he meant or what Batman deserves

[Jedi JC Daquis · Rating 3 out of 5]

So the new heroes get their names: Gotham and Gotham Girl. Issue number two of Batman Rebirth is nothing but a setup issue of what is yet to come: The Monster Men. And the cards from both sides are slowly dealt on the table: on the good side you have Bats, the two Gothams, the Commissioner and Alfred; while on the right, you have the yet to be revealed Monster Men, Hugo Strange and (unexpectedly) Amanda Waller.

We saw a bit of action with the first few pages of the issue, where the Gotham duo and Batman fight against Solomon Grundy. This is an acceptable way to see how the two new characters fare against the Caped Crusader. They have the potential to be great, they are strong, yet Batman is way, way better than them.

Well, I am starting to like Gotham and Gotham Girl's addition in the Batman mythos (if they are to stay). Their fresh and on-the-job vibe gives the usually gritty Batman series a tinge of hope and youth. Perhaps it is how they resemble the Super family logo.

Between Detective Comics and Batman, I like the former better. But I am a huge Batman fan, so I take pleasure in reading both new series.

[Ｆｒａｎｋｈ · Rating 3 out of 5]

From what I can tell so far into the second issue for this flagship series, a lot of the classic mythos from the long run of Batman is being constantly rehashed here and rendered as something new, most possibly for the benefit of the fresh readership. This re-telling does not bother me, and I'd like to think that what Tom King is merely doing is paying tribute to the Bat-canon by allowing new readers to experience a version of one of its classic stories. This narrative choice makes sense too for DC's Rebirth theme in general since I believe the whole point of the re-branding is to revisit the roots of DC comics, and that includes some form of nostalgic appeal when it comes to framing the stories of their popular characters.

That being said, I would like to fully disclose that Dr. Hugo Strange is a Bat-villain I have loathed for a long time since reading Batman: Prey. He just rubbed me off the wrong way. And this was back in 2014 when I read it. So as soon as I got to the last few pages of this second issue where it was revealed that we'd be tackling Hugo Strange and the 'Monster Men', I was understandably torn. I seriously let out an audible grunt of dismay and annoyance to find that I'm going to have to deal with Strange again. Still, I actually have learned to appreciate the character more as years went by, mostly because of his recent adaptation in Fox TV's Gotham show during the second season. Actor B.D Wong nailed the character very well, or at least presented him in a way in which is villainy was convincing as well as his relevance to the canon altogether. The same thing goes for his exposure in the Arkham Asylum games which I didn't mind. I suppose my negative bias still holds in comics, however, but I will reserve any more critical judgments until I see how King plans to utilize him here for his story arc, I Am Gotham.

Now I want to talk more about the other characters here, but first I want to get a cameo appearance out of the way. Solomon Grundy was featured in the beginning action sequence for this second issue. New superpowered heroes Gotham and Gotham Girl join in the mix to aid Batman in bringing down Grundy. It went as well as expected with a few hiccups here and there. I think I recognize Grundy from his appearance in The Long Halloween, if I'm not mistaken. Anyway, I liked the angle in which these superpowered newbies actually do look up to Batman and recognize the important work he had done for Gotham City. They weren't there to get into some trite macho contest with him or challenge his authority as a seasoned crime fighter or anything like that. So I like Gotham and Gotham Girl so far because they have shown humility by asking for Batman's tutelage as well as passion in what they want to do so they can help the city, even if they tend to get a little enthusiastic about it.



If all goes well, these two can even become dependable allies for Batsy, mainly to aid him in catastrophic events in which superpowers can make a difference in avoiding such disasters. Batman, of course, can acknowledge his fallibility; that he is not an invincible man physically---just someone who is resourceful and determined to fight. This was he told Alfred as to why he was willing to give Gotham and Gotham Girl a chance, and why he even introduced them to Commissioner Gordon.

I would be remiss if I don't point out how witty and dry Alfred and James Gordon have been for this issue. It's refreshing to read Alfred being snarky as it reminds me of his Gotham counterpart. Gordon makes the best expressions too, especially after meeting the two superheroes aforementioned. What really takes the cake, though, was the fact that Batman pulled the Disappearing Act and even got the best of the two who were baffled that even they can't find him when they have superpowers at their disposal. That earned a chuckle from me. I think I'm going to have fun reading more Tom King if he keeps this up for the series.

I look forward for the third issue since Dr. Hugo Strange made his appearance at the last page, and I'm curious to see what direction King plans to take for the Monster Men storyline as well as how the presence of the two new caped heroes can serve the rest of the arc. I will hold off on giving higher ratings since I want to save them for issues that will truly stand out and shine. So far, it's all been a steady build-up to what I hope will be something spectacular!


RECOMMENDED: 7/10


DO READ MY BATMAN COMICS REVIEWS AT:

[Marisa Carpico · Rating 2 out of 5]

Messy and a little directionless. Last-page villain reveals are rarely as interesting as the writer thinks. Not sure where King wants to go or what he necessarily wants to say about Batman or Bruce. Hoping for more next time.

