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Batman: The Rebirth Deluxe Edition
Batman: The Rebirth Deluxe Edition, Book 2
The acclaimed creative team of Tom King, David Finch and Mikel Janín takes things to a new level as Batman brings the pain to his international opponent, Bane, in Batman: The Rebirth Deluxe Edition Book 2.
The Dark Knight has invaded his home, scarred his mind and broken his back. Now Bane has returned to Gotham City for a single purpose: eliminate the Batman once and for all. But first he’ll destroy everyone the Dark Knight has ever loved…or loathed.
In the wake of this battle, the Batman makes Catwoman an offer that leaves her absolutely speechless. As she considers her answer, the Dark Knight tells her of a secret war from early in his career. It was a time when The Joker and the Riddler would seemingly be natural allies, but each man determined that he and he alone must be the one to kill the Bat...and either would sooner burn down Gotham than be beaten to the punch line.
All of Gotham’s villains were forced to choose sides in this stunning battle of wits that quickly escalated into a full-blown war—complete with civilian casualties. In this “War of Jokes and Riddles,” only one side could claim victory...but the scars it left shaped Batman’s future.
Written by Tom King (Mister Miracle, The Vision) with art by David Finch (Wonder Woman), Mikel Janín (Grayson), Jason Fabok (Justice League), Mitch Gerads (The Sheriff of Babylon), Clay Mann (Action Comics) and more, this latest Rebirth Deluxe Edition features two of the most critically acclaimed arcs in modern comics in hardcover for the first time. Collects Batman #16-32 and Annual #1.
The Dark Knight has invaded his home, scarred his mind and broken his back. Now Bane has returned to Gotham City for a single purpose: eliminate the Batman once and for all. But first he’ll destroy everyone the Dark Knight has ever loved…or loathed.
In the wake of this battle, the Batman makes Catwoman an offer that leaves her absolutely speechless. As she considers her answer, the Dark Knight tells her of a secret war from early in his career. It was a time when The Joker and the Riddler would seemingly be natural allies, but each man determined that he and he alone must be the one to kill the Bat...and either would sooner burn down Gotham than be beaten to the punch line.
All of Gotham’s villains were forced to choose sides in this stunning battle of wits that quickly escalated into a full-blown war—complete with civilian casualties. In this “War of Jokes and Riddles,” only one side could claim victory...but the scars it left shaped Batman’s future.
Written by Tom King (Mister Miracle, The Vision) with art by David Finch (Wonder Woman), Mikel Janín (Grayson), Jason Fabok (Justice League), Mitch Gerads (The Sheriff of Babylon), Clay Mann (Action Comics) and more, this latest Rebirth Deluxe Edition features two of the most critically acclaimed arcs in modern comics in hardcover for the first time. Collects Batman #16-32 and Annual #1.
428 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 12, 2018
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271 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
April 27, 2019
Batman is funny?
I'm blown away not only by how good this was, but also how much I enjoyed reading about Bruce and the gang. Finally!
Finally, Batman is human enough to like (perhaps love?) again.
Midway through this edition, it gets hijacked by part of the Flash/Button thing, and it just gives you enough of a snippet to whet your appetite (or not, in my case) for whatever the hell that event is supposed to be.
It also gets hijacked by a story with Swamp Thing. <--completely worth it!
Very cool issue. Read it.
Ok, ok, ok. Even though I knew it was coming?
THIS:
I Am Bane was waaaaay better than it had any right to be, in my opinion. Bane has never really impressed me before, but this? Villains are so much more interesting (even relatable in some cases) when you understand what made them into the person they are now. And showing both Batman and Bane's different/same childhood experiences side by side in those striking panels was just a touch of genius.
Alright. And as good as the stuff with Bane was, The War of Jokes and Riddles was even better. The Riddler isn't as silly as he once was, and this version of Edward Nygma was downright psychotic & scary. Putting him toe-to-toe with the Joker and not letting me think he would immediately be the loser takes some doing.
And King did it well.
Everything, everything, everything about this was just some sort of crazy perfection for me.
Even Kite Man.
One more? Ok, if you insist.
Highly Recommended.
I'm blown away not only by how good this was, but also how much I enjoyed reading about Bruce and the gang. Finally!
Finally, Batman is human enough to like (perhaps love?) again.
Midway through this edition, it gets hijacked by part of the Flash/Button thing, and it just gives you enough of a snippet to whet your appetite (or not, in my case) for whatever the hell that event is supposed to be.
It also gets hijacked by a story with Swamp Thing. <--completely worth it!
Very cool issue. Read it.
Ok, ok, ok. Even though I knew it was coming?
THIS:
I Am Bane was waaaaay better than it had any right to be, in my opinion. Bane has never really impressed me before, but this? Villains are so much more interesting (even relatable in some cases) when you understand what made them into the person they are now. And showing both Batman and Bane's different/same childhood experiences side by side in those striking panels was just a touch of genius.
Alright. And as good as the stuff with Bane was, The War of Jokes and Riddles was even better. The Riddler isn't as silly as he once was, and this version of Edward Nygma was downright psychotic & scary. Putting him toe-to-toe with the Joker and not letting me think he would immediately be the loser takes some doing.
And King did it well.
Everything, everything, everything about this was just some sort of crazy perfection for me.
Even Kite Man.
One more? Ok, if you insist.
Highly Recommended.
August 3, 2018
I'd read a lot of praise for Tom King and his run on Batman before all the publicity about the wedding issue, so I looked forward to starting his run. This is probably closer to 2.5 stars than 2, but I find myself disappointed. My disappointment may be the result of disappointed expectations, and perhaps I would enjoy his work more if I hadn't heard so much about it first.
There are times that King is really effective. He gives Bane a background both parallel and dissimilar to Bruce Wayne's. One episode is devoted to contrasting their development and how they connected their choices to the love they felt for their mothers. The origin of Kite Man is poignant and powerful.
But even in those moments, I felt King could and should have done more. For example, in Bruce's conversation with his mother during I Am Bane, King makes clear that Bruce/Batman is the better man because he chose to act from empathy for others, not his own rage and vulnerability. But Bruce, as King depicts, had the much easier life. He was wealthy and had Alfred to love him, while Bane was a child alone in a hellish prison, left in a setting where he was expected to die every day. No one loved him. No one showed the slightest care for him. Why, exactly, would he develop empathy for anyone?
King is very good with the human moments. Most of Bruce and Selina's interactions are genuine and effective. And I love the lunch/dinner meeting that Bruce holds with his "sons."
But I don't like King's tendency to have something major happen off-panel, and without any explanation for how it happened. In the first volume, Gotham's and Gotham Girl's trauma occurs between issues. They went from being optimistic super-beings who want to help Gotham to terror- and despair-ridden super-powered menaces. That dramatic, off-panel change really weakened the climax of the story for me; these characters were just introduced, meaning that the reader is only just beginning to be invested in them, and then, like magic, Gotham is suddenly a (tragic) villain, and Gotham Girl is a dangerously unbalanced mess.
In this volume, most of the recruitment of Joker's and Riddler's villainous armies happens off-panel. It's not clear why these various super-criminals are willing to work in Joker's and Riddler's interests. Further, a critical development in The War of Jokes and Riddles happens between issues. It makes no sense that Batman's plan actually works, unless you buy into King's penultimate reveal, that the War was really about something else all along, and everything managed by one character to achieve an improbable result. I didn't find that twist plausible--it felt over-engineered. I do think that the final reveal, why Bruce tells Selina the story, is well-done, even if I question the internal logic behind the villain's action.
I'll continue reading the series because King is almost-always interesting, and when he's good, he's really good. But I wish the pleasure wasn't so frequently mixed with disappointment.
There are times that King is really effective. He gives Bane a background both parallel and dissimilar to Bruce Wayne's. One episode is devoted to contrasting their development and how they connected their choices to the love they felt for their mothers. The origin of Kite Man is poignant and powerful.
But even in those moments, I felt King could and should have done more. For example, in Bruce's conversation with his mother during I Am Bane, King makes clear that Bruce/Batman is the better man because he chose to act from empathy for others, not his own rage and vulnerability. But Bruce, as King depicts, had the much easier life. He was wealthy and had Alfred to love him, while Bane was a child alone in a hellish prison, left in a setting where he was expected to die every day. No one loved him. No one showed the slightest care for him. Why, exactly, would he develop empathy for anyone?
