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Batman (2016)
Batman, Vol. 8: Cold Days
Author Tom King pens the next epic volume of his critically acclaimed, best-selling Batman series in Batman Vol. 8!
In the aftermath of the wedding of Batman and Catwoman, the Dark Knight's life has changed completely. Having walked down the aisle, how will this new Bruce Wayne view himself? What is to become of Batman now?
Don't miss out on the newest installment of this best-selling, critically acclaimed graphic novel series written by breakout star Tom King, and featuring art by Lee Weeks and Tony S. Daniel.
Collects #51-56
In the aftermath of the wedding of Batman and Catwoman, the Dark Knight's life has changed completely. Having walked down the aisle, how will this new Bruce Wayne view himself? What is to become of Batman now?
Don't miss out on the newest installment of this best-selling, critically acclaimed graphic novel series written by breakout star Tom King, and featuring art by Lee Weeks and Tony S. Daniel.
Collects #51-56
Paperback
First published December 24, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 327 reviews
February 4, 2019
I didn't want to love this. Really, I didn't.
I felt all tantrum-y after the end of the wedding-that-wasn't, and I truly wanted this to suck so that I could justify letting my inner 3 year old sit in the corner and kick the wall.
Unfortunately, this was just fucking amazing.
I've said it before, but my biggest problem with the recent incarnation of Batman was always that he was too inhuman. His senses were too honed, his fighting skills were too incredible, and his emotions were too under control. Plus, his crime-solving techniques were becoming less like the World's Greatest Detective and more like a superhuman Sherlock who could Google future events.
And I think I love Tom King just a little bit for addressing some of that in the Cold Days arc, and giving us back a fallible Batman. <--with his underwear on the outside of his costume again!
Then there was the whole Shadows of the Past thing in issue #55 with Nightwing. So good. It was lovely in the way it showed their roles being flipped back and forth between then and now.
I got a little choked up, not gonna lie.
This? I eat this kind of shit up.
And how can you not enjoy seeing those two fight Crazy Quilt & Condiment King?
Yeah, some of the art was less than appealing but not enough to really mess with my enjoyment of all the ooey-gooey feels.
Batman and Nightwing were/are the original Dynamic Duo and this last story arc did their relationship justice, in my opinion.
Alright, next up are some pretty major spoilers for those of you who haven't read this yet. And I do think that the shock value of this particular story is a big part of the fun. So, please don't click it if you aren't caught up.
I'm in and cannot wait to see what happens next!
Highly recommended.
I felt all tantrum-y after the end of the wedding-that-wasn't, and I truly wanted this to suck so that I could justify letting my inner 3 year old sit in the corner and kick the wall.
Unfortunately, this was just fucking amazing.
I've said it before, but my biggest problem with the recent incarnation of Batman was always that he was too inhuman. His senses were too honed, his fighting skills were too incredible, and his emotions were too under control. Plus, his crime-solving techniques were becoming less like the World's Greatest Detective and more like a superhuman Sherlock who could Google future events.
And I think I love Tom King just a little bit for addressing some of that in the Cold Days arc, and giving us back a fallible Batman. <--with his underwear on the outside of his costume again!
Then there was the whole Shadows of the Past thing in issue #55 with Nightwing. So good. It was lovely in the way it showed their roles being flipped back and forth between then and now.
I got a little choked up, not gonna lie.
This? I eat this kind of shit up.
And how can you not enjoy seeing those two fight Crazy Quilt & Condiment King?
Yeah, some of the art was less than appealing but not enough to really mess with my enjoyment of all the ooey-gooey feels.
Batman and Nightwing were/are the original Dynamic Duo and this last story arc did their relationship justice, in my opinion.
Alright, next up are some pretty major spoilers for those of you who haven't read this yet. And I do think that the shock value of this particular story is a big part of the fun. So, please don't click it if you aren't caught up.
I'm in and cannot wait to see what happens next!
Highly recommended.
November 5, 2018
Batman’s heart is all achy breaky thanks to the Cat lady and he acting maaaad. At the trial of Mister Freeze, one juror decides to tear apart the prosecution’s case, built in large part by Batman: Bruce Wayne! Think he’s suffered enough? Think again! Batman’s about to pain some more as another dickhole targets his nearest and dearest. Cold Days, indeed!
Alriiiight, Tom King coming back STRONG after that last mediocre wedding book! Eight volumes in and the quality is still there - so much to enjoy!
King reunites with his Batman/Elmer Fudd artist, Lee Weeks, for the Mister Freeze storyline which is really about Bruce working through his feels/pulling himself together rather than it is about Freeze. It’s a really clever post-wedding story where Bruce takes “Batman” to task for letting his emotions control him to the point where he became a sloppy crime-fighter who’s been making too many mistakes.
It’s also a stellar analysis of Batman’s psychology, origins and his place within Gotham’s collective mindset. I liked the little snippets of dialogue between Bruce and the various jurors over the battle scenes between Batman and Freeze. I really loved Weeks’ beautiful art, complemented perfectly by Elizabeth Breitweiser’s incandescent and stunning colours. That visual of Batman in the dark alley looking up at Catwoman was a brilliant use of negative space.
The Freeze story is the best one here and is damn near flawless. Everyone on the creative team is positively soaring, producing superb comics. Oh and best of all: Batman’s back in his classic pre-New 52 suit - hells to the YEAH!
Matt Wagner draws an issue and I don’t care for his art. It looks especially crude sandwiched between Weeks’ realistic, cinematic noir style and Tony S. Daniel’s super-slick production. Otherwise it’s another fine issue that explores Bruce and Dick’s relationship. I love that King juxtaposes Bruce helping Dick as a kid in the wake of his parents’ deaths with Dick in the present helping Bruce post-wedding.
The KGBeast storyline is maybe the only time the character has actually seemed remotely credible and not like some laughably cartoony threat. It’s not the strongest storyline and the big thing that happens in it is a bit eye-rolling. Yes, it involves a character “dying” which is a joke when it happens in superhero comics so there was no chance of any kind of emotional impact on me, or any other seasoned comics readers, I suspect.
Anyhoo, it’s still a readable story and King writes the classic team of Bruce and Dick wonderfully - that back and forth referencing Batman ‘66 and “chum” was superb! Tony S. Daniel draws some fantastically eye-popping pages too - so damn polished!
If you’ve been following King’s Batman this long you won’t need any prompting to pick this one up - it’s astonishing that he’s been able to keep to the bi-weekly schedule and still write comics of this quality. But I’d also recommend it to new or lapsed Batman fans as, regardless of the “Volume 8” and the few vague references to prior storylines, Cold Days is perfectly accessible as a standalone, entertaining Batman book.
I really enjoyed it - well done (mostly) everyone! Cold Days is hot stuff!
Alriiiight, Tom King coming back STRONG after that last mediocre wedding book! Eight volumes in and the quality is still there - so much to enjoy!
King reunites with his Batman/Elmer Fudd artist, Lee Weeks, for the Mister Freeze storyline which is really about Bruce working through his feels/pulling himself together rather than it is about Freeze. It’s a really clever post-wedding story where Bruce takes “Batman” to task for letting his emotions control him to the point where he became a sloppy crime-fighter who’s been making too many mistakes.
It’s also a stellar analysis of Batman’s psychology, origins and his place within Gotham’s collective mindset. I liked the little snippets of dialogue between Bruce and the various jurors over the battle scenes between Batman and Freeze. I really loved Weeks’ beautiful art, complemented perfectly by Elizabeth Breitweiser’s incandescent and stunning colours. That visual of Batman in the dark alley looking up at Catwoman was a brilliant use of negative space.
The Freeze story is the best one here and is damn near flawless. Everyone on the creative team is positively soaring, producing superb comics. Oh and best of all: Batman’s back in his classic pre-New 52 suit - hells to the YEAH!
Matt Wagner draws an issue and I don’t care for his art. It looks especially crude sandwiched between Weeks’ realistic, cinematic noir style and Tony S. Daniel’s super-slick production. Otherwise it’s another fine issue that explores Bruce and Dick’s relationship. I love that King juxtaposes Bruce helping Dick as a kid in the wake of his parents’ deaths with Dick in the present helping Bruce post-wedding.
The KGBeast storyline is maybe the only time the character has actually seemed remotely credible and not like some laughably cartoony threat. It’s not the strongest storyline and the big thing that happens in it is a bit eye-rolling. Yes, it involves a character “dying” which is a joke when it happens in superhero comics so there was no chance of any kind of emotional impact on me, or any other seasoned comics readers, I suspect.
Anyhoo, it’s still a readable story and King writes the classic team of Bruce and Dick wonderfully - that back and forth referencing Batman ‘66 and “chum” was superb! Tony S. Daniel draws some fantastically eye-popping pages too - so damn polished!
