Batman, Cilt 8: Ağır Siklet

Batman (2011)

by Scott Snyder (Writer), Brian Azzarello (Writer), Greg Capullo (Illustrator)

Batman’in ortadan kaybolmasının ve öldüğünün varsayılmasının ardından eski polis komiseri Jim Gordon, Kara Şövalye’nin mirasını devralması ve halefi olması için göreve çağrıldı.

Ancak ismi ve simgelediği şeyler aynı olsa da bu yeni Batman aslının bir kopyası olmaktan çok uzakta. Şehirde devasa, yüksek teknoloji ürünü Batsuit ile devriye gezen Gordon gölgelerde saklanan kanunsuz bir kahraman değil. Gotham Polis Teşkilatı’nın, Belediye Başkanı’nın tam desteğine ve Powers International’ın multi-milyon dolarlık bütçesine sahip.

Peki pahalı bir zırh şehirle ilgili ölümcül planları kök salmadan önce gizemli, yabani ot benzeri Mr. Bloom’u durdurmaya yetecek mi?

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

160 pages, Paperback

First published March 16, 2016

About the author

Scott 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.

Reviews

[Jayson · Rating 2 out of 5]

(B) 72% | More than Satisfactory
Notes: Hardly deep, merely skimming when it's swimming, interest-dimming, cosplay-Batman's boring without trimmings.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Spoilers: Maybe...



What. The. Fuck?
When I said I liked Adult Themes in my comic books, I did't mean I wanted the writers to take a page out of AARP.
Did they just give Bat-Gordon an RV to try and make him relevant?



Bat Truck, my ass. You're not fooling me with that shit!
That's a fucking camper!

Ugh. What the hell is the point of this plot? Anyone?
I would love to know why Bruce has has been replaced as Batman...again. What? Are there actually readers out there who think that 'it's time' to move on? That we 'need' a different person under the cowl?
Ok.
*deep breath*
So, this time he's not pinging around in the timeline, he's just got some weird form of Lazarus Juice induced amnesia...or something.
Blarg.
And what's with the facial hair swap? I mean, Jim shaved off his lip pelt, so we don't get treated to a Bat-Stache, but Bruce has it covered. Literally.
Behold! The Bat-Beard!
*sobs*



For a whole lotta contrived reasons, Jim is chosen by the Powers Company (who I'd never heard of till this volume) to become the next Batman. By the way, when did he get ripped?



No. No, it's not better Jim. I'm slowly dying inside...

The premise is that there's some skinny villain with a sunflower on his face, handing out superpower pills. Go get him, Inspector Gadget!



I love Jim Gordon, and I love Batman. But this was (to me) riddled with weird story choices, & odd characters. If you want to read exactly what I thought was wrong with this one, take a peek at Sam's review. He nails it!

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! Talk about huge changes. The infamous Batbunny suit. I enjoyed it even though Gordon getting into Batman-caliber shape is a HUGE stretch. Mr. Bloom is a cool villain. The one thing I didn't like is the placement of the Mr. Bloom flashback story. It occurs right after a cliff-hanger in the middle of the main storyline. It really pulls you out of the story, nor is it very well-written.

Received an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Sam Quixote · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bruce Wayne/Batman was “killed” in Joker’s Endgame - but Gotham City can’t do without a Batman ‘cos it’s full of widdle babies! Enter Powers Corp who’ve bought up Wayne Enterprises and produced their own Mecha-Batman. And who better to step into these giant robot boots than a past-middle-aged, heavy smoker like Jim Gordon? Uh…

Oh boy. These last couple books - the odds’n’sods collection Graveyard Shift and the disappointing return of the Joker in Endgame - have seen a slide in quality from the usually dependable creative team of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo. But this eighth volume, Superheavy? It’s the first time I’ve been horribly bored reading one of their books. Bored and baffled at the storytelling choices.