King is very good with the human moments. Most of Bruce and Selina's interactions are genuine and effective. And I love the lunch/dinner meeting that Bruce holds with his "sons."
But I don't like King's tendency to have something major happen off-panel, and without any explanation for how it happened. In the first volume, Gotham's and Gotham Girl's trauma occurs between issues. They went from being optimistic super-beings who want to help Gotham to terror- and despair-ridden super-powered menaces. That dramatic, off-panel change really weakened the climax of the story for me; these characters were just introduced, meaning that the reader is only just beginning to be invested in them, and then, like magic, Gotham is suddenly a (tragic) villain, and Gotham Girl is a dangerously unbalanced mess.
In this volume, most of the recruitment of Joker's and Riddler's villainous armies happens off-panel. It's not clear why these various super-criminals are willing to work in Joker's and Riddler's interests. Further, a critical development in The War of Jokes and Riddles happens between issues. It makes no sense that Batman's plan actually works, unless you buy into King's penultimate reveal, that the War was really about something else all along, and everything managed by one character to achieve an improbable result. I didn't find that twist plausible--it felt over-engineered. I do think that the final reveal, why Bruce tells Selina the story, is well-done, even if I question the internal logic behind the villain's action.
I'll continue reading the series because King is almost-always interesting, and when he's good, he's really good. But I wish the pleasure wasn't so frequently mixed with disappointment.
December 12, 2024
Another strong volume of Batman from Tom King and co. Better than the first. War of Jokes and Riddles was fun, with the recurring Kite Man joke in particular being a stand out part. I mentioned in my review for I Am Bane it's the parts in between the arcs that are great too, including the developing arc between Bruce and Selina, showing us something between the two which it feels we've not seen before? Which is weird when both characters are 80 years old.
Also what I prefer to this over Snyders run is that even though the arcs do feel big, they're not made out to be "event big", which I think is the problem Snyder had. Death of the Family, Zero Year and The Court of Owls were all great stories but each one seemed touted as "the next big batman story", whereas King seems more focused on telling good Batman stories that when you think about are quite good, if that makes sense?
(Which it probably doesn't tbh..."
Also what I prefer to this over Snyders run is that even though the arcs do feel big, they're not made out to be "event big", which I think is the problem Snyder had. Death of the Family, Zero Year and The Court of Owls were all great stories but each one seemed touted as "the next big batman story", whereas King seems more focused on telling good Batman stories that when you think about are quite good, if that makes sense?
(Which it probably doesn't tbh..."
January 12, 2019
Quick rating, review later:
I am Bane (issues 16-20): 3.75 stars
The Brave and the Mold (issue 23): 4.5 stars
Aftermath (issue 24): 4 stars
War of Jokes & Riddles (issues 25, 26, 28, 29, 31, 32) : 4.5 stars
The Ballad of Kite Man (issues 27 & 30): 4.75 stars
Batman Annual #1: 2 stars (The only part I loved was King's Ace story)
I skipped issues 21 & 22 because they're part of The Button crossover with Flash, and I gotta read that right, can't read only the half of the story. Still, I doubt they would have affected my overall rating, Tom King just gets me, ya know?
I am Bane (issues 16-20): 3.75 stars
The Brave and the Mold (issue 23): 4.5 stars
Aftermath (issue 24): 4 stars
War of Jokes & Riddles (issues 25, 26, 28, 29, 31, 32) : 4.5 stars
The Ballad of Kite Man (issues 27 & 30): 4.75 stars
Batman Annual #1: 2 stars (The only part I loved was King's Ace story)
I skipped issues 21 & 22 because they're part of The Button crossover with Flash, and I gotta read that right, can't read only the half of the story. Still, I doubt they would have affected my overall rating, Tom King just gets me, ya know?
January 11, 2019
Hated it. I will bump from one star to two because the Bane arc was acceptable, although really contrived. The War of Jokes and Riddles was just bad. Hell yeah? Hell, no.
May 10, 2023
Absolute garbage. I'll start with the pacing. This series is so "decompressed" that four, five, six issues go by with barely any dialogue and no plot to speak of. Then, in a single issue, King will force a giant twist or status quo change, not through plot development, but with pages and pages of all-but-unreadable, awkwardly worded exposition. The pacing is so erratic that reading this thing at some point becomes MASOCHISTIC. King's dialogue is interminably repetitve and often meaningless. NONE of the characters' motivations track from issue to issue, much less arc to arc. The plots are hopelessly contrived, like glorified fanfic by a fan who's only ever read three comics and thinks they're an expert. Just a miserable read...
September 15, 2022
The following review will be split up into four parts:
I Am Bane:
Ok, If there is one thing I took away from this volume, it's that Bane is awesome.
In the last volume, Batman raided Bane's (country? Is that what he calls it?), and Bane is not happy at all. In fact, so unhappy that he decides he going to kill everyone Batman loves. There's a lot of really cool action sequences here .
The War of Jokes and Riddles:
I LOVED this. Probably even more than I am bane. For various reasons (I won't spoil), Joker and the Riddler start a gigantic war, and Gotham is the warzone. Each villain from Gotham picks a side leaving destruction everywhere. And, of course Batman must figure out a way to end this reign of destruction.
During this volume, there were certain issues that told the story of the war from Kite Man's POV. Yes, Kite Man. And, believe it or not it is not stupid. It's actually really really good. I won't say much, but what I will say is that this was probably my favorite part.
I wasn't the biggest fan of the ending, but overall I really enjoyed it.
EXTRAS:
In the middle of these two volumes we get the 2 issues of Batman/The Flash: The Button. I didn't love these, but there hard to judge on it's own. I will be reading the whole event soon, so look out for that.
Then we get a Swamp Thing crossover. It was fun, it plays like a mystery, and there are some funny moments sprinkled in.
At the very end, there are these Christmas issues. They were fine, I guess. It's September so I'm not really in the mood, but they were cute.
CLOSING THOUGHTS:
Overall I thought it was a fun book. I recommend!
I Am Bane:
Ok, If there is one thing I took away from this volume, it's that Bane is awesome.
In the last volume, Batman raided Bane's (country? Is that what he calls it?), and Bane is not happy at all. In fact, so unhappy that he decides he going to kill everyone Batman loves. There's a lot of really cool action sequences here .
The War of Jokes and Riddles:
I LOVED this. Probably even more than I am bane. For various reasons (I won't spoil), Joker and the Riddler start a gigantic war, and Gotham is the warzone. Each villain from Gotham picks a side leaving destruction everywhere. And, of course Batman must figure out a way to end this reign of destruction.
During this volume, there were certain issues that told the story of the war from Kite Man's POV. Yes, Kite Man. And, believe it or not it is not stupid. It's actually really really good. I won't say much, but what I will say is that this was probably my favorite part.
I wasn't the biggest fan of the ending, but overall I really enjoyed it.
EXTRAS:
In the middle of these two volumes we get the 2 issues of Batman/The Flash: The Button. I didn't love these, but there hard to judge on it's own. I will be reading the whole event soon, so look out for that.
Then we get a Swamp Thing crossover. It was fun, it plays like a mystery, and there are some funny moments sprinkled in.
At the very end, there are these Christmas issues. They were fine, I guess. It's September so I'm not really in the mood, but they were cute.
CLOSING THOUGHTS:
Overall I thought it was a fun book. I recommend!
April 19, 2021
More solid storytelling and artwork. The intensity and violence are ramped up from Book 1. I Am Bane was great as was The War of Jokes & Riddles along with its The Ballad of Kite Man interludes. The evolving relationship between Batman and Catwoman is deftly interwoven between these tales. I could do without The Button. Another crossover event that felt rushed because it is incompletely told. I found it distracting more than entertaining. Batman and the Swamp Thing: The Brave and the Mold was enjoyable.
January 20, 2019
That was pretty Bat-tastic!
Believe the hype, Tom King writes a mighty solid Batman title supported by some very moving art.
Also, be prepared to empathize with...Kite Man?
Believe the hype, Tom King writes a mighty solid Batman title supported by some very moving art.
Also, be prepared to empathize with...Kite Man?
June 19, 2019
Mixed feelings here, some of the writing is great, I found the Bane arc to be a rehash of Knightfall that tried to push things even further than the original (but was executed less effectively than the original, King is no Dixon). War of Jokes and Riddles was fun (but I don't like the "hunky" riddler). The annual was fine but just fine. The Ace and Harley stories standout for me.