If you’ve been following King’s Batman this long you won’t need any prompting to pick this one up - it’s astonishing that he’s been able to keep to the bi-weekly schedule and still write comics of this quality. But I’d also recommend it to new or lapsed Batman fans as, regardless of the “Volume 8” and the few vague references to prior storylines, Cold Days is perfectly accessible as a standalone, entertaining Batman book.
I really enjoyed it - well done (mostly) everyone! Cold Days is hot stuff!
March 9, 2019
"God is above us. And he wears a cape."
Mama told me there’d be days like this: Cold Days, indeed. This was for me a veritable event in not just Batman comics, but comics, I mean it. Maybe in part because I had just read Twelve Angry Men, and maybe partly because I had not really expected much to happen in the post-wedding, let-down volume, but the first arc, where Bruce Wayne in a Twelve Angry Men story, analyzes—and especially because he is deeply reflective, post-wedding—Batman for his fellow jurors, well, this is special. The case is one of Mr. Freeze, who is accused of murdering three women by freezing them. We have evidence of the freezing, pointing to Freeze, we have Freeze’s own confession, and we the jury know that Batman was instrumental in this detective process, but to what extent is the jury’s sense of Batman’s infallibility/vulnerability at issue in the trial? This arc is one of the best things you will read read in comics, I mean it. And the artwork of Lee Weeks with the amazing coloring of Elizabeth Breitweiser just beautifully complement King’s reflective writing that touches on so many things: The ethics of detective work, the fallibility of superheroes, the loss of loved ones. King even brings in The Book of Job.
"He's not God. He's not. He tries. . . He does. . . I know. And he fails, and he tries again. . . . But he can’t. . . . He can’t provide solace from pain. . . He cannot comfort you for the love you lost.”
The second arc focuses on Bruce and Dick Grayson in the aftermath of the wedding. A father-son story, as Dick comforts Bruce in grief, as Bruce has comforted Dick, and the character of Dick is really well-written, a son trying to lighten up a sad father. I'm not a huge Nightwing fan, so for me, this was maybe not quite to the level of the Freeze story, but still top-notch, and affecting.
The third arc focuses on a confrontation with KGBeast, hired to shoot Nightwing. And the ending is brutal; it’s action that takes this villain seriously, and it’s cold, as in the volume title, taking place in much-below-freezing Russia, and the way Bat leaves KGB, well, it’s not, shall we say, humane police work. We circle back to the Freeze arc here: Bat is fallible, he’s not perfect, he can be brutal vigilante.
One thing I liked in the last arc was King’s use of an actual brutal Russian fairy tale by Alexander Afanasyev as counterpoint to the main story. I liked his smart literary move there, a grimmer than Grimm story Bruce might have read growing up and was going to mention it, I had just thought it was made up by King, but Artemy said it was real and I looked it up to confirm this. So cool?! This is also a very strong arc, and shows the great range King has, and also features great writing. All of the writing of different tones and registers, with art styles appropriate to the different arcs, this is comics gold.
Maybe the last two arcs are 4ish stars for me, but the first is so good that my 4.5 average gets rounded up to 5 stars, and the whole package is just excellent. I loved the humanizing of Bruce Wayne and Batman in this volume, after a couple of his devastating losses. I know, this is another volume with a focus on talk and reflection and less on action, so for Batman Pow! Smash! fans, this may seem like a digression, but for those of us who have seen Batman as brooding but not quite human, this is an important contribution to the Batstory. He’s hurting, dudes! And yep, human. Great stuff.
Mama told me there’d be days like this: Cold Days, indeed. This was for me a veritable event in not just Batman comics, but comics, I mean it. Maybe in part because I had just read Twelve Angry Men, and maybe partly because I had not really expected much to happen in the post-wedding, let-down volume, but the first arc, where Bruce Wayne in a Twelve Angry Men story, analyzes—and especially because he is deeply reflective, post-wedding—Batman for his fellow jurors, well, this is special. The case is one of Mr. Freeze, who is accused of murdering three women by freezing them. We have evidence of the freezing, pointing to Freeze, we have Freeze’s own confession, and we the jury know that Batman was instrumental in this detective process, but to what extent is the jury’s sense of Batman’s infallibility/vulnerability at issue in the trial? This arc is one of the best things you will read read in comics, I mean it. And the artwork of Lee Weeks with the amazing coloring of Elizabeth Breitweiser just beautifully complement King’s reflective writing that touches on so many things: The ethics of detective work, the fallibility of superheroes, the loss of loved ones. King even brings in The Book of Job.
"He's not God. He's not. He tries. . . He does. . . I know. And he fails, and he tries again. . . . But he can’t. . . . He can’t provide solace from pain. . . He cannot comfort you for the love you lost.”
The second arc focuses on Bruce and Dick Grayson in the aftermath of the wedding. A father-son story, as Dick comforts Bruce in grief, as Bruce has comforted Dick, and the character of Dick is really well-written, a son trying to lighten up a sad father. I'm not a huge Nightwing fan, so for me, this was maybe not quite to the level of the Freeze story, but still top-notch, and affecting.
The third arc focuses on a confrontation with KGBeast, hired to shoot Nightwing. And the ending is brutal; it’s action that takes this villain seriously, and it’s cold, as in the volume title, taking place in much-below-freezing Russia, and the way Bat leaves KGB, well, it’s not, shall we say, humane police work. We circle back to the Freeze arc here: Bat is fallible, he’s not perfect, he can be brutal vigilante.
One thing I liked in the last arc was King’s use of an actual brutal Russian fairy tale by Alexander Afanasyev as counterpoint to the main story. I liked his smart literary move there, a grimmer than Grimm story Bruce might have read growing up and was going to mention it, I had just thought it was made up by King, but Artemy said it was real and I looked it up to confirm this. So cool?! This is also a very strong arc, and shows the great range King has, and also features great writing. All of the writing of different tones and registers, with art styles appropriate to the different arcs, this is comics gold.
Maybe the last two arcs are 4ish stars for me, but the first is so good that my 4.5 average gets rounded up to 5 stars, and the whole package is just excellent. I loved the humanizing of Bruce Wayne and Batman in this volume, after a couple of his devastating losses. I know, this is another volume with a focus on talk and reflection and less on action, so for Batman Pow! Smash! fans, this may seem like a digression, but for those of us who have seen Batman as brooding but not quite human, this is an important contribution to the Batstory. He’s hurting, dudes! And yep, human. Great stuff.
December 14, 2018
Bruce Wayne gets selected as a juror on Mr. Freeze's trial. There he deals with his emotions over Catwoman leaving him at the altar while putting Batman's methods on trial in a variation of 12 Angry Men. It's wonderfully well done. Lee Weeks's art looks great. Then Matt Wagner comes on board as Nightwing tries to help Batman deal with the breakup. Tom King's Dick Grayson is fantastic. He brings a lightheartedness to Batman's world. The quips are witty and perfectly in character. How come no one else at DC seems to be able to write this character? Then Tony Daniel illustrates a KGBeast story that's brutal and raw. I've noticed with this run that King's writing is starting to shift to almost art direction. There's large portions where the art is telling a different story than the dialogue or he almost tells the story completely through the art itself. It's extremely well done. You can almost see the storytelling evolve with each arc of this Batman run. It's really becoming one for the ages.
January 7, 2019
After getting left at the altar by the Natural Latex Company’s most valued customer (and, incidentally, someone who, despite her stated profession, misleadingly does not appear to have ever purloined a feline), what’s a man to do? If you’re Batman, you’d think it would involve brutally punishing bad guys with a lot of very hard punches to the face; if you’re fancy pants Bruce Wayne, you’d think it would involve burying your face in a mountain of cocaine and getting peed on by a coterie of Eastern Slavic ladies of the night.
Well, turns out you’re right about the Batman part. Wayne, however, decides that instead of those kinds of shenanigans, he’ll do his civic duty by bribing his way onto a jury—and not just any jury; the jury that just so happens to be deciding if Mr. Freeze is going away for good in a case in which the Batman brought him to justice. There are some questions, however, about how exactly Batman did that—did he use unnecessarily brutal force to coerce a confession?—and some questionable facts that cast doubt on old Icee Pop’s guilt.
What follows is a welcome return to form (including a ridiculously violent and Eastwood-esque showdown with the KGBeast and the apparent death of someone only slightly less important to Batman than his butler, but only because Alfred makes legendary cucumber sandwiches) after last volume’s slight dip in delightfulness. Looking forward to seeing where King is taking this thing next…
Well, turns out you’re right about the Batman part. Wayne, however, decides that instead of those kinds of shenanigans, he’ll do his civic duty by bribing his way onto a jury—and not just any jury; the jury that just so happens to be deciding if Mr. Freeze is going away for good in a case in which the Batman brought him to justice. There are some questions, however, about how exactly Batman did that—did he use unnecessarily brutal force to coerce a confession?—and some questionable facts that cast doubt on old Icee Pop’s guilt.