That scene early on where a crowd of people are gathered with the most powerful handheld torches ever, beaming up their own Bat signals onto the Gotham night sky - would the people of Gotham mourn Batman so much? Considering the costumed crazies arrived roughly around the same time as he did and together they wrecked the city over and over? Living in Gotham must be a nightmare! Fun to read about for us but I think the reality would be that people would just want them all to piss off so they can have a quiet life!

So Wayne Enterprises is no more and Powers Corp have taken over - since when? And who are Powers Corp? And why do they think Gotham needs a Batman - why do they care? And why build a Mecha-Batman suit - what are they getting out of it? All questions that go unanswered.

The biggest question of course is why Jim Gordon? Why a nearly-fifty year old heavy smoker with glasses and extremely limited computer/tech skills? Sure, he’s an ex-Marine and the best cop in the city, but even if the suit does a lot of the work, is he really a good enough physical specimen, or mentally capable enough to operate something so complex, to be the new Batman? The Powers Corp CEO glosses over it all by saying Gordon knows the city better than anyone else - THAT’S the reasoning behind putting him in charge of such an expensive and dangerous enterprise?!

I’ve been a big fan of Greg Capullo’s artwork on this series but that Mecha-Batman design is so crap. It doesn’t look like a bat, it looks like a rabbit! It’s Robocop crossed with Chappie! The Bat-Truck too is an awful substitute for the Batmobile. You wanted to drive the Batmobile because it was so cool - the Bat-Truck looks like an un-manoeuvrable, unattractive hunk of metal! And Gordon looks really weird now. He’s shaved off his moustache, gotten himself a Bruce Wayne haircut, he’s wearing contacts or had laser-eye surgery, and he’s got muscles - does not look like the Comish. Also Capullo draws Maggie Sawyer - who’s the new commissioner - looking way older than she does in Batwoman for some reason.

As expected, Bruce is back but I didn’t think he’d be back immediately - Snyder didn’t even commit to Bruce being dead for longer than an issue! How did Bruce escape that cave-in? We don’t see but, like too much of this story, it’s ignored and Alfred says some piffle about how he found Bruce on the side of the road with his new love Julie Madison. He had amnesia, now he doesn’t, but he’s also not interested in being Batman. Bruce’s new storyline is the worst - he’s grown a beard and now he just wants to work in some rec centre! Seriously, if that’s how it is, I don’t even want to know what Bruce is up to - just keep him off page until he’s ready to be Batman again (which of course is going to happen)!

Gordon gets his first supervillain in the form of Bloom, a guy who’s handing out magic seeds to gangsters in the Narrows (the poor part of Gotham), which gives them superpowers. So we see Mecha-Batman fighting nobodies with generic superpowers when we’re not seeing Gordon get used to his new role or see Bruce helping out in the rec centre. It’s such a boring, boring read!

Even Snyder’s Black Mirror/Wytches artist, Jock, can’t liven things up in the issue he draws where Batman (Bruce this time as it’s a flashback story) battles crime in the Narrows and we’re introduced to a forgettable minor gangster character.

Besides the rubbish designs of the new things, I enjoyed Capullo’s art as always. I liked small details like how the Bat signal (attached to one of Gotham’s iconic blimps) is pointed downwards to the criminals rather than up into the heavens (though it kinda takes away from the element of surprise Batman used to have). Gordon discovers he can customise his suit’s colours and there’s a panel where we see the Zur-En-Arrh design from Batman RIP, and the whole Batman disappearing while talking to the commissioner thing is referenced with a new digital camouflage cloak – cool!

I know some people might see this opinion as that of a reactionary fanboy who can’t stand change but it’s not. I love it when Batman writers take risks and try new things: Dick Grayson Batman, Damian Wayne as Batman 666, Vampire Batman, Batman Beyond (those last two more the idea of rather than for specific books), Zur-En-Arrh - even the current New Gods Batman - are all interesting, enjoyable and keep the character fresh, exciting and relevant for readers. But sometimes the risks don’t pay off and those things fail which is the case with Jim Gordon Batman.