October 29, 2018
Bloody brilliant, I am Bane, The war of Jokes and Riddles and The button are all fantastic, War of Jokes and riddles could be a future classic.
July 12, 2023
I am Bane and the War of Jokes and Riddles. Again these contain some fantastic artwork, but the story arcs are hit and miss.
I am Bane devolves into Batman chasing Bane around for the entire story arc and ends in a climatic battle (that is pretty epic). Quite enjoyable overall.
The War of Jokes and Riddles is a mixed bag. I enjoyed the art, and the general plot was fine, but it wasn’t stand out, even though it’s meant to be seen as this pivotal moment in Bruce’s early career.
The stand alone issues are always well done though!
I am Bane devolves into Batman chasing Bane around for the entire story arc and ends in a climatic battle (that is pretty epic). Quite enjoyable overall.
The War of Jokes and Riddles is a mixed bag. I enjoyed the art, and the general plot was fine, but it wasn’t stand out, even though it’s meant to be seen as this pivotal moment in Bruce’s early career.
The stand alone issues are always well done though!
May 4, 2021
This will be another piecemeal review with a quick topline: this is a great Batman run. It's esoteric, sure, but that doesn't detract from the way that this series' ambition and boldness. It still feels like King is just getting started and I'm thrilled I still have over two-third of the run left to go.
I AM BANE
This arc focuses on fallout from the events of previous, where Bane comes to Gotham with the express purpose of reclaiming Psycho Pirate after Batman napped him away. I wasn't quite on board with this all the way, but the juxtaposition of Bane and Bruce Wayne was really clever, and watching Bane just utterly wreck his way through Gotham was some of the best Bane I've ever seen (worth noting I have not read Knightfall).
3.5 Stars
THE BUTTON
A four-issue crossover comic with The Flash, the only existence of which is to set up and tease the then-upcoming Doomsday Clock series, which would bring Alan Moore's Watchmen into the DC multiverse (somehow). Honestly, this was mostly fine. The two non-Tom King issues were pretty standard all things considered and a great example of why comics rarely do anything interesting. The second King issue was good, with the entire issue spent in the Flashpoint Universe Batcave while Bruce confronts an alternate version of his father (who became Batman after the deaths of Bruce and Martha).
Easily the best issue of this arc (and the entire volume) is the first issue which is about (more or less) the five minutes between Batman calling The Flash and The Flash arrives in the Batcave. Next level comics. Utterly fantastic. I loved every single panel of this comic and my god Tom King is just operating on an insane level, isn't he?
3 Stars (it would be 2 but that one issue was a 5 star'er).
THE WAR OF JOKES AND RIDDLES
It's one thing to have a good title. It's another thing to completely deliver on the promise of that title. I've been chomping at the bit to read this specific arc since I heard of its existence, and while it's not what I was expecting it delivered like crazy. It's hard to do a "year one" Batman story, and the last time I read one it was the absolute disaster that was Scott Snyder's Zero Year (which also had The Riddler, funnily enough). Here, though, King makes it work, to say nothing of tying in the story to a larger point about Batman pushed up against the wall.
Honestly, this had everything: great single issues, great Riddler, a fantastic, avant-garde and off-the-wall take on The Joker that's so unlike everything I've seen in over a decade. Mayhap it was a little strange in the telling, but I find myself now, several days later, still playing it over in my head and chewing it and debating it. Just so good.
Also hell yeah, Kite Man.
4.5 Stars
I AM BANE
This arc focuses on fallout from the events of previous, where Bane comes to Gotham with the express purpose of reclaiming Psycho Pirate after Batman napped him away. I wasn't quite on board with this all the way, but the juxtaposition of Bane and Bruce Wayne was really clever, and watching Bane just utterly wreck his way through Gotham was some of the best Bane I've ever seen (worth noting I have not read Knightfall).
3.5 Stars
THE BUTTON
A four-issue crossover comic with The Flash, the only existence of which is to set up and tease the then-upcoming Doomsday Clock series, which would bring Alan Moore's Watchmen into the DC multiverse (somehow). Honestly, this was mostly fine. The two non-Tom King issues were pretty standard all things considered and a great example of why comics rarely do anything interesting. The second King issue was good, with the entire issue spent in the Flashpoint Universe Batcave while Bruce confronts an alternate version of his father (who became Batman after the deaths of Bruce and Martha).
Easily the best issue of this arc (and the entire volume) is the first issue which is about (more or less) the five minutes between Batman calling The Flash and The Flash arrives in the Batcave. Next level comics. Utterly fantastic. I loved every single panel of this comic and my god Tom King is just operating on an insane level, isn't he?
3 Stars (it would be 2 but that one issue was a 5 star'er).
THE WAR OF JOKES AND RIDDLES
It's one thing to have a good title. It's another thing to completely deliver on the promise of that title. I've been chomping at the bit to read this specific arc since I heard of its existence, and while it's not what I was expecting it delivered like crazy. It's hard to do a "year one" Batman story, and the last time I read one it was the absolute disaster that was Scott Snyder's Zero Year (which also had The Riddler, funnily enough). Here, though, King makes it work, to say nothing of tying in the story to a larger point about Batman pushed up against the wall.
Honestly, this had everything: great single issues, great Riddler, a fantastic, avant-garde and off-the-wall take on The Joker that's so unlike everything I've seen in over a decade. Mayhap it was a little strange in the telling, but I find myself now, several days later, still playing it over in my head and chewing it and debating it. Just so good.
Also hell yeah, Kite Man.
4.5 Stars
September 2, 2023
A bit of a step down from Vol. 1, but still ultimately entertaining. The majority of this book is devoted to the flashback story, "The War of Jokes and Riddles," about a war between Joker and Riddler (obviously), and I found it to be a pretty lackluster event. The war itself plays out almost entirely offscreen, with Batman recounting things that happened without the reader really being able to watch them unfold. One minute Joker and Riddler are at odds, the next the entire city is under their respective, battling grasps, reeling from the horrific collateral damage caused by their war. Or, I guess it is? Again, nothing is really shown. We're just seeing a LOT of Joker making terrible jokes and Riddler making a bunch of very basic riddles, to a degree where neither of them feel threatening or motivated, they just feel like caricatures of themselves decked out in a pretty coat of paint. I just could never quite get behind any of it (though I did like the Kite Man runners).
The rest of the book deals with the fallout from the Bane storyline in the first volume, and I enjoyed this significantly more. There actually felt like there were stakes and a narrative drive, which kept me turning the pages much faster.
Also, unfortunately, I'm now 32 issues into King's run and I absolutely do not care about Batman and Catwoman's relationship, and I think I am supposed to care about it a lot. King writes with a sort of distance from the visuals, there's a dryness and an almost aloofness to his work that does wonders in selling the haze of a war-torn country (like in Sheriff of Babylon) or in a grand sci-fi headtrip (like in Omega Men). When he zeroes in on a romantic relationship, though, it kind of just feels... off. I don't sense any real connection between Batman and Catwoman. Particularly since they always call each other "Bat" and "Cat." And maybe the point is that their relationship is doomed, but if it's doomed, I kind of want to at least hope that it could work. As is, I don't believe these two are meant to be together in any way shape or form, so the outcome feels like it will be a little empty no matter what. Hopefully my mind is changed, but as of now, I'm not invested.
Anyway, hoping Vol. 3 is a step up!
The rest of the book deals with the fallout from the Bane storyline in the first volume, and I enjoyed this significantly more. There actually felt like there were stakes and a narrative drive, which kept me turning the pages much faster.
Also, unfortunately, I'm now 32 issues into King's run and I absolutely do not care about Batman and Catwoman's relationship, and I think I am supposed to care about it a lot. King writes with a sort of distance from the visuals, there's a dryness and an almost aloofness to his work that does wonders in selling the haze of a war-torn country (like in Sheriff of Babylon) or in a grand sci-fi headtrip (like in Omega Men). When he zeroes in on a romantic relationship, though, it kind of just feels... off. I don't sense any real connection between Batman and Catwoman. Particularly since they always call each other "Bat" and "Cat." And maybe the point is that their relationship is doomed, but if it's doomed, I kind of want to at least hope that it could work. As is, I don't believe these two are meant to be together in any way shape or form, so the outcome feels like it will be a little empty no matter what. Hopefully my mind is changed, but as of now, I'm not invested.