What follows is a welcome return to form (including a ridiculously violent and Eastwood-esque showdown with the KGBeast and the apparent death of someone only slightly less important to Batman than his butler, but only because Alfred makes legendary cucumber sandwiches) after last volume’s slight dip in delightfulness. Looking forward to seeing where King is taking this thing next…
October 24, 2018
Batman is a god to many people in Gotham, but he's just a broken man here.
A look into the mind of a man who's devastated after being left by the love of his life. Bruce has jury duty, which in itself is pretty funny, but it's against Mr. Freeze. This time Bruce has a little look into his own faults, at what he did, and how he hunted down Freeze and brought him to justice. He also questions the jury, asking them to look beyond just the good of what Batman did, and the facts of what he had done in his investigation.
Then the other end is Bruce and Dick working together. Nightwing is the polar opposite of Batman when it comes to fighting. His banter and whimsical ways couldn't be more different than Bruce's dark and brooding ones. This leads to some great, laugh out loud, and heart tugging moments. Then something terrible happens which forces Bruce to go on a hunt against a true villain.
Good: This volume is big on emotions and family dynamic of father/son. If you're a fan of Nightwing or seeing him take the Batman Mantle again, is really great. Also the start of the book is pretty great getting to see Bruce take down his own Batman Persona was great. I also really dug the whole last three issues as it keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Bad: The case did go on a little long. Probably could have been two issues.
Overall, one of the strongest volumes so far and that's saying a lot. Between 5 and this volume, King's run will go down as one of my favorite Batman runs. A 4.5 out of 5.
A look into the mind of a man who's devastated after being left by the love of his life. Bruce has jury duty, which in itself is pretty funny, but it's against Mr. Freeze. This time Bruce has a little look into his own faults, at what he did, and how he hunted down Freeze and brought him to justice. He also questions the jury, asking them to look beyond just the good of what Batman did, and the facts of what he had done in his investigation.
Then the other end is Bruce and Dick working together. Nightwing is the polar opposite of Batman when it comes to fighting. His banter and whimsical ways couldn't be more different than Bruce's dark and brooding ones. This leads to some great, laugh out loud, and heart tugging moments. Then something terrible happens which forces Bruce to go on a hunt against a true villain.
Good: This volume is big on emotions and family dynamic of father/son. If you're a fan of Nightwing or seeing him take the Batman Mantle again, is really great. Also the start of the book is pretty great getting to see Bruce take down his own Batman Persona was great. I also really dug the whole last three issues as it keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Bad: The case did go on a little long. Probably could have been two issues.
Overall, one of the strongest volumes so far and that's saying a lot. Between 5 and this volume, King's run will go down as one of my favorite Batman runs. A 4.5 out of 5.
October 18, 2018
Tom King goes from one bloody fantastic volume of Batman to another these days. This is the fallout from the wedding that took place in the previous book, and Batman is going through some serious emotional trauma as he gets the jury duty for the trial of Mr Freeze. I loved the wedding arc because of where it left the two involved characters emotionally, but this arc is the big payoff that is all about Batman dealing with his feelings — I REPEAT, BATMAN IS DEALING WITH HIS FEELINGS. And this is exactly why I love what Tom King is doing with this series and the character. I think this is his best Batman arc since volume 5.
The second story is all about that thing that happened to Nightwing recently. In fact, that thing actually happens to him here. While this entire event reeks of editorial interposition intending to soft-reboot the Nightwing solo series, I think King handled it as well as he could have, and the entire arc reads like a shocking and visceral thing that it should be. I also found King's usage of a fucked up Russian fairy tale by Alexander Afanasyev absolutely amusing (yes, that was an actual Russian fairy tale, folks). It's funny, we see the book in the end and it's a thick tome no less than 500 pages long, but the actual tale itself is just three paragraphs that are retold pretty much word-for-word in the issue, with Mark Buckingham's excellent artwork. Either way, it was a perfect finale to a story arc that will probably depress all the Dick fans, but I have no strong feelings about him whatsoever, so I liked it.
Overall, Tom King knocks it out of the park once again with Batman Vol. 8: Cold Days. This series does not lose its steam at all, and if anything only gets better and better as it goes on. Brilliant stuff.
The second story is all about that thing that happened to Nightwing recently. In fact, that thing actually happens to him here. While this entire event reeks of editorial interposition intending to soft-reboot the Nightwing solo series, I think King handled it as well as he could have, and the entire arc reads like a shocking and visceral thing that it should be. I also found King's usage of a fucked up Russian fairy tale by Alexander Afanasyev absolutely amusing (yes, that was an actual Russian fairy tale, folks). It's funny, we see the book in the end and it's a thick tome no less than 500 pages long, but the actual tale itself is just three paragraphs that are retold pretty much word-for-word in the issue, with Mark Buckingham's excellent artwork. Either way, it was a perfect finale to a story arc that will probably depress all the Dick fans, but I have no strong feelings about him whatsoever, so I liked it.
Overall, Tom King knocks it out of the park once again with Batman Vol. 8: Cold Days. This series does not lose its steam at all, and if anything only gets better and better as it goes on. Brilliant stuff.
October 19, 2018
Amazing. I’m gonna have to be vague to avoid spoilers.
World: The art is fantastic, Weeks beautiful pages are full of character and a stillness that with sudden bursts of violence is perfect. It’s a great jarring visualization of the emotions brewing inside Bruce following issue 50, fantastic. Then there is the Wagner issue which was rather odd and not my favorite but within it were still moments of child like beauty an emotion. Last we have Daniels which I always feel is good artist and a terrible writer so he does what he does best here, a grounded, emotional and intense linework to push home the amazing story. The world building here is fantastic, it’s not large is scope, it’s not huge and world changing but it’s character driven and that’s what King has been doing since ‘I am Gotham’. It’s full of little bits and pieces of the DCU to support that intimate story of Bruce post issue 50 and it’s an amazing stage he’s created here and full of consequences.
Story: ‘Cold Days’ is great, to follow issue 50 into this and have the two sides of Bruce and Batman play out opposite each other is great, to see the actions that are taken following 50 makes sense. The emotions are on the inside and the spill out and have consequences that lead to this story and it’s great. We don’t need the huge emotional issue of Batman running around and that’s it, no we do have that but more importantly it’s paired with what happens after that and picking up the pieces. It’s not there to wallow in that but to change the character of Batman and it’s great. Then we have the small slice of life little quiet issue which was perfect to give readers a chance to breath and also take in the emotions since 50 and to hope for a new status quo setting up and we do have that, and then have the rug pulled from under our feet with ‘Beasts of Burden’. This three issue story is great, it’s on point, it’s emotional and it has simply the best written Dick Grayson I’ve read in a couple of years and that’s amazing for King but also sad for all the writers who’ve taken on the Nightwing and Grayson series since New52. In the end this gutt wrenching series of issues sets Batman on a path that is both familiar but also realisitic in how King has slowly humanized Batman, even the angry angry bits. Amazing.
Characters: What was Bruce going to be like after issue 50? Well we expected what we got from Batman in ‘Cold Days’ every reader knew this would happen, but what we didn’t think we’d get and what King did was bring out the Bruce Wayne part of the story and also how the family responded and who responded. The silences were done well the fact that it was Dick coming back makes so much sense and with the entire 7 issues Bruce goes through a lot and it’s written so well. Dick was amazingly written, King writes him so well as a son and those couple of issues are amazing, someone please bottle that and bring it to the main Nightwing series please. The rest of the cast of characters here are great but I won’t go into them and spoil them, just great character work.
This was an amazing follow up to issue 50. It was expected but also unexpected. I can’t wait to see where Bruce goes from this. Sure we’ve seem him put through the ringer before with Snyder and his run but wow holy wow this hits deep and hard.
Onward to the next book!
*read individual issues*
World: The art is fantastic, Weeks beautiful pages are full of character and a stillness that with sudden bursts of violence is perfect. It’s a great jarring visualization of the emotions brewing inside Bruce following issue 50, fantastic. Then there is the Wagner issue which was rather odd and not my favorite but within it were still moments of child like beauty an emotion. Last we have Daniels which I always feel is good artist and a terrible writer so he does what he does best here, a grounded, emotional and intense linework to push home the amazing story. The world building here is fantastic, it’s not large is scope, it’s not huge and world changing but it’s character driven and that’s what King has been doing since ‘I am Gotham’. It’s full of little bits and pieces of the DCU to support that intimate story of Bruce post issue 50 and it’s an amazing stage he’s created here and full of consequences.
