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Batman (2016) (Single Issues) #45-57
Batman: The Rebirth Deluxe Edition, Book 4
The day has finally arrived: the nuptials of Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle. But the Bat and the Cat must undergo even more trials and tribulations before they walk down the aisle! Then, Bruce Wayne gets selected for jury duty in a chilling court case involving Mr. Freeze, forcing Bruce and the rest of the jury to take a hard look at the Dark Knight’s methods. And why is Dick Grayson running around the city dressed as Batman? Collects BATMAN #45-57 and a story from DC NATION #0.
339 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 9, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
March 19, 2020
Tohle se hrozně špatně hodnotí, ale začneme knihou jako takovou. DC přešlo ke změně Takže v názvu nenajdeme Rebirth a je prostě poznat, že to je jiný. Designově jsou tu prvky které jsou oproti předchozím třem deluxkám úplně jiné (jako třeba černý hřbet dust jacketu). Ale Oukej, černý hřbet ještě přežiju, ale ta kvalita stránek? V předchozích dílech byl kvalitní pevný papír a tady jsme dostali solidní toaleťák (což se v tuto situaci hodí) kde stránky prosvítají.
Ale fajn po prvotním naštvání jsem nad tím mávl rukou a začal číst. Hned po prvním sešitu to byl zase starej dobrej Tom King pro kterého mám obří slabost a kterej mě neskutečně baví. Opět hraje skvělou hru kdy se rýpe v postavách a já se bavím takže si říkám, že ta svatba snad nemůže být tak zlá jak se říká? Oh jak já se přetězce mýlil. Tak těžkej bullshit jsem hodně dlouho nečetl a připomnělo mi to bolestivé čtení Konce hry od Snydera. Nevěřím tomu, že King vyplodil tak těžký hovno protože to je naprostá tragédie. Na tohle budu chtít co nejdřív zapomenout, "svatba století" kterou jsme neviděli je peklo a absolutně nikomu ho nepřeju.
Po pachuti z Batsvatby jsem se těžce vracel k dalšímu čtení. A Cold Days s Freezem je zase příšerný, je mi sice jasný co tím King myslel ale já doufal, že směřování příběhu bude po svatbě jiné. Po přetrpěných třech sešitech Cold Days přišel starý dobrý King. Kooperace s Nightwingem mě hrozně bavila stejně jako finále s KGBeastem který má velmi dobrou atmosféru.
Sorry ale zprzněný vydání, hrozná svatba a Cold Days mě nutí hodnocení dát výrazně niž než bych si přál. Má to své skvělé momenty ale ty horší byly tak hrozný, že to tomu prostě neodpustím.
Ale fajn po prvotním naštvání jsem nad tím mávl rukou a začal číst. Hned po prvním sešitu to byl zase starej dobrej Tom King pro kterého mám obří slabost a kterej mě neskutečně baví. Opět hraje skvělou hru kdy se rýpe v postavách a já se bavím takže si říkám, že ta svatba snad nemůže být tak zlá jak se říká? Oh jak já se přetězce mýlil. Tak těžkej bullshit jsem hodně dlouho nečetl a připomnělo mi to bolestivé čtení Konce hry od Snydera. Nevěřím tomu, že King vyplodil tak těžký hovno protože to je naprostá tragédie. Na tohle budu chtít co nejdřív zapomenout, "svatba století" kterou jsme neviděli je peklo a absolutně nikomu ho nepřeju.
Po pachuti z Batsvatby jsem se těžce vracel k dalšímu čtení. A Cold Days s Freezem je zase příšerný, je mi sice jasný co tím King myslel ale já doufal, že směřování příběhu bude po svatbě jiné. Po přetrpěných třech sešitech Cold Days přišel starý dobrý King. Kooperace s Nightwingem mě hrozně bavila stejně jako finále s KGBeastem který má velmi dobrou atmosféru.