Anyway, hoping Vol. 3 is a step up!
August 23, 2020
Cometí el error y el acierto de comprar esta serie en pasta dura, y cada volumen tarda un año en salir. Así que aunque la espera fue larga y tediosa, debo de admitir que mi paciencia fue recompensada con una gran continuación a lo visto en el primer volumen: I am Gotham y I am Suicide.
Creo que antes de hablar sobre el volumen, me gustaría aclarar por qué considero que esta serie de Batman es de lo mejor que se ha escrito para el personaje en los últimos años. Aunque disfruté la serie de Scott Snyder, creo que los primeros volúmenes fueron buenos pero de ahí se concentro en arcos largos, llenos de acción y con misterio, pero no hubo una verdadera evolución en el personaje ni una incorporación de las facetas de Batman. Si, su serie era muy entretenida y llena de acción pero cuando comienzo a leer la de King, me doy cuenta que algo nos había faltado por mucho tiempo en esta serie y no es hasta que Rebirth comienza que lo percibimos. También debo de aclarar que definitivamente esta serie no les gustará a todos. Tiene menos acción, muchos diálogos, y muchas de las cosas tienen doble significado o una doble intención al menos, y aunque al principio podría parecer que estamos leyendo una historia banal o simple, es cuando empezamos a tratar de entender la esencia del personaje que nos damos cuenta que tiene varias capas de significado y una profunda raíz en la psicología de los personajes y lo que representan. Por eso The War of Jokes and Riddles se me hizo uno de los mejores arcos de Batman que he leído y definitivamente se volverá un clásico, así como Killing Joke lo es ahora.
Este volumen está compuesto por el volumen 3 "I am Bane" y el volumen 4 "The war of jokes and riddles" además de tener los dos números de The Button, el one shot The Brave and the Mold y el aclamado Anual con el número navideño de Ace el batisabueso.
El arco "I am Bane" creo que es el que menos me ha gustado de los 4. Comienza muy bien, amarrando lo que vimos en los dos primeros volúmenes con tanta fluidez que creo que los 3 forman un solo arco largo. El primer número me mostró una de las escenas que más me ha hecho reír en mi vida como lector. Bruce Wayne comiendo hamburguesas... para ser exacto una batihamburguesa. Con ese comienzo pensé que lo que seguiría sería impresionante, lamentablemente, siguen muchas escenas de acción de Bane cazando a la batifamilia y a los aliados de Batman que no tuvieron el impacto deseado en mi. En ningún momento sentí tensión o pensé que Batman no lo lograría. Lo que si me gustó fue el número donde nos muestran los paralelismos entre Batman y Bane. Creo que es una manera increíble de mostrarnos una relación emotiva subliminal. Nos muestran que los pasados de ambos personajes, no son tan disparejos como uno pensaría, aún con diferencias radicales, podemos ver la raíz de ambos. Una escena que no pude evitar comparar con el famoso "Martha" de Batman V Superman, y al menos aquí está brillantemente ejecutada. El final del volumen me gustó mucho también, tenemos una conversación entre Gotham Girl y Batman que de nuevo lleva a los eventos que veremos en los siguientes volúmenes; y nos muestra un lado emotivo de Batman y Bruce Wayne que King se ha esforzado en construir pero que no habíamos visto antes. Comienza a quedarnos claro que esta historia no es sobre Batman, es sobre Batman y Bruce Wayne.
Los números de The Button decidí saltármelos hasta que pueda leer los de Flash también en el orden adecuado.
The Brave and the Mold es una belleza completa. Más que la historia, el mensaje que envía es realmente bueno. King siempre ha sido un gran fan de Alan Moore, y en sus distintos cómics hemos visto guiños, easter eggs y referencias al trabajo del maestro Moore. Pero en The Brave and the Mold sentí como un cierre para King. En la primera página vemos como asesinan a un señor barbudo que es muy semejante a Moore y que resulta ser el papá de Swamp Thing (cómic que Moore transformó en un clásico y una historia icónica de DC y Vertigo, podríamos ver a Moore como el padre intelectual de Swamp Thing). El mensaje aquí es claro, como nos diría Burroughs, "Kill your darlings" King asesina a Moore y pone a Batman y a Swamp Thing a buscar al culpable. Creo que King necesitaba hacer esto. Reconocer que aunque aprendió mucho de Moore e incorporó muchas de las cosas del maestro en su obra, era hora de perseguir su propio camino y estilo. Y es importante que haya enviado este mensaje justo antes del cuarto arco de Batman: "The war of Jokes and Riddles".
El cuarto volumen es una obra maestra; y en cualquier colección que aparezca, no importa el resto del contenido, le pondré 5 estrellas, porque vale completamente la pena. Al principio es un tanto confusa, y a la mitad pensé en ponerle 4 estrellas porque le faltaba acción. El volumen nos habla de una guerra pero no hay mucha acción como tal, pero cuando terminas es que comprendes realmente lo que King hizo, y es impresionante.
La premisa es sencilla. Tras los sucesos del "I am Bane" Batman decide contarle su secreto más grande a Catwoman. Bruce empieza a contarnos sobre la guerra entre Joker y Riddle que sucedió cuando el llevaba un año siendo Batman, justo después de los eventos de Zero Year de Snyder. Joker, incapaz de encontrar la gracia y la risa en la vida, se siente deprimido. Y Riddle harto de pensar en quién mataría a Batman, deciden enfrentarse para decidir de una vez y por todas quién tiene el derecho de matar a Batman.
Sin entrar mucho en detalles para no spoilear la obra y la revelación del final. Lo que más aprecié de esta historia es la escritura y estructura de King. La historia es un chiste y un acertijo al mismo tiempo. Subliminalmente es un mensaje acerca de la esencia de Batman, Joker y Riddle. Temas que aunque se han mencionado y usado en otras historias, creo que jamás se habían hecho con la claridad, aún subliminal, con la que King lo hace aquí. Esta historia tiene varias capas de entendimiento, varios dilemas éticos y varias preguntas sobre Batman y Joker. King trata de responder una pregunta que se ha hecho desde el principio ¿Hasta dónde está dispuesto a llegar Batman? o una pregunta aún más importante ¿Quién está más loco? ¿Batman o sus enemigos?
Dentro de esa historia, King se da a la tarea de redimir a un villano sesentero de Batman, Kiteman, escribiendo dos interludios llamados "La balada de Kiteman" y debo de confesar que ese interludio fue de mis partes favoritas de este volumen. King es un maestro de hacerte sentir cosas que no pensarías sentirías por algunos personajes.
El arte, tanto de Finch como de Janin es impresionante. Siendo el de Janin mi favorito, por la manera en la que nos da Splash pages interesantes y su viñetaje poco usual nos muestra escenas brillantes con colores nítidos que realzan los puntos importantes de la trama.
Según Amazon, sólo tendré que esperar a diciembre para leer el siguiente compilado. Espero no haya retrasos y pueda continuar esta historia porque es de lo que más me entusiasma actualmente de los cómics de súper héroes.
Creo que antes de hablar sobre el volumen, me gustaría aclarar por qué considero que esta serie de Batman es de lo mejor que se ha escrito para el personaje en los últimos años. Aunque disfruté la serie de Scott Snyder, creo que los primeros volúmenes fueron buenos pero de ahí se concentro en arcos largos, llenos de acción y con misterio, pero no hubo una verdadera evolución en el personaje ni una incorporación de las facetas de Batman. Si, su serie era muy entretenida y llena de acción pero cuando comienzo a leer la de King, me doy cuenta que algo nos había faltado por mucho tiempo en esta serie y no es hasta que Rebirth comienza que lo percibimos. También debo de aclarar que definitivamente esta serie no les gustará a todos. Tiene menos acción, muchos diálogos, y muchas de las cosas tienen doble significado o una doble intención al menos, y aunque al principio podría parecer que estamos leyendo una historia banal o simple, es cuando empezamos a tratar de entender la esencia del personaje que nos damos cuenta que tiene varias capas de significado y una profunda raíz en la psicología de los personajes y lo que representan. Por eso The War of Jokes and Riddles se me hizo uno de los mejores arcos de Batman que he leído y definitivamente se volverá un clásico, así como Killing Joke lo es ahora.