Story: ‘Cold Days’ is great, to follow issue 50 into this and have the two sides of Bruce and Batman play out opposite each other is great, to see the actions that are taken following 50 makes sense. The emotions are on the inside and the spill out and have consequences that lead to this story and it’s great. We don’t need the huge emotional issue of Batman running around and that’s it, no we do have that but more importantly it’s paired with what happens after that and picking up the pieces. It’s not there to wallow in that but to change the character of Batman and it’s great. Then we have the small slice of life little quiet issue which was perfect to give readers a chance to breath and also take in the emotions since 50 and to hope for a new status quo setting up and we do have that, and then have the rug pulled from under our feet with ‘Beasts of Burden’. This three issue story is great, it’s on point, it’s emotional and it has simply the best written Dick Grayson I’ve read in a couple of years and that’s amazing for King but also sad for all the writers who’ve taken on the Nightwing and Grayson series since New52. In the end this gutt wrenching series of issues sets Batman on a path that is both familiar but also realisitic in how King has slowly humanized Batman, even the angry angry bits. Amazing.
Characters: What was Bruce going to be like after issue 50? Well we expected what we got from Batman in ‘Cold Days’ every reader knew this would happen, but what we didn’t think we’d get and what King did was bring out the Bruce Wayne part of the story and also how the family responded and who responded. The silences were done well the fact that it was Dick coming back makes so much sense and with the entire 7 issues Bruce goes through a lot and it’s written so well. Dick was amazingly written, King writes him so well as a son and those couple of issues are amazing, someone please bottle that and bring it to the main Nightwing series please. The rest of the cast of characters here are great but I won’t go into them and spoil them, just great character work.
This was an amazing follow up to issue 50. It was expected but also unexpected. I can’t wait to see where Bruce goes from this. Sure we’ve seem him put through the ringer before with Snyder and his run but wow holy wow this hits deep and hard.
Onward to the next book!
*read individual issues*
March 14, 2022
Yes, yes and even more yes. There are three seperate stories here, each tackling different subject matters, tones, and character arcs, and they are all executed wonderfully. The first and titular story, Cold Days, is an introspection into Bruce Wayne and Batman, with elements akin to that of a law procedural drip fed into a narrative focused on perception. It's followed by a nice Bruce and Dick story that explores the relationship between the two and its evolution through the use of well placed flashbacks. Wrapping up the volume is a high stakes action piece which provides a nice change of pace from the slower, yet just as fun, earlier entries. King and the team really get to flex their Batman muscles with this one, giving us hit after hit after hit.
April 26, 2019
4.5 *
I am not a Batman “regular” like my GR friend David Schaafsma. So, I don’t have the wealth of experience he brings to his review. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I am aware of the mayhem and evil brought by Mr. Freeze, so that Freeze was on trial in first story of Volume 8 didn’t come as a surprise. What came as a surprise was that Bruce Wayne was a member of the jury and the storyline that has Wayne as the only holdout when the jury votes for conviction.
It is a taut story full of flashbacks to significant events for Wayne and the Batman. The graphic component is very effective at conveying the emotional content as well as the drama.
Quoting from Schaafsma: “And the artwork of Lee Weeks with the amazing coloring of Elizabeth Breitweiser just beautifully complement King’s reflective writing that touches on so many things: The ethics of detective work, the fallibility of superheroes, the loss of loved ones.”
The rest of Cold Days follows this introspective theme but delves deeply into the relationship between Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson (“Robin”). Readers come away knowing more but not necessarily happy that their heroes have become more nuanced.
I am not a Batman “regular” like my GR friend David Schaafsma. So, I don’t have the wealth of experience he brings to his review. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I am aware of the mayhem and evil brought by Mr. Freeze, so that Freeze was on trial in first story of Volume 8 didn’t come as a surprise. What came as a surprise was that Bruce Wayne was a member of the jury and the storyline that has Wayne as the only holdout when the jury votes for conviction.
It is a taut story full of flashbacks to significant events for Wayne and the Batman. The graphic component is very effective at conveying the emotional content as well as the drama.
Quoting from Schaafsma: “And the artwork of Lee Weeks with the amazing coloring of Elizabeth Breitweiser just beautifully complement King’s reflective writing that touches on so many things: The ethics of detective work, the fallibility of superheroes, the loss of loved ones.”
The rest of Cold Days follows this introspective theme but delves deeply into the relationship between Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson (“Robin”). Readers come away knowing more but not necessarily happy that their heroes have become more nuanced.
January 27, 2019
Tom King's Batman is settling into reliably amazing. Like Gaiman's Sandman or Moore's Swamp Thing, King is telling a story with obvious epic scope through a series a tales that are simultaneously stand-alone and interconnected. I don't always agree with his choices (like the pages and pages of grunts toward the end of the book) but I appreciate their boldness and his willingness to try something.
September 23, 2019
After reading about Batman's failed wedding in the last volume I took a long break from reading this series, but since it was Batman Day this weekend, I decided to start reading it again. It seems that Batman had as much difficulty with processing the emotional trauma of the failed wedding as I did. In a way, that was kind of comforting. Seeing Batman working through this trauma humanizes him.
January 12, 2019
I will be anxiously awaiting an appearance from kite man
April 29, 2019
In the wake of the surprising Batman issue #50, Bruce Wayne is at a turning point emotionally. And that's fully explored in the most ingenious way possible in the first story arc (which takes up about half of this volume), and follows Bruce serving on jury duty in a trial for Mister Freeze who was apprehended by the Batman under questionable circumstances. This is one of the best stories of the whole series so far and a wonderful way for writer Tom King, and Bruce Wayne himself to really have to reckon with the constant violence and brutality that surrounds the Batman and whether or not the rage Bruce has felt since his parent's death has helped or hurt.
King forces us to confront the potential fallibility of Batman. This story is a great example of the impressive side of Tom King's run: an unwavering look deep into the psyche of Bruce Wayne and his alter ego. And whole the Nightwing story is also great, the following KGBeast is okay but isn't as interesting.
Despite it's major flaws (especially in the beginning) this full run should go down as perhaps the bravest approach anyone has taken with Batman.
May 30, 2024
This volume is a collection of stories where Batman tries to deal with the wedding fiasco.
First one is as brilliant as they come, with an intense "Twelve angry men" plot where Bruce Wayne is juror in the trial of M. Freeze, Freeze having been punched into confession by a very angry Batman! Talk about the duality of the character!
This one is masterfully pencilled by the immensely talented Lee Weeks who proves once again that he is as great a storyteller as an illustrator. Add the delicately beautiful colors of Bettie Breitweiser and the result is sheer pleasure to enjoy.
Next is an excellent standalone going through Bruce and Dick's relationship up to now. This one is emotional and hilarious at the same time- no small feat, mind you- but Tom King shows- again - the extent of his talent.
I'm afraid I wasn't much impressed by Matt Wagner's art though.
Last story is supposed to shock the reader I suppose-the so-called "death" of a major player- but I've heard that line like a hundred times before so I didn't buy it- and there's something amiss in the way it is not dealt with afterwards that confirms it. At least the bad guy is a credible threat and it's definitely well paced and written.
Sadly I think I cared for Tony Daniel's art even less than Wagner's.
If the wedding book wasn't so great and kinda felt like a stone in King's shoe this one largely makes up for it. May it stay that way!
First one is as brilliant as they come, with an intense "Twelve angry men" plot where Bruce Wayne is juror in the trial of M. Freeze, Freeze having been punched into confession by a very angry Batman! Talk about the duality of the character!
This one is masterfully pencilled by the immensely talented Lee Weeks who proves once again that he is as great a storyteller as an illustrator. Add the delicately beautiful colors of Bettie Breitweiser and the result is sheer pleasure to enjoy.
Next is an excellent standalone going through Bruce and Dick's relationship up to now. This one is emotional and hilarious at the same time- no small feat, mind you- but Tom King shows- again - the extent of his talent.
I'm afraid I wasn't much impressed by Matt Wagner's art though.
Last story is supposed to shock the reader I suppose-the so-called "death" of a major player- but I've heard that line like a hundred times before so I didn't buy it- and there's something amiss in the way it is not dealt with afterwards that confirms it. At least the bad guy is a credible threat and it's definitely well paced and written.
Sadly I think I cared for Tony Daniel's art even less than Wagner's.
If the wedding book wasn't so great and kinda felt like a stone in King's shoe this one largely makes up for it. May it stay that way!