Sorry ale zprzněný vydání, hrozná svatba a Cold Days mě nutí hodnocení dát výrazně niž než bych si přál. Má to své skvělé momenty ale ty horší byly tak hrozný, že to tomu prostě neodpustím.
December 20, 2024
Another solid volume of Batman from Tom King, with some great moments and great art throughout. Not quite as good as the previous 2 I don't think. The second half is better than the first. We had to go through the wedding and it not actually change the status quo to get to the stuff that's more important and the stuff Tom King wanted to write more: Bruce dealing with his feelings and shit. Also - Dick Grayson. Without spoiling but what the hell? You're going to leave me hanging?
May 24, 2025
“Ladies…Ladies and gentlemen, when I…
I…
When I was TEN years old, a man killed my mother and father.
We were coming home from the movies, and we went down this alley. He had a gun. Father yelled something. And he shot my Father.
Then he tried pulling a necklace from Mother. He got tangled. He shot her.
I WATCHED. He ran. I went down on my knees.
I screamed.
That moment. That FEAR. That SCREAM. I was SO scared. And he RAN. And he was GONE. And they took me AWAY. And I got older. I was tried and tested.
I’ve been on the VERY top. I’ve been as HAPPY as a man can be. I’ve had the GREATEST joys. The greatest FRIENDS. I’ve had VICTORIES, and I’ve had…LOVE.
And then…SOMETHING happens. You LOSE something or…someone or…
And there it is again. I’m THERE again. Mother’s tangled. Father’s yelling.
I’m ten and I’m on my damn knees. And I’m scared out of my damn mind.
And feeling THAT, I say…I BECOME…something, I DO things…
I am not…I AM myself. But I’m not sure what I WANT to be or what I SHOULD be.
I’m SCARED. And I’ll do ANYTHING to get out of the fright.”
Listen…idk yall.
These are…pretty fuckin’ good Batman comics.
And I think I’m finally drilling down on the whys and hows of people being nuclear-level Mad Online™️ about these. “The Gift” kinda solidified it completely for me as it was the first time I had ever had read it.
These aren’t like…power fantasy. And that usually makes people uncomfortable when it comes to the Bat God. Doubly so when a writer explicitly acknowledges that’s what people want from these characters and then decidedly works at delivering NOT that. This is absolutely the section where King’s Not That becomes pretty starkly focused, even if it’s wrapped in some continuously stellar artwork (and a thrilling “jam session” in the Wedding issue which still floors me).
Like, Bruce is consistently on the back foot here. He’s beaten and he’s drawn and he’s now utterly heartbroken and now has to still be The World’s Greatest Detective when he just spent the majority of the TWO volumes previously telling Gotham Girl and Catwoman how much being The World’s Greatest Detective DOESNT make him happy.
Like…that fucking rules to me.
And now you have all these stories, aforementioned “Gift”, the joker story (which I really loved; King’s Joker being actually funny is amazing), “Beasts of Burden”, “Cold Days” expressly examining all these elements of Batman and finding them maybe a little wanting? Maybe just enough of a connection to a larger world outside of the mask that absolutely scares the Bat-Hound shit out of Bruce Wayne.
It’s a level of self-examination and introspection you really don’t see in Big Two comics and something, frankly, I kinda thought King wasn’t actually capable of. Him revealing further a sense of humor about HIMSELF and his own style in these comics too just charmed the absolute bells out of me.
Granted, it shouldn’t maybe take 40+ issues of a major market run for me to be “oh, yeah, I’m vibing with them fully now” but that’s the benefit of hindsight, baby. If they stand up, they stand up forever. Color me truly madly deeply shocked 2025 is the year I come around hard for Tom King.
I…
When I was TEN years old, a man killed my mother and father.
We were coming home from the movies, and we went down this alley. He had a gun. Father yelled something. And he shot my Father.
Then he tried pulling a necklace from Mother. He got tangled. He shot her.
I WATCHED. He ran. I went down on my knees.
I screamed.