Superheavy is unfortunately just a crap Batman book. And with both Snyder and Capullo set to leave Batman (Snyder’s working on a different Batman story separate from the main title while Capullo’s going off to draw a Mark Millar Image comic - ergh!), the golden age of great Snyder/Capullo Batman comics looks to be over.

Gotham does need a Batman - just not this one.

[Sean Gibson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Commissioner Gordon slims down, bulks up, and gets a terrible haircut in order to take on the mantle of Batman and fight a giant plant.

More fun than getting punched in the teeth by a kangaroo? Undoubtedly. More EXCITING than getting punched in the teeth by a kangaroo? Debatable.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 3 out of 5]

“And I’d like to go on record as saying this is the dumbest idea in the history of Gotham City”—Commissioner Gordon

Well, if you have been reading Batman for any length of time, you know there’s a lot of competition for dumbest idea, but this one is certainly in the conversation. Commissioner Gordon is referring above to the idea of he, Gordon, a cop becoming the new Batman, in the absence of the Actual Batman who was, with the Joker, “killed” in the previous volume, Endgame, though Snyder also put forward the theory in that last volume that Joker just might be immortal, which no true fan actually buys, and of course they know Bats’ death is only, as always, temporary.

So in this kind of silly, light-hearted break from Endgame volume we see Gotham trying out Gordon in a silly neo-Bat costume (designed by the Powers Corp? A kind of robobunny?), minus the stache and suddenly, in middle age, ripped, though those might be implants. This is not new for Batman history; for instance, Dick Grayson played Batman in The Black Mirror, but that was a serious endeavor.

And then there seems to be a kind of internal competition among studly cops dressed as Batman, also not a completely new idea when Batman is gone. A possible Batman Force? Eventually, with the approach in this volume, instead of just being annoyed, as I was for the first part, I sort of just relaxed and went with it, thinking the team is kinda just foolin’ around until the real Bat comes back. The Bat Truck? Bat-apps? I’m guessing they are just joking?

Anyway, it looks like their main choice is Gordon, who has to fight some creature that looks a bit like a resurrected Swamp Thing (stay tuned!) (who has magic seeds?) as we see Bruce Wayne, with some kind of amnesia, working with small children, and being told by Alfred of his past as Batman.

O-kay! Next! But I am wondering why I returned to reading Snyder’s Batman, which for several issues was classic level. Is the title, Superheavy, the (ironic) key to this tale, with its psychedelic coloring? I only read it once, so I can't quite decide, so will see what y'all said when it came out.

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't seen them do a story like this and I think I rather enjoyed this.

Spoilers ahead:

So, after the last issue of Endgame where the Joker and Batman seem to be buried under the city, Batman is presumed dead. The story starts with Jim gordon in a robot suit looking like a Bat of some kind, but it's Iron Man. He is doing his best to protect Gotham. At first, I hated this idea. It was horrible. I don't see how they can go forward.

Now, I am ready to give this story line a chance. It turned when Bruce Wayne shows up in the story. I'm not sure exactly the theory, but it is presumed Bruce is a clone or something and so he doesn't have memories of his parent's tragic death and he doesn't have all those years of combat training. He doesn't even own Wayne Enterprises for some reason I don't get. He doesn't have the drive and motivation to be Batman.

This is where I get intrigued. I don't like the fake Batman, but it's obvious something is going to happen. I'm willing to give them one more volume before I get upset. I can't wait too long to get Bruce back in the Batsuit, butI haven't seen anything like this. It has me intrigued, for the moment.

There is also a new villain introduced - Bloom. I actually think he is a pretty cool new villain. He has no dimension yet - he seems all bad and no gray, but he's ok for now. The next volume, I won't to see these things resolve. Kudos for doing something so unique to the history of Batman.