November 24, 2025
بعد از شماره ۵۰ که قسمت خیلی مهمی واسه بتمن به حساب میومد عروسی بتمن به هم میخوره نکته مهم اینه که ببینم نویسنده الان با بتمن چیکار میکنه
کسی که بتمن بهش اعتماد کرد و در عوض شاهد فرار کردش درحالی که واقعا عاشقش بود، بود
نویسنده می تونست به طرز کلیشه ای عصبانیت و ناراحتی رو نشون بده ولی در عوض کاری میکنه که اصلا انتظارشو نداشته باشیم
تام کینگ میاد و داستان ۱۲ مرد خشمگین رو به صورت جدید بازآفرینی میکنه در قالب تقابل بتمن با بروس وین قرار میده
بروس وینی که از کاری که کرده به عنوان بتمن پشیمونه و تنها راه رستگاری شو حمایت از آقای فریز توی دادگاه میدونه، قضیهای که به داستانی مشتنج و عجیب تبدیل میشه
من واقعاً عاشق سبک نویسندگی تام کینگم، اتفاقاً تعداد زیادی از طرفدارای بتمن باش مشکل دارن و من میدونم چرا، سبک نویسندگی تام کینگ، سبک نوشتن یه کمیک بوک نیست بلکه به معنای واقعی کلمه انگار داری یه فیلمنامه میخونی، فیلمنامهای واقعگرا و غمگین و پر از نکات مبهم و از جایی بهبعد خود شخصیت هاهم نمیدونن چیکار میکنن چون یه سری آدم واقعین و آدمای واقعی برای همه کارشون نقشه ندارن
و این قطعاً تعداد خیلی زیادی از طرفداران رو عصبانی میکنه ولی منو نه چون من عاشق این شکل نوشتنم و واقعا از تک تک قسمتایی که میخونم لذت میبرم
کسی که بتمن بهش اعتماد کرد و در عوض شاهد فرار کردش درحالی که واقعا عاشقش بود، بود
نویسنده می تونست به طرز کلیشه ای عصبانیت و ناراحتی رو نشون بده ولی در عوض کاری میکنه که اصلا انتظارشو نداشته باشیم
تام کینگ میاد و داستان ۱۲ مرد خشمگین رو به صورت جدید بازآفرینی میکنه در قالب تقابل بتمن با بروس وین قرار میده
بروس وینی که از کاری که کرده به عنوان بتمن پشیمونه و تنها راه رستگاری شو حمایت از آقای فریز توی دادگاه میدونه، قضیهای که به داستانی مشتنج و عجیب تبدیل میشه
من واقعاً عاشق سبک نویسندگی تام کینگم، اتفاقاً تعداد زیادی از طرفدارای بتمن باش مشکل دارن و من میدونم چرا، سبک نویسندگی تام کینگ، سبک نوشتن یه کمیک بوک نیست بلکه به معنای واقعی کلمه انگار داری یه فیلمنامه میخونی، فیلمنامهای واقعگرا و غمگین و پر از نکات مبهم و از جایی بهبعد خود شخصیت هاهم نمیدونن چیکار میکنن چون یه سری آدم واقعین و آدمای واقعی برای همه کارشون نقشه ندارن
و این قطعاً تعداد خیلی زیادی از طرفداران رو عصبانی میکنه ولی منو نه چون من عاشق این شکل نوشتنم و واقعا از تک تک قسمتایی که میخونم لذت میبرم
April 28, 2025
Apesar do encadernado ter outras duas histórias, Dias Frios é o nome do primeiro arco de histórias dividida em 3 partes, que na minha opinião, é o ápice das histórias do Tom King com o Batman.
A trama, embora também trabalhe a psique e a humanidade do homem morcego, como outros volumes do roteirista, esse encadernado se destaca por toda a narrativa construída para trabalhar a figura do Batman sendo colocada em xeque: ele é apenas um humano ou é um Deus?
Esse questionamento surge após o Bruce Wayne ser inserido em um juri popular que votará na condenação ou não do Senhor Frio.
De começo, a história tem muito a vibe das histórias de tribunais do Demolidor. Eu até estranhei esse tipo de trama com o Batman, mas o desenvolvimento torna toda a situação interessante. Após o Bruce passar pelo término com a Mulher Gato e ser rejeitado no altar, ele passa por outra situação traumática, abalando-o de maneira que ele fica depressivo, com raiva e com pensamentos irracionais.
Com isso, ele investiga 3 assassinatos que sugerem a culpa do Senhor Frio, mas com seus pensamentos nebulosos, ele comete atos exacerbados, e por isso começa a advogar no juri em questionamento ao Batman.
É muito interessante essa perspectiva do Bruce tentar quebrar o paradigma do Batman perfeito na visão da população que ele salva, enquanto ele sabe a maneira como o Batman age e o quão quebrado ele está.
Em sequência, temos uma história one-shot do Batman com o Dick Grayson, que trabalha a humanidade do Batman em relação a influência que o Dick teve e ainda tem na vida de Bruce, servindo também para mostrar como eles são diferentes no quesito personalidade.
Por fim, temos um arco envolvendo o vilão KGBesta, que surge no run do Tom King fazendo referência direta à história 10 noites da Besta, em que o Batman deixou o antagonista trancado para morrer.
Esse arco do KGBesta possui 3 partes, e nele, temos o Batman sofrendo mais uma perda, fazendo com que o personagem fique ainda mais revoltado e deprimido.
Ao final da trama, além da referência ao passado do embate entre o Homem Morcego e o vilão, temos a menção de que tudo que está acontecendo com o Batman desde o começo da fase do Tom King, é um plano maior, orquestrado por uma figura que está tentando quebrar o Batman de todas as maneiras possíveis.
A trama, embora também trabalhe a psique e a humanidade do homem morcego, como outros volumes do roteirista, esse encadernado se destaca por toda a narrativa construída para trabalhar a figura do Batman sendo colocada em xeque: ele é apenas um humano ou é um Deus?
Esse questionamento surge após o Bruce Wayne ser inserido em um juri popular que votará na condenação ou não do Senhor Frio.
De começo, a história tem muito a vibe das histórias de tribunais do Demolidor. Eu até estranhei esse tipo de trama com o Batman, mas o desenvolvimento torna toda a situação interessante. Após o Bruce passar pelo término com a Mulher Gato e ser rejeitado no altar, ele passa por outra situação traumática, abalando-o de maneira que ele fica depressivo, com raiva e com pensamentos irracionais.
Com isso, ele investiga 3 assassinatos que sugerem a culpa do Senhor Frio, mas com seus pensamentos nebulosos, ele comete atos exacerbados, e por isso começa a advogar no juri em questionamento ao Batman.
É muito interessante essa perspectiva do Bruce tentar quebrar o paradigma do Batman perfeito na visão da população que ele salva, enquanto ele sabe a maneira como o Batman age e o quão quebrado ele está.
Em sequência, temos uma história one-shot do Batman com o Dick Grayson, que trabalha a humanidade do Batman em relação a influência que o Dick teve e ainda tem na vida de Bruce, servindo também para mostrar como eles são diferentes no quesito personalidade.
Por fim, temos um arco envolvendo o vilão KGBesta, que surge no run do Tom King fazendo referência direta à história 10 noites da Besta, em que o Batman deixou o antagonista trancado para morrer.
Esse arco do KGBesta possui 3 partes, e nele, temos o Batman sofrendo mais uma perda, fazendo com que o personagem fique ainda mais revoltado e deprimido.
Ao final da trama, além da referência ao passado do embate entre o Homem Morcego e o vilão, temos a menção de que tudo que está acontecendo com o Batman desde o começo da fase do Tom King, é um plano maior, orquestrado por uma figura que está tentando quebrar o Batman de todas as maneiras possíveis.
February 8, 2019
You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.
With every volume released, Tom King continues to show his visionary artistic story-telling talents that gradually rely heavily on artwork rather words to tell a compelling story. His particular style draws a lot of critical attention nowadays, but with each volume, he continues to prove that there is plenty of room for his rendition of the iconic hero’s personality, rogue gallery and lore. Although the ending of the previous volume left a sour taste in many fan’s mouths, it was only a matter of time before he came back strong to build upon the foundation he set and explore the one thing that has always set the difference between Batman and the rest of the heroes in the DC universe: his emotions. Complex and intangible, Bruce Wayne has always had a subtle and fragile side to him, heavily guarded with bullet-proof vests and impenetrable armour. It’s now time for him to break free and embrace his emotions.
What is Batman: Cold Days about? Collecting issues #51-57, this 8th volume of Tom King’s canonical Dark Knight run contains three distinct story arcs. First, teaming up with Lee Weeks to deliver a stunning and beautiful three-issue story, Cold Days explores the aftermath of the tragic ending in Batman: The Wedding. Tom King thus puts the billionaire playboy on jury duty on a Mr. Freeze court case involving the mysterious murder of three women. Followed with a one-issue story, The Better Man, with the help of artist Matt Wagner, Tom King explores the complex relationship between Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson, the original dynamic duo, by brilliantly mirroring two narrative, one where Bruce Wayne helps Dick Grayson following the devastating incident revolving around the latter’s parents, and the other with Dick Grayson helping Bruce Wayne deal with his emotions following the unfortunate incident at the altar. Finally, Beasts of Burden is a three-issue story, with the assistance of artist Tony S. Daniel, that continues to put Dick Grayson (Nightwing) at the heart of events as a professional and deadly Russian villain throws a curveball at Batman and launches him on a furious hunt for vengeance.