[Brendan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a lot happens in this issue but the stage is being set for the introduction of Dr Strange. I'm not convinced on the Gotham and Gotham Girl storyline but I won't complain without good reason. I'm liking King's writing and I think he has a dinstinct tone, much like Sherif of Babylon.

[Sahej · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thrilling.
I do find Gotham and Gotham Girl a bit untrustworthy but overall, good.

[Jason "Book Sniper" · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not much to talk about in this issue other than knowing that the two strangers will play a bigger part in the story. I dont trust them though. Lets see how it ends up on #3.

[Susie Wang · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still not sure what's going on, and nothing really happened. Maybe it's the length of the work, I'm thinking about waiting for the bi-annual copy to come out. Anyway, it's my first time reading an on-going comic series, I guess I'll just try to get used to it.

[Mayank Mrug · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm curious to find out the origin of Gotham and Gotham Girl. Hugo Strange makes an appearance but is he really behind the Monster Men?

[asmaa☁️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uh, what? It's nice to see Jim & Batman again. Can we get rid of those Gotham flying people now?

[Eugene Tan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of sassy humour and mysteries. Oh, and Batman being Batman. Let's see what *spoiler* Hugo Strange and that dang Amanda Waller are up to.

[Brandon Kinsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

"It's not impossible, kid. It's Batman."

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This continues to live up to my expectations. Great Batman being Batman story. Great crime mystery. Great use of dry humour. The timing is right on.

[Etienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little bit slow but still good and interesting! Looking forward the next one.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was amazing.Started off with a bang with Solomon Grundy and never let up.Really interested in Gotham and Gotham Girl.

[Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gotham and Gotham Girl apprehend Solomon Grundy with Batman’s help. Afterwards, a man confesses to Commissioner Gordon that he released the villain and warns of the coming of the “Monster Men.” Mysteries deepen as Batman considers taking the new heroes into his confidence.

Tensions build in this issue, but that’s really about it. We don’t learn a lot more about Gotham and Gotham Girl except that they also have vision powers similar to Superman and they’re very new to the hero game. I find it unusual that Batman is willing to trust these two after only a few days. It’s just not in his usual character. I’m hoping there’s something we haven’t seen yet in his plans.

When asked about the Monster Men, Batman claims not to know anything about them. Not sure how this whole “Rebirth” thing fits in with continuity, but the Monster Men actually appeared as far back as the original Batman #1 in 1940 and several times since then. There wasn’t a New 52 appearance, so that may account for Batman’s lack of knowledge since Rebirth follows on from there. It’s a bit confusing.

Again, the art is solid, highlighted in several standout panels. I think one of my favorites was actually Bruce Wayne dancing with an attractive woman at a charity function. The lines were so nice and the Bat signal out the window made for a beautiful panel that led a great overall page. There was no intense action, but just a cool moment illustrated well.

Overall, not a bad issue, but it lacks something standing on it’s own.

[Marlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Gotham & Gotham Girl are fighting against Solomon Grundy, but Batman comes in at the last minute to put him down because the duo was taking too long. A man would have been injured... Batman tells them... if he had not interfered. He tells them they are good, but need to be better.

A man comes into Commissioner Gordon's office & confesses to releasing Solomon Grundy & then he kills himself. Gordon tells Batman all this. Batman wants to see what Gotham & Gotham Girl are made of & decides to team up with them on the case.

Meanwhile, Hugo Strange looks like he is up to no good & he seems to behind the monster men I keep hearing about.

I loved the humor in this issue from Alfred & Gordon. The Gotham duo seem too eager & happy to help Gotham. I know that should be a good thing, but something is off. I just think that they better be careful because Gotham City can turn a person to the dark side.

[Evelyn Blackwater · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard to explain why after all this time i can still be enthralled by a well told Batman story. I think it's just a thing I'll always have an interest in from time to time. I know I'm sometimes hard on a genre as flawed as superheroes. But it's hard not to set that aside some days and get involved again.
I don't really care for Gotham and Gotham Girl per say, something about them seems off. But I admire the effort to introduce new elements to a mythology that rarely ever changes.

[Youssef Almkari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good structure in these issues. Pleasant to read. The story is picking up with Hugo Strange being introduced into the mix. Gotham and Gotham Girl are odd. They have not earned their presence yet for me to appreciate their goofy appearance. Dialogue is funny and fluent.

Another enjoyable issue.

[Tar Buendía · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alfred y Gordon son unos santos, las verdaderas almas de Gotham.

Lo de los dos chavalines supers, Gotham y Gotham Girl, ejem, Gotham "a secas" y Gotham GIRL pues se lo podían haber ahorrado o cambiado un pelín. Pero bueno. Que tampoco me voy a poner demasiado quisquillosa.

[June Lawhorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Batman contemplates his demise, then Dick's , and so on. Gordon receives a confession from Grundy's released who then kills himself after mentioning monster men. Ends with Dr. strange congratulating Miss Waller for saving the city.

[Craig Schorling · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short fight with Solomon Grundy and more mysteries present themselves when a man confesses to releasing Grundy and talking about incoming "Monster Men". The art is very good. I like Finch's style quite a bit.