[Michael Finocchiaro · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed most of the Scott Snyder series, but this one left me wanting a bit. Perhaps I felt that the Superheavy bit reminded me too much of Azrael in the Knightfall cycle. I'll go back and read this one again before reading Vols 9 and 10 to finish out the cycle.

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 3 out of 5]

Batman vanished so Commissioner Gordon is the new police sanctioned mech armored Batman...



This sounds really like $h1t, Gordon agrees with that too...



Bat-Armor seems something out by Patlabor or some other anime...



But, surprise , this was just far better than expected. Really.
The pumped-shaved-no more smokin-Gordon is a smart one Bats, funny and original, and the story is good.



Mr Bloom is a weird villain seeming jumpin'out from 60s Bat stories. A nice touch.





And don't worry, DC fan-boy, Bruce come back in his cowl from a broken spine in "Knightfall"...



Do you really think a simple amnesia is going to keep him away again for long???



Really???



C'mon, just enjoy the ride and have fun.

I'm doing that. :)

3,5 stars

[Donovan · Rating 4 out of 5]

"In the beginning, there was nothing. And then... There was Batman. And this was good."

This is great! It's definitely different, the beginning of a new story arc, with a change in tone and character, but what do you expect after Endgame? That was a game changer and conclusion to the Joker's insanity begun in Death of the Family. And Snyder likes to change gears with each new story arc.

If you don't know who Batman is in this volume, to avoid spoilers I suggest you stop reading right here.

In the wake of Endgame, Powers International has acquired Wayne Enterprises, and there's a new Batman in Gotham. Picture Jim Gordon clean shaven with a mohawk in a bat mech. No joke.

"It's like a...bunny. Like a robobat-bunny?" -Jim Gordon

Snyder doesn't take himself too seriously, making fun of the bat mech design with zingers and previous Bat suit accessories and colors, even the purple, yellow and red of Zur en Arrh. So it seems purposefully hyperbolic. The bat suit, however, is incredibly designed and sleek, dark and minimal, and totally appropriate for a suddenly invigorated Jim Gordon. There's lots of joking about Jim's age, physique, and his smoking habit, and this is my favorite element of the whole book, the green horn struggle and humor. After the very serious Endgame, Snyder brings back the humor when it's most needed.

I also feel like Snyder is channeling Grant Morrison here. The Zur en Arrh reference started it. Then the legitimized Batman totally connected back to Batman Incorporated. Aha! The villains are straight sci-fi, fairly unusual even for Batman. There's the "walking bioelectric field" creature, the gang members with temporary superpowers, and the new super villain namesake of Volume 9, Mr. Bloom, who is absolutely incredible.



So there's the so called Interlude, illustrated and inked by Jock, which I really liked. This chapter was gritty, and with Jock's art reminded me of Batman Year One. I liked how in the story of gang warfare and sociology, Snyder very briefly touches on how unarmed black men are being shot by trigger happy cops. You don't expect that in a Batman comic, but it works with his character, origin, and in contemporary America. I also appreciate that this chapter isn't just thrown in, because it ties back to Mr. Bloom.

Snyder's Batman run evolves over time, even in the narrative. Court of Owls, Zero Year, Death of the Family, Endgame, each story arc with its own tone, themes, and art style. He's doing for Batman what Morrison and Miller have: indelibly change the legend. His unique vision and style of storytelling is unlike anything else I've ever read, instantly recognizable, impossible to forget.

While Superheavy isn't as epic as his previous books, it has balance and plenty of moments, great fights and action, humor, and new and exciting villains. It reminds me of early Zero Year thoughtfulness with Court of Owls detective work, along with a sort of coming of age theme with Jim Gordon. Greg Capullo and Jock's artwork is perfect in my opinion, with FCO Plascensia's nearly unmatched coloring intensity. If you've enjoyed Snyder's previous volumes then this one won't disappoint.