Este volumen está compuesto por el volumen 3 "I am Bane" y el volumen 4 "The war of jokes and riddles" además de tener los dos números de The Button, el one shot The Brave and the Mold y el aclamado Anual con el número navideño de Ace el batisabueso.
El arco "I am Bane" creo que es el que menos me ha gustado de los 4. Comienza muy bien, amarrando lo que vimos en los dos primeros volúmenes con tanta fluidez que creo que los 3 forman un solo arco largo. El primer número me mostró una de las escenas que más me ha hecho reír en mi vida como lector. Bruce Wayne comiendo hamburguesas... para ser exacto una batihamburguesa. Con ese comienzo pensé que lo que seguiría sería impresionante, lamentablemente, siguen muchas escenas de acción de Bane cazando a la batifamilia y a los aliados de Batman que no tuvieron el impacto deseado en mi. En ningún momento sentí tensión o pensé que Batman no lo lograría. Lo que si me gustó fue el número donde nos muestran los paralelismos entre Batman y Bane. Creo que es una manera increíble de mostrarnos una relación emotiva subliminal. Nos muestran que los pasados de ambos personajes, no son tan disparejos como uno pensaría, aún con diferencias radicales, podemos ver la raíz de ambos. Una escena que no pude evitar comparar con el famoso "Martha" de Batman V Superman, y al menos aquí está brillantemente ejecutada. El final del volumen me gustó mucho también, tenemos una conversación entre Gotham Girl y Batman que de nuevo lleva a los eventos que veremos en los siguientes volúmenes; y nos muestra un lado emotivo de Batman y Bruce Wayne que King se ha esforzado en construir pero que no habíamos visto antes. Comienza a quedarnos claro que esta historia no es sobre Batman, es sobre Batman y Bruce Wayne.
Los números de The Button decidí saltármelos hasta que pueda leer los de Flash también en el orden adecuado.
The Brave and the Mold es una belleza completa. Más que la historia, el mensaje que envía es realmente bueno. King siempre ha sido un gran fan de Alan Moore, y en sus distintos cómics hemos visto guiños, easter eggs y referencias al trabajo del maestro Moore. Pero en The Brave and the Mold sentí como un cierre para King. En la primera página vemos como asesinan a un señor barbudo que es muy semejante a Moore y que resulta ser el papá de Swamp Thing (cómic que Moore transformó en un clásico y una historia icónica de DC y Vertigo, podríamos ver a Moore como el padre intelectual de Swamp Thing). El mensaje aquí es claro, como nos diría Burroughs, "Kill your darlings" King asesina a Moore y pone a Batman y a Swamp Thing a buscar al culpable. Creo que King necesitaba hacer esto. Reconocer que aunque aprendió mucho de Moore e incorporó muchas de las cosas del maestro en su obra, era hora de perseguir su propio camino y estilo. Y es importante que haya enviado este mensaje justo antes del cuarto arco de Batman: "The war of Jokes and Riddles".
El cuarto volumen es una obra maestra; y en cualquier colección que aparezca, no importa el resto del contenido, le pondré 5 estrellas, porque vale completamente la pena. Al principio es un tanto confusa, y a la mitad pensé en ponerle 4 estrellas porque le faltaba acción. El volumen nos habla de una guerra pero no hay mucha acción como tal, pero cuando terminas es que comprendes realmente lo que King hizo, y es impresionante.
La premisa es sencilla. Tras los sucesos del "I am Bane" Batman decide contarle su secreto más grande a Catwoman. Bruce empieza a contarnos sobre la guerra entre Joker y Riddle que sucedió cuando el llevaba un año siendo Batman, justo después de los eventos de Zero Year de Snyder. Joker, incapaz de encontrar la gracia y la risa en la vida, se siente deprimido. Y Riddle harto de pensar en quién mataría a Batman, deciden enfrentarse para decidir de una vez y por todas quién tiene el derecho de matar a Batman.
Sin entrar mucho en detalles para no spoilear la obra y la revelación del final. Lo que más aprecié de esta historia es la escritura y estructura de King. La historia es un chiste y un acertijo al mismo tiempo. Subliminalmente es un mensaje acerca de la esencia de Batman, Joker y Riddle. Temas que aunque se han mencionado y usado en otras historias, creo que jamás se habían hecho con la claridad, aún subliminal, con la que King lo hace aquí. Esta historia tiene varias capas de entendimiento, varios dilemas éticos y varias preguntas sobre Batman y Joker. King trata de responder una pregunta que se ha hecho desde el principio ¿Hasta dónde está dispuesto a llegar Batman? o una pregunta aún más importante ¿Quién está más loco? ¿Batman o sus enemigos?
Dentro de esa historia, King se da a la tarea de redimir a un villano sesentero de Batman, Kiteman, escribiendo dos interludios llamados "La balada de Kiteman" y debo de confesar que ese interludio fue de mis partes favoritas de este volumen. King es un maestro de hacerte sentir cosas que no pensarías sentirías por algunos personajes.
El arte, tanto de Finch como de Janin es impresionante. Siendo el de Janin mi favorito, por la manera en la que nos da Splash pages interesantes y su viñetaje poco usual nos muestra escenas brillantes con colores nítidos que realzan los puntos importantes de la trama.
Según Amazon, sólo tendré que esperar a diciembre para leer el siguiente compilado. Espero no haya retrasos y pueda continuar esta historia porque es de lo que más me entusiasma actualmente de los cómics de súper héroes.
May 18, 2025
“Why…do you need…a car?”
“I don’t know. Why do you need a body?”
“Heh…”
It’s weird because, absolutely you start to see the seams here but also “The Brave and the Mold” and “Every Past Is Prologue” and the first Annual about Ace are just like…truly tremendous single issues.
But I also think this volume especially highlights how much the Bane stuff falters and how much The War of Jokes and Riddles and the ongoing thread of Bat and Cat taking it to the next level picks up the pace and drive of the whole series. Not only does it all just look a lot better than I Am Bane but it just reads so much smoother and more fun than i remembered (even though i kinda hate that King is already lampshading so much of it earlier than I recalled; it doesn’t feel that earned this early but the end results are so good it doesn’t annoy me entirely).
Weirder still and something that hadn’t revealed itself to me until reading it collected here, I Am Bane and TWOJARS have basically the same thesis. What level of threat and compromise is Batman willing to acknowledge to keep his people and city safe? I don’t really get King’s whole obsession with Bane but all that stuff feels like such a dry run for Jokes and Riddles.
And also starts to show his skill at the smaller moments that contribute or directly lead into the bigger moments. Kite Man (hell yeah) is just the hinge for all these great and useful turns that make the whole experience of that arc feel that much more like a complete and beating experience. But it’s just so so so much more fun than “Bane is so mad he reverted back to his original design”. The dinner issue and the finale especially really sing and feel like the title starting to really click in terms of its tone and visual style.
Idk, this all might sound glib or dismissive but I really did have fun with this. And I’m happy it stood up as well as i remembered because I remember this stretch being some of my favorite issues. The next stuff, aside from “Date Night” is the stuff I don’t remember at all or just never read.
“I don’t know. Why do you need a body?”
“Heh…”
It’s weird because, absolutely you start to see the seams here but also “The Brave and the Mold” and “Every Past Is Prologue” and the first Annual about Ace are just like…truly tremendous single issues.
But I also think this volume especially highlights how much the Bane stuff falters and how much The War of Jokes and Riddles and the ongoing thread of Bat and Cat taking it to the next level picks up the pace and drive of the whole series. Not only does it all just look a lot better than I Am Bane but it just reads so much smoother and more fun than i remembered (even though i kinda hate that King is already lampshading so much of it earlier than I recalled; it doesn’t feel that earned this early but the end results are so good it doesn’t annoy me entirely).
Weirder still and something that hadn’t revealed itself to me until reading it collected here, I Am Bane and TWOJARS have basically the same thesis. What level of threat and compromise is Batman willing to acknowledge to keep his people and city safe? I don’t really get King’s whole obsession with Bane but all that stuff feels like such a dry run for Jokes and Riddles.