The first story arc, Cold Days, was an unexpected, introspective and beautiful surprise. With Elizabeth Breitweiser’s unique colouring in a hue that elevates Lee Weeks exquisite art style, the story serves as an exploration of Batman’s mythos, how he is perceived by citizens and if this perception rhymes with Gotham’s reality. The fact that Bruce Wayne is still dwelling in the nerve-wracking aftermath of the previous volume’s events, this story was the perfect follow-up to look at what it is like for the world’s greatest detective to finally know what happiness is all about and then having it stripped away in the blink of an eye.
The second story arc, The Better Man, is a quick, efficient and powerful look at the pseudo-father-son-relationship between Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson. Matt Wagner’s artwork, however, seemed like a hair in a soup as it isn’t of the same caliber as Lee Weeks’ in the previous story arc or Tony S. Daniel’s in the following story arc. The story remains top-notch in giving us a tear-inducing and heart-warming look at the two heroes intricate bond.
The final story arc, Beasts of Burden, is a stunning and exquisite story that is exponentially beautified by Tony S. Daniel’s artistic talents as it brings to life one of the slickest and most intense hunt in Batman’s vigilante career. With the return of non-glossy paper, his artwork shines with an incredible aura, thanks not only to Tomeu Morey’s colouring, but also to Tom King’s incredibly minimalist writing that particularly sums up to grunts and persistent repetition. The grunts hold however an emotional significance in this story in particular and convey the anger that fuels the Dark Knight. Tom King also takes this opportunity to develop a villain that was never truly taken seriously and gives us a beautiful look at him through incredible nine-panel grids and full-blown splash pages.
With each of these stories, Tom King proves that there’s much more to Batman than brooding and heavily gazing at thugs as he beats them effortlessly—although there’s plenty of that. His exploration of the Dark Knight’s emotions with little words is bewildering and his visionary take of the character continues to grow in the right direction with original ideas that focuses on the psychology of individuals and their intimate, personal growth through adversity.
Batman: Cold Days is an impressive collection of dazzling stories that deals with Bruce Wayne’s emotional struggles as he lingers in despair following back-to-back tragedies.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
With every volume released, Tom King continues to show his visionary artistic story-telling talents that gradually rely heavily on artwork rather words to tell a compelling story. His particular style draws a lot of critical attention nowadays, but with each volume, he continues to prove that there is plenty of room for his rendition of the iconic hero’s personality, rogue gallery and lore. Although the ending of the previous volume left a sour taste in many fan’s mouths, it was only a matter of time before he came back strong to build upon the foundation he set and explore the one thing that has always set the difference between Batman and the rest of the heroes in the DC universe: his emotions. Complex and intangible, Bruce Wayne has always had a subtle and fragile side to him, heavily guarded with bullet-proof vests and impenetrable armour. It’s now time for him to break free and embrace his emotions.
What is Batman: Cold Days about? Collecting issues #51-57, this 8th volume of Tom King’s canonical Dark Knight run contains three distinct story arcs. First, teaming up with Lee Weeks to deliver a stunning and beautiful three-issue story, Cold Days explores the aftermath of the tragic ending in Batman: The Wedding. Tom King thus puts the billionaire playboy on jury duty on a Mr. Freeze court case involving the mysterious murder of three women. Followed with a one-issue story, The Better Man, with the help of artist Matt Wagner, Tom King explores the complex relationship between Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson, the original dynamic duo, by brilliantly mirroring two narrative, one where Bruce Wayne helps Dick Grayson following the devastating incident revolving around the latter’s parents, and the other with Dick Grayson helping Bruce Wayne deal with his emotions following the unfortunate incident at the altar. Finally, Beasts of Burden is a three-issue story, with the assistance of artist Tony S. Daniel, that continues to put Dick Grayson (Nightwing) at the heart of events as a professional and deadly Russian villain throws a curveball at Batman and launches him on a furious hunt for vengeance.
The first story arc, Cold Days, was an unexpected, introspective and beautiful surprise. With Elizabeth Breitweiser’s unique colouring in a hue that elevates Lee Weeks exquisite art style, the story serves as an exploration of Batman’s mythos, how he is perceived by citizens and if this perception rhymes with Gotham’s reality. The fact that Bruce Wayne is still dwelling in the nerve-wracking aftermath of the previous volume’s events, this story was the perfect follow-up to look at what it is like for the world’s greatest detective to finally know what happiness is all about and then having it stripped away in the blink of an eye.
The second story arc, The Better Man, is a quick, efficient and powerful look at the pseudo-father-son-relationship between Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson. Matt Wagner’s artwork, however, seemed like a hair in a soup as it isn’t of the same caliber as Lee Weeks’ in the previous story arc or Tony S. Daniel’s in the following story arc. The story remains top-notch in giving us a tear-inducing and heart-warming look at the two heroes intricate bond.
The final story arc, Beasts of Burden, is a stunning and exquisite story that is exponentially beautified by Tony S. Daniel’s artistic talents as it brings to life one of the slickest and most intense hunt in Batman’s vigilante career. With the return of non-glossy paper, his artwork shines with an incredible aura, thanks not only to Tomeu Morey’s colouring, but also to Tom King’s incredibly minimalist writing that particularly sums up to grunts and persistent repetition. The grunts hold however an emotional significance in this story in particular and convey the anger that fuels the Dark Knight. Tom King also takes this opportunity to develop a villain that was never truly taken seriously and gives us a beautiful look at him through incredible nine-panel grids and full-blown splash pages.
With each of these stories, Tom King proves that there’s much more to Batman than brooding and heavily gazing at thugs as he beats them effortlessly—although there’s plenty of that. His exploration of the Dark Knight’s emotions with little words is bewildering and his visionary take of the character continues to grow in the right direction with original ideas that focuses on the psychology of individuals and their intimate, personal growth through adversity.
Batman: Cold Days is an impressive collection of dazzling stories that deals with Bruce Wayne’s emotional struggles as he lingers in despair following back-to-back tragedies.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
January 5, 2019
Another episodic collection. In one arc, Bruce Wayne bribes his way onto a jury so he can poke some holes in the case, largely developed by Batman, against Mr. Freeze. Why? He has his reasons. Then there's a nice Bruce Wayne-Dick Grayson centric issue, focusing on their relationship over the years, with Dick trying to snap Bruce out of his post-(near) wedding depression. And then another arc featuring the KGBeast, hired to shoot (kill? we don't know yet by the end of the volume) Nightwing. One of the best things King has done is to humanize Bruce Wayne/Batman and get him to lighten up a bit, admit he cares for his friends and the relationships that are important to him. And boy does this volume do that, in spades. Excellent artwork throughout from Lee Weeks, Matt Wagner, and Tony S. Daniel. This was a run that, I'll admit, took me some time to warm up to. But it's really paying off now and, hopefully, Tom King will stick around for awhile.
November 9, 2018
I received this from Edelweiss and DC Comics in exchange for an honest review.
Another great look at Batman's psyche through a court case a la Twelve Angry Men, flashbacks from Dick's early times in the Wayne Manor, and on the hunt for a surprising assassin.
I really like the way Tom King is digging deep into the character of Batman: he's no longer "just" the world's greatest detective, but a man who is carrying some deep-seated pain, grief, and probably some PTSD, too.
The artwork was fantastic, and the shocking change of the style in the middle of the book actually added to the flashback, too. Can't wait to see where this goes next!
Another great look at Batman's psyche through a court case a la Twelve Angry Men, flashbacks from Dick's early times in the Wayne Manor, and on the hunt for a surprising assassin.
I really like the way Tom King is digging deep into the character of Batman: he's no longer "just" the world's greatest detective, but a man who is carrying some deep-seated pain, grief, and probably some PTSD, too.
The artwork was fantastic, and the shocking change of the style in the middle of the book actually added to the flashback, too. Can't wait to see where this goes next!
October 16, 2025
Just finished Batman Vol. 8: Cold Days — one of Tom King’s best arcs. Bruce Wayne sits on a jury for a man Batman himself put behind bars, forcing him to face the cracks in his own judgment. What starts as a quiet courtroom drama turns into a reckoning with faith, guilt, and identity.
After the heartbreak of The Wedding, Dick Grayson steps in to help Bruce cope — their banter brings a little light back into the Batcave, reminding you why their bond matters. But beneath it all, you can feel Bruce unraveling. By the end, he completely loses control, and it hits like a gut punch.
A brilliant mix of introspection, tension, and raw emotion — cold, painful, and unforgettable. My only negative is I still kind of expected a wedding but we didn’t go there at all… but rating this on what it is instead of what it isn’t…. And this was 4.25 stars for me, a great arc…
After the heartbreak of The Wedding, Dick Grayson steps in to help Bruce cope — their banter brings a little light back into the Batcave, reminding you why their bond matters. But beneath it all, you can feel Bruce unraveling. By the end, he completely loses control, and it hits like a gut punch.