[Nicolo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Snyder and Capullo take a big time risk to securing their respective legacies to their own take on the Batman mythology. Superheavy is their follow up arc to the Joker-centric Endgame and it is a new beginning for Gotham and its orphaned citizens. The Batman is gone and in its place is a new one.

This reader is still picking its jaw from the floor with the changes Snyder and Capullo brought to this arc. First, long time supporting cast Jim Gordon is promoted to lead character; he gets a brand new mech-suit and is the new Batman. Second, they remove his iconic glasses and mustache and gave him a mohawk.

This new take Batman may be different from the recently departed and amnesiac Bruce Wayne but Gordon is a more grounded Batman. Less aloof and more human; Gordon is no child of privilege Wayne was; he's an ex-Marine, blue collar Batman. Gordon is probably a better detective too; he's done better with less after all.

Still, this reader awaits the next volume, and with good reason, it's the last arc before Snyder and Capullo take their leave on this iteration of Batman.

[RG · Rating 4 out of 5]

As much as it changes up a traditional Batman story, I still found that it worked. A new Batman, Bruce Wayne is back but not, and a Villain called Mr Bloom who is causing havoc post Endgame/Joker.

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This picks after Endgame and shows how Bruce has lost his memory and Jim is Batman. Seeing him in that giant robot suit with people behind him and backed by Powers Industries is fun and then you have the introduction of a new villain in Mr Bloom. We see how he has been giving people powers especially the people affected by the Joker incident and having suffered so much loss and thats a great change.

And you have Jim fighting and investigating different villains from Gee Gee Heung to taking on members of the whisper clans and some fight scenes are there which are amazing. And then finally the big attack by Bloom in the new Batman-reveal meeting.

Its a great volume and has great moments for Jim and shows what kind of a batman he will be and the villains he faces are new. he is not a perfect fighter but makes do and I like how the writers shows how inept he is but won't give up. Plus the story of Bruce and whatever is happening to him is great to see. The artwork is awesome each panel so perfect and condensed and finally amazing to see the action scenes particularly the paneling. The story continues into the next volume!

[Steve · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received this from Edelweiss and DC Comics in exchange for an honest review.

This is really, REALLY bad. I never thought I'd say that about a Scott Snyder-penned book.

James Gordon is now a young, cut, mohawked ex-marine wearing a nano-carbon batsuit. Bruce Wayne, who can't seem to EVER stay dead, is back almost immediately after Endgame, but has amnesia and only knows he's rich and is supposed to somehow help the down-trodden people of Gotham City. Oh, and even though he has amnesia, he's engaged to his childhood sweetheart. Or something.

There's a new bad guy, Mr. Bloom, and while this is supposed to be an "origin story", there's nothing to indicate where he came from. And somehow, Penguin is involved, but it looks like Bloom kills him halfway through the book. Or something.

And what's with the post-Zero Hour story in the middle of the book? Talk about throwing the reader for a loop! Is it supposed to be James Gordon remembering something that Batman did? Is it supposed to be a Bruce Wayne story so the reader doesn't have to reminisce about the real Batman? Does it have anything to do with the Bloom story arc? Who really knows?

I wouldn't recommend this to anyone, even rabid Batman fans. This is really, REALLY bad.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Batman isn't Batman, Superman's practically human, Wonder Woman is a crappy God of War, and Batgirl is a wedding planner.

Should've called this run of comics "Identity Crisis."

2.5 because this wasn't completely awful, and Bruce brought out the 🦖

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fair and interesting reaction to the death of Batman in which the city trains a new and robotic Batman to fight crime in Gotham.

OVERALL GRADE: B plus

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

2025 Review: This one didn't do as much for me as the first time reading it. I mean Bloom is still dope as fuck, and some great moments with James, but this is a lot, and I mean A LOT of just talking, and it feels way too much like padding. I wish I could say I was more interested.