And also starts to show his skill at the smaller moments that contribute or directly lead into the bigger moments. Kite Man (hell yeah) is just the hinge for all these great and useful turns that make the whole experience of that arc feel that much more like a complete and beating experience. But it’s just so so so much more fun than “Bane is so mad he reverted back to his original design”. The dinner issue and the finale especially really sing and feel like the title starting to really click in terms of its tone and visual style.
Idk, this all might sound glib or dismissive but I really did have fun with this. And I’m happy it stood up as well as i remembered because I remember this stretch being some of my favorite issues. The next stuff, aside from “Date Night” is the stuff I don’t remember at all or just never read.
March 23, 2021
Tom King comes into his own as a standout Batman writer!
Tom King’s secondary volume of collected comic books issues for his Batman: The Rebirth run is entertaining, action packed, thoughtful, emotional, romantic, and quite funny surprisingly. Much of the Batman arcs from Book 1 felt like rehashes of iconic Batman comics, but Book 2 proves that Tom King is worthy of writing Batman. From his sweet Bathound Ace issue to the hilarious Christmas chapter featuring Harley Quinn and all the Catwoman moments, King delivers heart as well as humor. Fans of The Joker, The Riddler, Swamp Thing, and Bane will be pleased for sure. Tom King is finally a Batman writer worth reading.
King honed the start of his Batman storylines from Book 1 into this excellent Book 2 that is stuffed with compelling side characters like the engrossing existentialist Swamp Thing issue or the shockingly moving and hilarious Kite Man origins chapter. There’s a great meeting at a burger joint between Batman and his Robins that’s a riot! Notably, the real pleasure is any chapter focusing on Batman’s relationship with Catwoman, whom King writes so beautifully and earnestly. They feel like a real couple speaking instead of merely comic book characters. I think King’s Bane sage concludes with thrilling action and clever twists, but it is his outstanding War of Jokes and Riddles arc that astounded me with this latest installment of his Batman run. The complex motivations of Batman, Joker, Riddler, and even Kite Man are absolutely fascinating.
David Finch and Mikel Janin’s illustrations are beautiful for Tom King’s Batman run. I really like their sleek Catwoman design, tribute to Bernie Wrightson’s Swamp Thing in all his green mass, and their spin on Scarecrow. All the colors are vibrant and pop like the slick letterings choices too.
In conclusion, Book 2 of Tom King’s Batman: The Rebirth is outstanding modern comic book storytelling.
Tom King’s secondary volume of collected comic books issues for his Batman: The Rebirth run is entertaining, action packed, thoughtful, emotional, romantic, and quite funny surprisingly. Much of the Batman arcs from Book 1 felt like rehashes of iconic Batman comics, but Book 2 proves that Tom King is worthy of writing Batman. From his sweet Bathound Ace issue to the hilarious Christmas chapter featuring Harley Quinn and all the Catwoman moments, King delivers heart as well as humor. Fans of The Joker, The Riddler, Swamp Thing, and Bane will be pleased for sure. Tom King is finally a Batman writer worth reading.
King honed the start of his Batman storylines from Book 1 into this excellent Book 2 that is stuffed with compelling side characters like the engrossing existentialist Swamp Thing issue or the shockingly moving and hilarious Kite Man origins chapter. There’s a great meeting at a burger joint between Batman and his Robins that’s a riot! Notably, the real pleasure is any chapter focusing on Batman’s relationship with Catwoman, whom King writes so beautifully and earnestly. They feel like a real couple speaking instead of merely comic book characters. I think King’s Bane sage concludes with thrilling action and clever twists, but it is his outstanding War of Jokes and Riddles arc that astounded me with this latest installment of his Batman run. The complex motivations of Batman, Joker, Riddler, and even Kite Man are absolutely fascinating.
David Finch and Mikel Janin’s illustrations are beautiful for Tom King’s Batman run. I really like their sleek Catwoman design, tribute to Bernie Wrightson’s Swamp Thing in all his green mass, and their spin on Scarecrow. All the colors are vibrant and pop like the slick letterings choices too.
In conclusion, Book 2 of Tom King’s Batman: The Rebirth is outstanding modern comic book storytelling.
July 31, 2025
I loved this—an even stronger volume than the first.
The book kicks off with the I Am Bane arc, picking up directly from where the previous volume left off. Bane comes to Gotham to reclaim the Psycho-Pirate, kidnapping those closest to Batman to provoke a brutal confrontation.
Following that is The Button, a crossover with The Flash. Unfortunately, only two of the four issues are included here, which is a bit frustrating—but the essential story beats are all present. Most notably, Batman meets his father from the Flashpoint universe, leading to some heartfelt moments which will be important later on in the run. If you haven’t read Flashpoint, you might be a little confused, but you'll still be able to pick up on the gist of the story.
Next is a standout one-shot featuring a team-up between Swamp Thing and Batman after the murder of Swamp Thing’s father. It’s a quiet but powerful issue that shows just how good King is with character-driven storytelling.
The volume advances the relationship between Batman and Catwoman before the next arc: The War of Jokes and Riddles. This arc is a highlight—Joker and Riddler wage war across Gotham, recruiting Batman’s rogues gallery to each side and plunging the city into chaos. Kite-Man (hell yeah) plays a surprisingly major and tragic role here. Turning such a joke character into someone you genuinely sympathize with is no small feat, and King nails it.
The volume wraps up with the Batman Annual, a collection of Christmas-themed short stories. The standout is Tom King’s origin for Ace the Bat-Hound. There’s also a great Harley Quinn story by Paul Dini—always a welcome addition given his history with the character and the classic Batman: The Animated Series.
Tom King knocks it out of the park with this volume. Alfred and the Robins bring plenty of heart and humor, and the writing remains consistently sharp throughout. A highly recommended read for fans of Batman.
The book kicks off with the I Am Bane arc, picking up directly from where the previous volume left off. Bane comes to Gotham to reclaim the Psycho-Pirate, kidnapping those closest to Batman to provoke a brutal confrontation.
Following that is The Button, a crossover with The Flash. Unfortunately, only two of the four issues are included here, which is a bit frustrating—but the essential story beats are all present. Most notably, Batman meets his father from the Flashpoint universe, leading to some heartfelt moments which will be important later on in the run. If you haven’t read Flashpoint, you might be a little confused, but you'll still be able to pick up on the gist of the story.
Next is a standout one-shot featuring a team-up between Swamp Thing and Batman after the murder of Swamp Thing’s father. It’s a quiet but powerful issue that shows just how good King is with character-driven storytelling.
The volume advances the relationship between Batman and Catwoman before the next arc: The War of Jokes and Riddles. This arc is a highlight—Joker and Riddler wage war across Gotham, recruiting Batman’s rogues gallery to each side and plunging the city into chaos. Kite-Man (hell yeah) plays a surprisingly major and tragic role here. Turning such a joke character into someone you genuinely sympathize with is no small feat, and King nails it.
The volume wraps up with the Batman Annual, a collection of Christmas-themed short stories. The standout is Tom King’s origin for Ace the Bat-Hound. There’s also a great Harley Quinn story by Paul Dini—always a welcome addition given his history with the character and the classic Batman: The Animated Series.
Tom King knocks it out of the park with this volume. Alfred and the Robins bring plenty of heart and humor, and the writing remains consistently sharp throughout. A highly recommended read for fans of Batman.
March 22, 2020
So my second go of Tom King's Batman. Was a little disappointed with "I Am Bane". I mean I loved the symmetry between Bane and Batman, I was just a little bored with the plot. I guess sometimes to much action isn't a good thing?
"The Brave and the Mold" was an enjoyable quick passed 1 issue story, but I don't really get the ending.
The issue after "The Button" though was a good example of King's Batman. His talk with "Gotham Girl" (still a dumb name) shows us that King's Bruce fails at giving up the coping skill of Batman because he's scared. He can't let himself be happy because he's afraid that being happy and being Batman would mean he's insane. To which Gotham Girl tells him to face his fears and do not what he "wants to do but, what he needs to do".
Now, "The War of Jokes and Riddles". My brother told me all his friends were talking this story up, and I was still on the fence about King so I didn't believe it. But I'm proud to say I was wrong. Scott Snyder made Riddler a great Batman villain in "Zero Year", and King just piled it on in this story. Riddler's plots, theories, and reveals were incredible. The suprise with Kite Man in the end was what topped it for me. And I loved Catwoman's response of "who cares" to Bruce's angsty "I'm not noble" line. It is a story you have to read slow to appreciate and understand.