A brilliant mix of introspection, tension, and raw emotion — cold, painful, and unforgettable. My only negative is I still kind of expected a wedding but we didn’t go there at all… but rating this on what it is instead of what it isn’t…. And this was 4.25 stars for me, a great arc…
November 6, 2018
This is my first graphic novel and I really enjoyed it. Batman is my first cartoon superhero I was watching as a kid.
The graphics are amazing.
The graphics are amazing.
February 10, 2019
"God is above us. And he wears a cape."
This series started/went from an interesting Bat-title, to my one and only. If Tom King ever moves on from Batman, I riot.
Now that I've said my peace, this was a bat-tastic volume.
Cold Days is an amazing storyline with gorgeous art done by Lee Weeks and color by Elizabeth Breitweiser.
There were a million and one times while reading this that I would shout out its brilliance.
Tom King puts Bruce Wayne on a Batman trial. No, Bruce Wayne puts Bruce Wayne on a Batman trial. And it's just f***ing brilliant.
At first, I thought, how brilliant, Bruce Wayne is trying to sway the jury against Batman to further cement his secret identity... He'll "let them" change his mind, and then Freeze will go away with the Guilty verdict at the end.
But then. But then Tom King is just so much cleverer than that!
...
(Gordon & Dick <3)
Batman is broken after Vol 7 (The Wedding), and Cold Days is him trying to right a wrong.
The marriage of script and art in this volume is really a thing of beauty. Bruce Wayne's reactions in the courtroom really lead me to believe Freeze was Guilty. But his frown and averted gaze held more depth and meaning revealed by later pages. And then. And then Bruce Wayne sways the jury.
It's rare to see Bruce/Batman so raw and vulnerable. Cold Days is a little bit of Batman on trial too.
Bruce spends his time in the juror room trying to prove Batman's humanity.
"He's not God. He's not. He tries... He does... I know. And he fails, and he tries again. ... God blesses your soul with grace. Batman punches people in the face."
The enormity of Bruce/Batman's raw emotions on the page was just staggering. He bares his soul to the jury -telling them about his parents, his recent heartbreak, his hell, and his faith in Batman...
And then he asks the jury to save Batman. To save him.
...
God blesses your soul with grace. Batman punches people in the face.
I didn't like the art in the The Better Man...it looked somehow fuzzy? But I'm a huge Dick Grayson fan, so fuzzy art aside, I love that Dick is home (with a hug, of course!) to be there for Bruce. This story is very sweet and heartfelt, jumping back and forth between current Batman and Nightwing and past Bruce and newly adopted Dick.
The next few issues are bonkers.
Let's start with some levity from Dick:
"...And the Dynamic Duo. What do you say, Batman? Ready for some fun?!"
Batman: "No."
I knew this was coming. It was spoiled for me a while ago, but damn if that didn't hurt.
The shot was jarring and shocking and the follow up is angsty and full of righteous rage. I loved the page of Batman walking through the snow the radio bubbles from Alfred all faded and cutting out.
Batman finds KGBeast and the last issue of this book is bonkers. Each page or two is cut with a colorful children's tale with a fox a bunny and other animals. So you have one page of Batman fighting & bloody fists, and the next page with bright colors and a squirrel, etc. It ends up being a super violent and morbid story, and the back and forth is super intense. The last page is a real kicker.
I can't wait until vol. 9 to find out what happens... I'll read the single issues until I can pre-order the next book on Amazon. It's that good.
5 stars for an amazing, rich, and heartbreaking Batman book.
This book's only flaw is that they switched the paper from glossy to matte and changed the spine design which really f**ks with my bookshelf OCD btw.
This series started/went from an interesting Bat-title, to my one and only. If Tom King ever moves on from Batman, I riot.
Now that I've said my peace, this was a bat-tastic volume.
Cold Days is an amazing storyline with gorgeous art done by Lee Weeks and color by Elizabeth Breitweiser.
There were a million and one times while reading this that I would shout out its brilliance.
Tom King puts Bruce Wayne on a Batman trial. No, Bruce Wayne puts Bruce Wayne on a Batman trial. And it's just f***ing brilliant.
At first, I thought, how brilliant, Bruce Wayne is trying to sway the jury against Batman to further cement his secret identity... He'll "let them" change his mind, and then Freeze will go away with the Guilty verdict at the end.
But then. But then Tom King is just so much cleverer than that!
...
(Gordon & Dick <3)
Batman is broken after Vol 7 (The Wedding), and Cold Days is him trying to right a wrong.
The marriage of script and art in this volume is really a thing of beauty. Bruce Wayne's reactions in the courtroom really lead me to believe Freeze was Guilty. But his frown and averted gaze held more depth and meaning revealed by later pages. And then. And then Bruce Wayne sways the jury.
It's rare to see Bruce/Batman so raw and vulnerable. Cold Days is a little bit of Batman on trial too.
Bruce spends his time in the juror room trying to prove Batman's humanity.
"He's not God. He's not. He tries... He does... I know. And he fails, and he tries again. ... God blesses your soul with grace. Batman punches people in the face."
The enormity of Bruce/Batman's raw emotions on the page was just staggering. He bares his soul to the jury -telling them about his parents, his recent heartbreak, his hell, and his faith in Batman...
And then he asks the jury to save Batman. To save him.
...
God blesses your soul with grace. Batman punches people in the face.
I didn't like the art in the The Better Man...it looked somehow fuzzy? But I'm a huge Dick Grayson fan, so fuzzy art aside, I love that Dick is home (with a hug, of course!) to be there for Bruce. This story is very sweet and heartfelt, jumping back and forth between current Batman and Nightwing and past Bruce and newly adopted Dick.
The next few issues are bonkers.
Let's start with some levity from Dick:
"...And the Dynamic Duo. What do you say, Batman? Ready for some fun?!"
Batman: "No."
I knew this was coming. It was spoiled for me a while ago, but damn if that didn't hurt.
The shot was jarring and shocking and the follow up is angsty and full of righteous rage. I loved the page of Batman walking through the snow the radio bubbles from Alfred all faded and cutting out.
Batman finds KGBeast and the last issue of this book is bonkers. Each page or two is cut with a colorful children's tale with a fox a bunny and other animals. So you have one page of Batman fighting & bloody fists, and the next page with bright colors and a squirrel, etc. It ends up being a super violent and morbid story, and the back and forth is super intense. The last page is a real kicker.
I can't wait until vol. 9 to find out what happens... I'll read the single issues until I can pre-order the next book on Amazon. It's that good.
5 stars for an amazing, rich, and heartbreaking Batman book.
This book's only flaw is that they switched the paper from glossy to matte and changed the spine design which really f**ks with my bookshelf OCD btw.
January 5, 2022
This was a rather interesting volume..
We see Bruce as he is on Jury duty on the trial of Mr Freeze and well its an interesting case as his alter ego turned the villain in but after listening to Freeze, Bruce thinks he is not guilty and well the drama starts there as we follow Bruce trying to argue with Jurors that Freeze is not guilty and Batman may have coerced into saying him that and well the fallout of wedding and the drama and that "one bad day" and that "Batman isn't god, he is fallible" and all that and King does well with it showing the psychology of Batman and tries to make him more human and some people might not like it but it makes for an interesting storyline showing that Bruce isn't Inhuman.
But then again we see him teamup with Nightwing as they go after some small time villains and well the banter between them feels like from the 60s and its interesting ad then finally what happens to Dick changes so many things and we see Batman vs KGBeast and its brutal and emotional and Batman wears it right on the face and his angry-ness is on next level and it changes so many things for sure. So yeah this volume was a lot of fun psychological exploration as well as emotional fallout and a big status quo to one of the central DC characters. And the art is good really!
We see Bruce as he is on Jury duty on the trial of Mr Freeze and well its an interesting case as his alter ego turned the villain in but after listening to Freeze, Bruce thinks he is not guilty and well the drama starts there as we follow Bruce trying to argue with Jurors that Freeze is not guilty and Batman may have coerced into saying him that and well the fallout of wedding and the drama and that "one bad day" and that "Batman isn't god, he is fallible" and all that and King does well with it showing the psychology of Batman and tries to make him more human and some people might not like it but it makes for an interesting storyline showing that Bruce isn't Inhuman.
But then again we see him teamup with Nightwing as they go after some small time villains and well the banter between them feels like from the 60s and its interesting ad then finally what happens to Dick changes so many things and we see Batman vs KGBeast and its brutal and emotional and Batman wears it right on the face and his angry-ness is on next level and it changes so many things for sure. So yeah this volume was a lot of fun psychological exploration as well as emotional fallout and a big status quo to one of the central DC characters. And the art is good really!