2016 Review: Loved it. After lackluster "End Game" I was eager to see Scott return to form.

He did NOT fail. He gives us a Gotham after the events of End Game. It's in shambles, Batman is gone, and we need a hero. Jim Gordan, our fave Detective comes into play and becomes the one and only Batman, equipped with a big ass Bunny Mech Suit.

I always enjoy fresh takes that are well done and Jim is no Bruce but that's what makes him compelling in my eyes. A very different Batman, more gun play, and way more rash yet exciting. I really dug this Batman as something very different yet still have the same feel.

I also love Bloom as a villain. Scary and disturbing, giving us a new villain we can be fearful of. I really enjoyed his introduction and the ending makes you excited as fuck for Volume 9. So off I go to read that!

[Murphy C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but sweet review forthcoming.

Whoops! I nearly forgot to write my review! I was wary going into this volume (I've noticed that lots of readers were less than pleased with these issues), but I found that actually I liked it quite a lot. The biggest sticking point for me is the rather extreme degree of suspension of disbelief that Snyder asks of readers in Comissioner Gordon's drastic physical and spiritual evolution--from harried top-cop to capable Batman in 3 months?!! Yeah, right 🙄

I would have appreciated the narrative twist more (and don't get me wrong, I think it largely works) if it was a touch more plausible. Snyder establishes that Gordon, an ex-marine, is only 46 (or was it 49?). We see him training assiduously, working out, learning to throw batarangs, all while wearing nicotine patches and chomping on candy cigarettes. All great stuff! But he's totally transformed his body AND gained enough skill to survive encounters with bona fide supervillains in only three months?? A year would have been better.

Besides my plotting gripes, I think this arc was pretty well-written. The artwork is as dynamic and cinematic as one has come to expect from Greg Capullo on this run. Jock's work on a single interlude issue in the middle of the arc is sloppy and lazy, clearly hastily produced, but since it's Jock (whose skill as a penciler I do not deny), there are still some terrific pages. Clark Kent makes a memorable cameo, hanging out with Alfred in the Cave. And lastly, I think Gordon's Batsuit is pretty awesome. It's sleek black and streamlined, with a single splash of color in the essential yellow-outlined Bat-emblem on the chest. Oh, and the robot's ok, too.

[Rory Wilding · Rating 4 out of 5]

If we learned anything from Grant Morrison’s seven-year run and Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy, is that Batman is not just a man, it is an idea as anyone can don the cape and cowl and fight for justice in the crime-ridden streets of Gotham. As for Scott Snyder who did explore this idea years ago his short run on Detective Comics, he returns to it whilst putting a new spin in his final story arc on his legendary run with artist Greg Capullo.

Following the events of Endgame where Batman had his final confrontation with the Joker, Gotham is in mourning but crime continues. Financed by Powers International and with the full cooperation of the GCPD and the mayor, former police commissioner Jim Gordon steps into the bat-mantle and investigates the mysterious weed-like Mr Bloom.

The concept of franchising Batman goes back to Grant Morrison writing Batman Incorporated in which Bruce Wayne financing a global team of heroes who were inspired by the Dark Knight to fight crime in their countries. With Superheavy, Batman’s legacy has become the latest product of law enforcement, funded by corporate America. No doubt that Snyder’s biggest non-comic influence is Robocop (in both its 1987 and 2014 incarnations) as there are a number of sequences about the continuing discussion of how this new Batman should look, in terms of how the high-tech Batsuit should look as if they were talking about a toy as displayed in the first page of Issue #42.

No doubt that Snyder and Capullo are having fun with the new designs which have a subtle evocation to Batman’s history, such as a page showing how the Batsuit should be coloured where you get references to Frank Miller’s Dark Knight and the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh. The funniest sequence shows Gordon receives not a Batmobile, but a Bat-truck which hearts back to the Dick Sprang era of Batman, as well as that corporate American idea that “bigger is better”. As if it couldn’t get more ridiculous, Capullo crafts some of the most over-the-top action we’ve seen in their run to date, with Gordon in his “robobat-bunny” armour fights a number of super-powered enemies that could rival the Flash or Superman.