That moment. That FEAR. That SCREAM. I was SO scared. And he RAN. And he was GONE. And they took me AWAY. And I got older. I was tried and tested.
I’ve been on the VERY top. I’ve been as HAPPY as a man can be. I’ve had the GREATEST joys. The greatest FRIENDS. I’ve had VICTORIES, and I’ve had…LOVE.
And then…SOMETHING happens. You LOSE something or…someone or…
And there it is again. I’m THERE again. Mother’s tangled. Father’s yelling.
I’m ten and I’m on my damn knees. And I’m scared out of my damn mind.
And feeling THAT, I say…I BECOME…something, I DO things…
I am not…I AM myself. But I’m not sure what I WANT to be or what I SHOULD be.
I’m SCARED. And I’ll do ANYTHING to get out of the fright.”
Listen…idk yall.
These are…pretty fuckin’ good Batman comics.
And I think I’m finally drilling down on the whys and hows of people being nuclear-level Mad Online™️ about these. “The Gift” kinda solidified it completely for me as it was the first time I had ever had read it.
These aren’t like…power fantasy. And that usually makes people uncomfortable when it comes to the Bat God. Doubly so when a writer explicitly acknowledges that’s what people want from these characters and then decidedly works at delivering NOT that. This is absolutely the section where King’s Not That becomes pretty starkly focused, even if it’s wrapped in some continuously stellar artwork (and a thrilling “jam session” in the Wedding issue which still floors me).
Like, Bruce is consistently on the back foot here. He’s beaten and he’s drawn and he’s now utterly heartbroken and now has to still be The World’s Greatest Detective when he just spent the majority of the TWO volumes previously telling Gotham Girl and Catwoman how much being The World’s Greatest Detective DOESNT make him happy.
Like…that fucking rules to me.
And now you have all these stories, aforementioned “Gift”, the joker story (which I really loved; King’s Joker being actually funny is amazing), “Beasts of Burden”, “Cold Days” expressly examining all these elements of Batman and finding them maybe a little wanting? Maybe just enough of a connection to a larger world outside of the mask that absolutely scares the Bat-Hound shit out of Bruce Wayne.
It’s a level of self-examination and introspection you really don’t see in Big Two comics and something, frankly, I kinda thought King wasn’t actually capable of. Him revealing further a sense of humor about HIMSELF and his own style in these comics too just charmed the absolute bells out of me.
Granted, it shouldn’t maybe take 40+ issues of a major market run for me to be “oh, yeah, I’m vibing with them fully now” but that’s the benefit of hindsight, baby. If they stand up, they stand up forever. Color me truly madly deeply shocked 2025 is the year I come around hard for Tom King.
August 28, 2019
3.4 Stars
April 8, 2021
I liked this book. Was it the best Batman book ever? No. Why? Because HOW COULD SELINA LEAVE BRUCE ON THEIR WEDDING DAY LIKE THAT!?!?!?!??!?!?!
Anyway, besides that, it had a few weird things about it. Like how Bruce was called Batman(himself) a "god" right after he said he grew up going to church! Or how Joker was being weird in "The Best Man" story. Did they just kill Joker? Then another thing is the only reason this book gets a 4 and not 3 stars: there was a story about Bruce and Dick. The Dynamic Duo! They got to team up in this book. Sadly, I haven't read book 5 yet, so, I hope Dick is still alive.
Now, for last, "the wedding of the century" that never happened. I got why Selina had to leave, Catwoman stuff and they couldn't be happy and stuff, but on their wedding day?! She didn't even say goodbye. She just left him waiting for her, once again, ON THEIR WEDDING DAY!! The day that this series has been setting up since Batman: The Rebirth Deluxe Edition Book 1! Bruce will never be happy. Not in the comics.