December 20, 2018
Now we’re supposedly halfway through Tom King’s 100-issue run, where does the writer take the Dark Knight after stripping away his last shred of happiness? In the first story arc of this volume, Bruce Wayne is called to serve on the jury for the trial of Mr. Freeze, who is accused of murdering three women for the purpose of experimentation to save his wife.
Please click here for my full review.
Please click here for my full review.
October 23, 2018
The first story is a straight ripoff of 12 Angry Men, except much less clever. The next story involves some BFF action between Bruce and Dick, and is much better.
February 22, 2019
Overwrought, mopey, moral-equivalency bullshite.
December 28, 2018
First, jury duty for Bruce Wayne calls all of his escapades as Batman into question, and could mean the difference between a lifetime of incarceration for Victor Fries or freedom. Then, tragedy strikes the Bat-Family as one of their own falls prey to the KGBeast, and Batman will stop at nothing to get revenge.
Whatever you think about Batman #50, the aftermath of the Wedding is front and centre in this volume as Batman's broken heart forces him to deal with his feelings in all of the worst ways. The titular Cold Days storyline in the first few issues is a prime example, and it's nothing like anything else Tom King has done with the character so far. The dual narratives between Bruce and the Batman keep you guessing right to the last minute, and really put the focus on the idea that maybe, just maybe, Batman isn't as infallible as he wants everyone to think. King's Elmer Fudd collaborator Lee Weeks pops in for these issues, and he's a superb fit for the series - I wish he'd show up a little more often.
Issue 54 is mostly told in flashbacks, putting the spotlight on Dick and Bruce's relationship just in time for tragedy to strike in issue 55. Matt Wagner (of Mage fame) pencils this issue, but it's mostly just 'okay' - if it wasn't for what happened afterwards, this issue would feel super out of place, really. However the KGBeast story in issues 55-57 is a complete 180 from the rest of Cold Days, so 54 works as a nice pivot issue in the middle, and helps ensure that the two stories feel even more different. 55-57 show us the vicious side of Batman, and it's again a testament to how much he's hurting that he'd go this far, even to avenge someone he loves as much as Dick. Tony Daniel returns for these three issues; I think he's caught the Tom King bug, since this is the second arc of his in the space of 10 issues.
Cold Days is an unexpected delight, showcasing parts of Batman's psyche that we don't get to see very often; King puts Bruce under the microscope in many different ways here, exploring elements of the character that rarely get exposed. King's character work is second to none, and that's what makes his Batman run so damn special.
Whatever you think about Batman #50, the aftermath of the Wedding is front and centre in this volume as Batman's broken heart forces him to deal with his feelings in all of the worst ways. The titular Cold Days storyline in the first few issues is a prime example, and it's nothing like anything else Tom King has done with the character so far. The dual narratives between Bruce and the Batman keep you guessing right to the last minute, and really put the focus on the idea that maybe, just maybe, Batman isn't as infallible as he wants everyone to think. King's Elmer Fudd collaborator Lee Weeks pops in for these issues, and he's a superb fit for the series - I wish he'd show up a little more often.
Issue 54 is mostly told in flashbacks, putting the spotlight on Dick and Bruce's relationship just in time for tragedy to strike in issue 55. Matt Wagner (of Mage fame) pencils this issue, but it's mostly just 'okay' - if it wasn't for what happened afterwards, this issue would feel super out of place, really. However the KGBeast story in issues 55-57 is a complete 180 from the rest of Cold Days, so 54 works as a nice pivot issue in the middle, and helps ensure that the two stories feel even more different. 55-57 show us the vicious side of Batman, and it's again a testament to how much he's hurting that he'd go this far, even to avenge someone he loves as much as Dick. Tony Daniel returns for these three issues; I think he's caught the Tom King bug, since this is the second arc of his in the space of 10 issues.
Cold Days is an unexpected delight, showcasing parts of Batman's psyche that we don't get to see very often; King puts Bruce under the microscope in many different ways here, exploring elements of the character that rarely get exposed. King's character work is second to none, and that's what makes his Batman run so damn special.
March 1, 2022
In this volume, Bruce Wayne sits on a Jury to judge Mister Freeze for a possible trio of murders committed. However, in his analysis of the case, he has to come face to face with a person who he realizes is not infallible.... Batman.
After the events of the previous volume, specifically the fact that Catwoman left him high and dry at the altar, Batman is a bit out of sorts. And it's not explicitly stated by Tom King, but instead shown to us by Bruce's fits of anger and anxiety. But he has been called to this jury to perform a duty. And that duty is important to him as not only a crime fighter, but as a person in general. The secret of course, is that he knows "Batman" is not in the best state of mind. So maybe he did miss something, maybe there's more to the picture, maybe Batman jumped to conclusions. It's an interesting analysis on Bruce Wayne's fractured psyche, as well as a great way of showing his analytical mind and how it compartmentalizes and works overall.
This leads into another story about the KGBeast and how Batman tracks him down after Nightwing is shot one night while Batman and him are on patrol. He goes to the ends of the Earth to find him, through dangerous cold and snow, just to accomplish his task. And again, King, without saying it, shows us that at this point, Batman is a bit unhinged. His task is on the verge of a death wish, but that makes him all the more dangerous.
I like the direction that King is taking the book, where it's a bit less action heavy (though there is still a good amount of action), but its more of a psychological study on Batman and more so - Bruce Wayne.
Oh and I'd be remiss to not mention the art by Lee Weeks. He's quickly becoming one of my favorite artists working nowadays. His style is very reminiscent of a style from the 70's or 80s, however with a modern feel to it overall. And it works so amazing well for the tone that King is going for. I hope he stays on the title for a bit, cause I think it just works so well with Weeks.
This is a great volume of Batman. If you are a fan of King's run up until now, this is a must read.
After the events of the previous volume, specifically the fact that Catwoman left him high and dry at the altar, Batman is a bit out of sorts. And it's not explicitly stated by Tom King, but instead shown to us by Bruce's fits of anger and anxiety. But he has been called to this jury to perform a duty. And that duty is important to him as not only a crime fighter, but as a person in general. The secret of course, is that he knows "Batman" is not in the best state of mind. So maybe he did miss something, maybe there's more to the picture, maybe Batman jumped to conclusions. It's an interesting analysis on Bruce Wayne's fractured psyche, as well as a great way of showing his analytical mind and how it compartmentalizes and works overall.
This leads into another story about the KGBeast and how Batman tracks him down after Nightwing is shot one night while Batman and him are on patrol. He goes to the ends of the Earth to find him, through dangerous cold and snow, just to accomplish his task. And again, King, without saying it, shows us that at this point, Batman is a bit unhinged. His task is on the verge of a death wish, but that makes him all the more dangerous.
I like the direction that King is taking the book, where it's a bit less action heavy (though there is still a good amount of action), but its more of a psychological study on Batman and more so - Bruce Wayne.
Oh and I'd be remiss to not mention the art by Lee Weeks. He's quickly becoming one of my favorite artists working nowadays. His style is very reminiscent of a style from the 70's or 80s, however with a modern feel to it overall. And it works so amazing well for the tone that King is going for. I hope he stays on the title for a bit, cause I think it just works so well with Weeks.
This is a great volume of Batman. If you are a fan of King's run up until now, this is a must read.
February 10, 2019
Okay I am just going to say it! I am not a fan of Tom King's version of Batman. I much preferred Scot Snyder's take. That does not mean I do not acknowledge that King is a skill writer and that up until this point I really enjoyed most of the stories. Its just that King's Batman is too vulnerable and unsure of who he is. This would be find and dandy if we were looking at an early career Batman not to mention Batman acts totally different in other DC comics titles written by Peter Tomasi, Bryan Hill, Christopher Priest and of course Batman's appearances in Justice League by Scott Snyder. The story in this volume sees Bruce aka Batman recovering from Catwoman leaving him at the altar for their supposed marriage. Which still angered me so much. In this book Bruce is not only second guessing himself as Batman but as a juror in a Mr, Freeze murder case he sets out to prove that his alter ego has made a mistake in believing Freeze committed the murder of three innocent women. I enjoyed the dialogue and artwork on this story but was not happy with the position King makes with Batman. I am of the idea that it would be crazy for Batman to not believe in a divine God since he has fought demons, mythological beings, New gods , and other supernatural beings. King writes Batman as if he exist in his own corner of the DC Universe without acknowledging the rest of the universe. But to me the story that hurt this book the most is the KGBeast story. I am really sick and tire of when ever Dick Grayson aka Nightwing gets a great story teller his progress gets hurt by what a Batman writer decides to do with him. Its funny in a way because Tom King wrote Grayson when he was a spy for Spyral. So I do not want to spoil this book but something happens to Nightwing that has huge ramifications for the character. In short Tom King on Batman is starting to annoy me but I will give him a chance in the next volume. This book was not bad but is as not great either.
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