There was certainly trepidation when it was announced that Gordon would be the new Batman and certainly it does raise the question for us readers and the fictional characters that why would a middle-aged smoker become the successor, given his background as a marine and a policeman. It is a question that remains unanswered although hopefully it’ll be explained in the next volume especially how an amnesiac Bruce Wayne will step into the big picture.

However, the greatest achievement of Volume 8 is with Issue #44 which departs from the main storyline and flash backs to a post-Zero Year Gotham. Co-written by Snyder and Brian Azzarello, it is less about super-villains – though they are mentioned with the events of Zero Year changing the landscape of Gotham – and more about a young Batman investigating a simple case of urban crime. Although it does tie in with the main story, this issue alone is a brilliant psychological examination about a city which is not all about the fantastical with conflicts such as organized crime and police brutality. For those who are fans of The Black Mirror, will scream with joy with Snyder re-collaborating with Jock whose visceral artwork is rough and surreal which is what you want from a hard-edged Batman story.

Although Jim Gordon as Batman isn’t as interesting as Dick Grayson donning the Batsuit back in The Black Mirror, the first half of Superheavy is an entertaining actioner with Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo experimenting with the Dark Knight’s legacy. Roll on Volume 9 which will not only conclude this story arc but this amazing run.

[Pavle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rivju premešten na #51

[Lost Planet Airman · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, Batman has never resurfaced after the soi-disant Joker's Endgame attack -- but Constant Readers will recall that both the Caped Crusader and the Joker suffered mortal wounds within spitting distance of the remains of the last Lazarus Pit, one buried deep beneath Gotham's cave system...

Sort of beggars belief, doesn't it? Well, kiddos, keep that disbelief suspended for the ride in Superheavy (what's with that name, anyway?) Powers Corp. filled the void left by Wayne Industries, built a superesuit, and found a defunct cop with heart enough to be a new, city-sanctioned Batman.

Who, you ask? Why the newly fit former Commissioner James Gordon, of course.

Alfred recovered Bruce Wayne's body, but apparently dragged it through the remains of that old Lazarus Pit (and how did Ras AND Batman miss that it has been under freakin' Gotham for years?!?!?) because Bruce Wayne is alive, with no memory -- and no possible way to recover his memory -- of his life as the Dark Knight.

I'm not buying it, sorry. On the bright side, I just have to survive another six months of comic-reading, and I will catch up to The Convergence and Rebirth and I guess a few sutures in the timeline will fix things right up...

[Ivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

Awesome comic book. Interesting to have Jim Gordon as Batman. Mr. Bloom seems very creepy looking. Happy to see Bruce Wayne back. Wonder if he will take up the mantle of Batman again. Is the Joker gone? What is the Joker's real name?

Can't wait to read Bloom!!!!! And more Bat Family comics!!!!!

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

So Bruce Wayne is on the sidelines and James Gordon is the new Batman, complete with a big robotic battle suit and new gadgets. This was actually better than I thought it might be. They needed a Batman while Snyder and Capullo got the pieces for the next story in place and Gordon fit the bill. I'm curious about the final two volumes in this run. Good thing I have them!

[Artemy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is where I quit Snyder's Batman. Either it's DC who are once again being idiots with their marketing and editorial decisions or whatever, or it's Snyder himself who has completely lost it (and Endgame reassures this theory even more), but this. Book. Is. Shit.

Absolutely idiotic storylines. Yes, we all knew that Bruce won't be dead for long after Endgame, and sure enough, he is alive and well and happily amnesiac right in the first issue. He is just a dude who doesn't know squat about who he is except that he's rich and is supposed to be philanthropic, so that's what he does now. He also got engaged to his childhood sweetheart while he was at it. While amnesiac. Because eh, why the hell not.