I'm beginning to see a pattern with Tom King's plots, and that is that they aren't that linear. Or maybe a better way to put it is that we never get to see every facet of the story. Sometimes we have to infer how part "A" led to part "B". I think "I am Bane" suffered more from this than "WoJaR", but even though it makes me feel like the story isn't whole it does make it interesting.
The book also has some extra single issue stories that were fun too.
"The Brave and the Mold" was an enjoyable quick passed 1 issue story, but I don't really get the ending.
The issue after "The Button" though was a good example of King's Batman. His talk with "Gotham Girl" (still a dumb name) shows us that King's Bruce fails at giving up the coping skill of Batman because he's scared. He can't let himself be happy because he's afraid that being happy and being Batman would mean he's insane. To which Gotham Girl tells him to face his fears and do not what he "wants to do but, what he needs to do".
Now, "The War of Jokes and Riddles". My brother told me all his friends were talking this story up, and I was still on the fence about King so I didn't believe it. But I'm proud to say I was wrong. Scott Snyder made Riddler a great Batman villain in "Zero Year", and King just piled it on in this story. Riddler's plots, theories, and reveals were incredible. The suprise with Kite Man in the end was what topped it for me. And I loved Catwoman's response of "who cares" to Bruce's angsty "I'm not noble" line. It is a story you have to read slow to appreciate and understand.
I'm beginning to see a pattern with Tom King's plots, and that is that they aren't that linear. Or maybe a better way to put it is that we never get to see every facet of the story. Sometimes we have to infer how part "A" led to part "B". I think "I am Bane" suffered more from this than "WoJaR", but even though it makes me feel like the story isn't whole it does make it interesting.
The book also has some extra single issue stories that were fun too.
October 21, 2022
Tom King managed to evolve sequential storytelling in a way that blended several of the most revolutionary approaches of the last 20 years. I feel like we're reading a man who is writing for adults - which is useful, because adults are probably the only ones capable of affording comics now (I read from Hoopla borrows).
He knows the darkness and humor combination that works for Batman. Like: A writer who clearly knows and cares about this bizarre franchise.
On the downside - we have the franchise's downside - the fact that storylines often rely on the reader buying into the idea of Batman's entire rogue's gallery cooperating with one another and being defeated in silly ways. Each of them can hold their own against Batman, but when there are 20 of them - they can be taken out off-panel.
King elevates The Riddler to heights we haven't seen before, and it's so important to take some of the shine off of The Joker as the ultimate chaos evil... even if, at the end off the day - there he is in the spotlight.
I'm not buying the weight that Bruce puts on the War of Jokes and Riddles - that it's the only thing he thinks stands between Selina wanting to commit to him - - but, yeesh, this is comics and I should probably just relax.
Top form illustrators in the whole volume (including a short from Neal Adams that must count among the last times he illustrated a Batman story). Too many pages of punching and Bane posing, but that's standard.
He knows the darkness and humor combination that works for Batman. Like: A writer who clearly knows and cares about this bizarre franchise.
On the downside - we have the franchise's downside - the fact that storylines often rely on the reader buying into the idea of Batman's entire rogue's gallery cooperating with one another and being defeated in silly ways. Each of them can hold their own against Batman, but when there are 20 of them - they can be taken out off-panel.
King elevates The Riddler to heights we haven't seen before, and it's so important to take some of the shine off of The Joker as the ultimate chaos evil... even if, at the end off the day - there he is in the spotlight.
I'm not buying the weight that Bruce puts on the War of Jokes and Riddles - that it's the only thing he thinks stands between Selina wanting to commit to him - - but, yeesh, this is comics and I should probably just relax.
Top form illustrators in the whole volume (including a short from Neal Adams that must count among the last times he illustrated a Batman story). Too many pages of punching and Bane posing, but that's standard.
May 6, 2023
I'm done. Here in one volume are most of the problems I have with modern comics. DC had a fantastically creative decade in the 1980s and they're still retreading everything that was new then . . . . 40 years later!
Tom King is a smart, innovative writer but you can't tell it in these Batman stories. We get the same stuff that was in comics a very long time ago -- Bane's backbreaking schtick, plots that toss half of the villains in the Batverse into the story (something THE LONG HALLOWEEN probably did best ... almost 30 years ago), pages of gratuitous bloody beatings to show the readers again how determined and driven Bruce Wayne is, humorless, insipid dramatic scenes . . .. Why go on describing or reading this stuff?
Worst of all in a volume like this are the intrusive storylines from massive crossover events, in this case including the travesty DC made of Moore's WATCHMEN comics, among others. We get one or two chapters from a dumb plot that might have originally crossed 20 or 30 issues of various comics and the interruption takes you right out of the story and into something that wreaks of corporate commercial interference. Product over entertainment . . ..
I'll read King's work on Supergirl or other characters but his Batman is dead to me.
Tom King is a smart, innovative writer but you can't tell it in these Batman stories. We get the same stuff that was in comics a very long time ago -- Bane's backbreaking schtick, plots that toss half of the villains in the Batverse into the story (something THE LONG HALLOWEEN probably did best ... almost 30 years ago), pages of gratuitous bloody beatings to show the readers again how determined and driven Bruce Wayne is, humorless, insipid dramatic scenes . . .. Why go on describing or reading this stuff?
Worst of all in a volume like this are the intrusive storylines from massive crossover events, in this case including the travesty DC made of Moore's WATCHMEN comics, among others. We get one or two chapters from a dumb plot that might have originally crossed 20 or 30 issues of various comics and the interruption takes you right out of the story and into something that wreaks of corporate commercial interference. Product over entertainment . . ..
I'll read King's work on Supergirl or other characters but his Batman is dead to me.
February 14, 2023
Tom King has a very specific writing style that might not appease everyone but in the context of this story, it truly delivers. Especially in the moments where it attempts to show us just how alike (and yet vastly different) both Batman and Bane as products of their environment. King’s Bane is terrifying - a hulking villain who causes real damage. I was happy to see the first arc’s Gotham Girl appear briefly here as a nice continuance of a much larger story and while the interlude featuring two issues from “The Button” read well - they seem completely out of place here. The latter half of this edition features “The War of Jokes and Riddles” plot line - an odd Year One era event that Bruce relays to Selena - that never really takes off. There’s good moments, solid character beats, a decent riddle or two - but it doesn’t amount to much which is disappointing considering it’s obvious potential. But the most exciting aspect of this run seems to be King taking a major step forward with both Bruce and Batman that could really shake up the status quo - and I’m all for it.
January 15, 2019
I’ve been catching up on Batman Rebirth and, largely, enjoying it a lot. Tom King is doing very cool and interesting things. But maaaaaaan did I not enjoy the War of Jokes and Riddles. I don’t know if it’s just because I don’t like his homicidal Riddler (I think Eddie is more interesting as just a high minded bank robber) or the narrative perspective of Batman just kind of...talking about it. The stakes never felt real and the motivations were empty. There’s also the eye roll of Riddler manufacturing the whole thing to specifically create Kite Man which is completely ridiculous.
THAT SAID—the two Kite Man issues are absolutely wonderful and surprisingly emotional. Bravo to TK for making us care about such a goofy character. Unexpected but even more rewarding because of it.
I have really enjoyed what Tim King has been doing and it's disappointing such a slog of a story takes up such a chunk of the run.
Michael Janine and Clay Mann's art is incredible.
THAT SAID—the two Kite Man issues are absolutely wonderful and surprisingly emotional. Bravo to TK for making us care about such a goofy character. Unexpected but even more rewarding because of it.
I have really enjoyed what Tim King has been doing and it's disappointing such a slog of a story takes up such a chunk of the run.
Michael Janine and Clay Mann's art is incredible.
June 7, 2020
Book Two contains I am Bane, The Brave and The Mold, Aftermath, War of Jokes & Riddles, The Ballad of Kite Man, and Batman Annual #1.
I am Bane - SUPER Bane is mad about Batman taking the Psycho Pirate (during I Am Suicide). He goes to break the Bat….and beats everyone in Arkham (wait, what??). Bane and Batman fight, and Batman survives. No broken backs.
The The Brave and the Mold - just one issues, but pretty cool. This one’s legit and funny and the art is great.
The Button - Crossover with the Flash. We get to see Thomas Wayne. A lot of setup here. Nice use of the 9 panels.