Jim Gordon is the new Batman. Police-sanctioned Batman. Because of course GCPD think their city needs another one, right? GCPD looooove the Batman. And not only do they decide to put Jim Gordon in costume, but then they put Jim Gordon in costume inside a huge robot with idiotic rabbit ears. Because that's what Batman is about, apparently. Because fuck sanity.

Overall, this book is just very bad at every single aspect. Bad writing, bad plot, terrible (TERRIBLE) dialogue and no actual ending to this horrible storyline in sight. Sigh. Not even Greg Capullo's great art can save it this time. I am so done with this series.

[Seba · Rating 2 out of 5]

After 40 issues Snyder introduces Powers Corporation. A Corporation so powerful that bought Wayne Enterprises and with so advanced R&D that they had a "Robo-Bunny (?)- Batman" project running already. Not only that but they decided to chose Jim "no-stache" Gordon for the job. The reason? because he "knows the streets of gotham" (see vol. 9) never mind his age, health or zero preparation (meh, we had some pages of training so I guess we are covered, right? RIGHT?) and how can we forget THE BAT-TRUCK. Snyder why do you hate us so much? Who hurt you?

This volume not only has a very bad story (like everything after Death of the Family has been) but also they decided to spend a whole issue explaining a conversation among two former (?) Robins (that I assume are from We Are Robin) disrupting the flow of the story!

I can't and I won't deal with all the Bruce arch that killed the plot of Endgame.

[Rod Brown · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author tries to deflect criticism by making light of it in his own script, but shaving James Gordon's mustache and head, shoving him into an Iron Man suit with bunny ears and calling him Batman is just stupid. And the new villain . . . ugh.

[Jedi JC Daquis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it. Even though I thought I would not, but I say it again, I liked Superheavy. Commissioner Gordon as the new Batman was a tough thing to accept at first, but once you get over that, evrything falls in place as an entertaining Batman story.

It is just that Scott Snyder has consistenly delivered great Batman stories eversince the first issue of his New 52 run that Superheavy felt inferior. In some sense, there is truth there, but this volume is not really aiming for greatness, it tries to be relatively more fun and energetic. Gordon Batman is not Wayne Batman, and I respect how Snyder treats the story with a lighter mood. Even Gordon himself facetiously shows this with his utter dislike with this idea of being the Batman. His meta-comments about how he hated this idea made me laugh!

The villain Mr. Bloom is interesting, though he did not feel unique. Batman's rogue gallery is a mixed bunch of interesting characters, but Mr. Bloom doesn't fit very naturally in the group. I mean he is interesting, but it really felt that he is not someone we did not see before.

There was one issue (44) that is very different from the rest of the issues in the volume. Although it was in fact a great read, putting that in a collected edition kind of disrupts the continuity of the whole story.

[Dimitris Papastergiou · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good at the beginning... and it kinda takes a fall and goes to mediocre in the middle all the way down pretty fast until Mr. Bloom.

I didn't mind Jim being Batman, nice change, a bit of a fresh change, of course I have complains cuz Gordon, an old dude suddenly being with a damn mohawk and muscles and abs is a bit of a stretch--but hey, we're reading fantasy here so, yeah.

My problem was the end of Mr. Bloom which I just finished and can't get that sorry ass story out of my head. It was like watching the cringiest power ranger episode ever. And this is NOT a simile. It was EXACTLY THAT.

Oh well.

I'd recommend this volume to anyone who likes Jim Gordon (I guess? Maybe cuz on this one he's Batman that'd make you angry? Lotsa angry nerds out there) and to Batman fans who already read the previous volumes and want to finish this series. If someone wants to pick up this volume to read some Batman, don't.

Sadness.

[Jesse A · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story needs to be finished but I like where it is going.

[Eli · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Interesting perspective, but this series is losing a lot of momentum more than gaining.