Aftermath - sort of like a prologue. It’s okay…
War of Jokes & Riddles - I should have liked it more….I just couldn’t. Joker and Riddler go into war, villains take sides, and it all feels a bit out of character. I don’t like this Riddler design at all.
The Ballad of Kite Man - Kite Man has become a pretty cool character. I know King has tried to make him ‘a thing’ and I think he succeeded. As opposed to other recent characters that haven’t found their footing (I’m looking at you Duke), Kite Man is a pretty good side character that has been used very well in small doses. The story King crafts is very compelling and emotional, and not at all something I was expecting.
Batman Annual #1 - The story with Ace was pretty neat. The others were pretty meh.
Overall, it seems that Tom is obsessed with making Bruce crave (?) death. Batman is broody and just plain negative. Traits that are usually associated with him, but I’d argue that not to this extent. Also, repetition can work a few times...but golly not all the time. I am Bane. I am Bane. I am Bane. I am Groot!
Btw, during these arcs, Bane comes off as a mindless brute. This may change later, but so far it’s just brawn. The art is good. It does the job and it’s detailed, etc. It often doesn’t feel ‘dynamic’ all the time, but I like it 8/10. Also, i noticed some inconsistencies again.
Story wise I think I’ll give this a collective 6.5/10.
I am Bane - SUPER Bane is mad about Batman taking the Psycho Pirate (during I Am Suicide). He goes to break the Bat….and beats everyone in Arkham (wait, what??). Bane and Batman fight, and Batman survives. No broken backs.
The The Brave and the Mold - just one issues, but pretty cool. This one’s legit and funny and the art is great.
The Button - Crossover with the Flash. We get to see Thomas Wayne. A lot of setup here. Nice use of the 9 panels.
Aftermath - sort of like a prologue. It’s okay…
War of Jokes & Riddles - I should have liked it more….I just couldn’t. Joker and Riddler go into war, villains take sides, and it all feels a bit out of character. I don’t like this Riddler design at all.
The Ballad of Kite Man - Kite Man has become a pretty cool character. I know King has tried to make him ‘a thing’ and I think he succeeded. As opposed to other recent characters that haven’t found their footing (I’m looking at you Duke), Kite Man is a pretty good side character that has been used very well in small doses. The story King crafts is very compelling and emotional, and not at all something I was expecting.
Batman Annual #1 - The story with Ace was pretty neat. The others were pretty meh.
Overall, it seems that Tom is obsessed with making Bruce crave (?) death. Batman is broody and just plain negative. Traits that are usually associated with him, but I’d argue that not to this extent. Also, repetition can work a few times...but golly not all the time. I am Bane. I am Bane. I am Bane. I am Groot!
Btw, during these arcs, Bane comes off as a mindless brute. This may change later, but so far it’s just brawn. The art is good. It does the job and it’s detailed, etc. It often doesn’t feel ‘dynamic’ all the time, but I like it 8/10. Also, i noticed some inconsistencies again.
Story wise I think I’ll give this a collective 6.5/10.
October 5, 2021
So another reasonably entertaining but slightly mixed bag Batman collection.
I Am Bane was moderately interesting, but a little more punchy driven than character driven.
The Brave and the Mold again, entertaining enough but didn't really grab me
The War of Jokes and Riddles was actually fairly interesting, if a little dissatisfactory in conclusion, I also thought Kite Man's story and character were quite good, and I enjoyed reading about him.
I read The Button seperately so I'll review it seperately, and I read all the Christmas specials as part of the Rebirth Christmas edition, but they were mostly a bit of fun.
This collection I would probably recommend for older teens and up because it's a little more on the violent side, and there's some strongly implied sexual content as well.
I Am Bane was moderately interesting, but a little more punchy driven than character driven.
The Brave and the Mold again, entertaining enough but didn't really grab me
The War of Jokes and Riddles was actually fairly interesting, if a little dissatisfactory in conclusion, I also thought Kite Man's story and character were quite good, and I enjoyed reading about him.
I read The Button seperately so I'll review it seperately, and I read all the Christmas specials as part of the Rebirth Christmas edition, but they were mostly a bit of fun.
This collection I would probably recommend for older teens and up because it's a little more on the violent side, and there's some strongly implied sexual content as well.
September 15, 2018
The storyline are all over the place. Some rehashed Knighfall, throwback villains, and getting with Catwoman. I'm a huge Catwoman fan and I found their chemistry to be lackluster in this.
They're in bed and he's telling her a story (she was part of) with very little payout in the ending. She's crying and they're talking like it's r/im14andthisisdeep. It's not great. The art in that part was pretty spotty too. The action/story part was average art and the frame part with Bruce and Selina was like cg chat room characters.
It's definitely not the relationship the two shared it previous iterations of their story arc. And let's not talk about the weird costume shift (for some reason Catwoman is wearing her 90s costume during part of this).
At least, the joke and riddles were amusing.
They're in bed and he's telling her a story (she was part of) with very little payout in the ending. She's crying and they're talking like it's r/im14andthisisdeep. It's not great. The art in that part was pretty spotty too. The action/story part was average art and the frame part with Bruce and Selina was like cg chat room characters.
It's definitely not the relationship the two shared it previous iterations of their story arc. And let's not talk about the weird costume shift (for some reason Catwoman is wearing her 90s costume during part of this).
At least, the joke and riddles were amusing.
June 30, 2018
I greatly enjoyed the second hardcover volume of Tom King's Batman run. King does an excellent job of providing different perspectives that make each storyline distinct. While I found the continued focus on Bane in the first arc of this volume to be a little repetitive and the inclusion of The Button to be uninteresting, the concluding storyline War of Jokes and Riddles was an excellent narrative. The Joker and Riddler in particular were used to great effect. I remain a little skeptical of the relationship between Batman and Catwoman but look forward to reading about what comes next with the potential 'wedding'.
July 21, 2018
This volume was definitely a 4.5 Stars from me. There was this whole Ocean’s 11 feel to the story. Batman chooses his team based upon their particular skill set and how to best use them for infiltration and extraction. All the while, no one really knows the plan but Batman of corse. The art and story flowed pretty seamlessly and I always love when the story centers around one of my favorite Bat-villains, Bane. Looking very forward to volume 3. I have a feeling Bane is gonna go straight up shit house on the streets of Gotham. All in all I’m having fun reading this particular series and unless they really shit the bed I’m likely going to go out of my way finish reading it.
August 27, 2019
Word of advice don't go into Tom's batman expecting it to be like Scott's batman. Two completely different take on the caped crusader. Some would say Tom showed us the humanised aspect of the bat and his whole warring on crime ideology( there is a human underneath that mask after all) and Snyder was about the action and mild drama and his whole Roman empire/ gods motiff strewn in randomly, which worked wonders (Snyder's new 52 run is the best run in modern day comics). Tom's work is more inclined to realism (if that makes anysense in comics) and Jungs coloring definitely aids this. The drama aspect is huge especially in this second deluxe edition while the action does take a step back, but that being said the level of violence and atrocities in the war of jokes and riddles chapter is riveting. Overall the second book is much better than the first one and i hope the trend carries on into the third one as well.
September 24, 2019
this was Huge Dlx book *the way i love it*
First we Get I am Bane 5 Part Story Arc Which was Fantastic
Then the 2 Part of the Button *the batman Side* Which you Should avoid and read that whole book separately and thats what i did
then 2 One shots, one with Swamp thing Was Superb and the other Acts as Aftermath to Bane and prelude to War of jokes and riddles
Then we Get A big Story Arc *8 Parts* The War of jokes and riddles Which is a Story told by Bruce to Selina of an earlier time *poor Kite-man*
AT the End there is the Annual Which was the Least of all the issues Except for the Short Story done by tom King.
First we Get I am Bane 5 Part Story Arc Which was Fantastic
Then the 2 Part of the Button *the batman Side* Which you Should avoid and read that whole book separately and thats what i did
then 2 One shots, one with Swamp thing Was Superb and the other Acts as Aftermath to Bane and prelude to War of jokes and riddles
Then we Get A big Story Arc *8 Parts* The War of jokes and riddles Which is a Story told by Bruce to Selina of an earlier time *poor Kite-man*
AT the End there is the Annual Which was the Least of all the issues Except for the Short Story done by tom King.
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