Anyway, besides that, it had a few weird things about it. Like how Bruce was called Batman(himself) a "god" right after he said he grew up going to church! Or how Joker was being weird in "The Best Man" story. Did they just kill Joker? Then another thing is the only reason this book gets a 4 and not 3 stars: there was a story about Bruce and Dick. The Dynamic Duo! They got to team up in this book. Sadly, I haven't read book 5 yet, so, I hope Dick is still alive.
Now, for last, "the wedding of the century" that never happened. I got why Selina had to leave, Catwoman stuff and they couldn't be happy and stuff, but on their wedding day?! She didn't even say goodbye. She just left him waiting for her, once again, ON THEIR WEDDING DAY!! The day that this series has been setting up since Batman: The Rebirth Deluxe Edition Book 1! Bruce will never be happy. Not in the comics.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2022
I don't get what the fuss was all about. These are solid Batman stories, and I had no issues with how the whole Batman Catwoman romance played out. I thought it was really sweet. King is at his best when he writes characters that are struggling with inner turmoil instead of responding to external threats. He puts the bat in events that shake him emotionally, allowing him to explore a different side of Batman and Bruce's psychology. One of the best Batman stories i've read in a long time is Cold Days in which Bruce Wayne is serving jury duty and confronts his fellow jury members with an oversight on Batman's part in a case against Mr. Freeze - a process that forces him to reflect on his public image. Lee Weeks art on this perfect in this.
March 11, 2024
Odié tanto tiempo a Tom King porque nos rompió el corazón.
¿Y qué si batman no puede ser batman si no es feliz?
Ya después leyendo más trabajos de King (Mister Miracle, Supergirl, Danger Street, Human Target, Strange Adventures) me quedó claro que es lo que este señor sociópata hace: destruirnos por completo.
Y eso me hizo perdonarlo tantito por este fiasco del BatWedding.
Por eso pasa de 2/5 a 3.5/5
Tampoco es su mejor trabajo, aceptémoslo.
¿Y qué si batman no puede ser batman si no es feliz?
Ya después leyendo más trabajos de King (Mister Miracle, Supergirl, Danger Street, Human Target, Strange Adventures) me quedó claro que es lo que este señor sociópata hace: destruirnos por completo.
Y eso me hizo perdonarlo tantito por este fiasco del BatWedding.
Por eso pasa de 2/5 a 3.5/5
Tampoco es su mejor trabajo, aceptémoslo.
December 12, 2021
3.5? Probably 3.5. Rounded up because some of the art and writing in here are fantastic! Not higher because some of the character beats are so goddamn frustrating!
I like King’s Batman, but hoo boy, sometimes it’s a lot to swallow. I always come back with a lot of appreciation for what he was aiming for in retrospect, but until then, this is a solid 3.5’er.
I like King’s Batman, but hoo boy, sometimes it’s a lot to swallow. I always come back with a lot of appreciation for what he was aiming for in retrospect, but until then, this is a solid 3.5’er.
June 29, 2025
Who at DC do I have to fight?
LET BRUCE AND SELINA GET MARRIED ALREADY
LET BRUCE AND SELINA GET MARRIED ALREADY
August 25, 2020
Como sabrán a esta altura, el run de King en Batman ha sido mi favorito hasta ahora. Si bien no tiene mucho que leo cómics de DC, unos 5 años aproximadamente, Batman ha sido mi personaje favorito y he tratado de leer todo lo icónico del personaje. En ninguna historia había visto a un autor abordar al personaje de manera tan profunda y humana como lo ha hecho King.
Sin embargo el cuarto volumen no me impresionó tanto como los anteriores. King sigue abordando a Bruce/Batman de manera sublime, y en la primera mitad del tomo, lo que corresponde al tomo 7 que incluye el preámbulo y la boda, nos da emociones muy humanas y otras facetas del personaje que no habíamos visto. King nos da la historia "El regalo", conformada por 3 números y es en resumen un Flashpoint pero causado al salvar a Batman. Esta historia es perturbadora, bastante tensa y bastante desgarradora. Nos muestra otras alternativas del futuro del personaje y sigue construyendo sobre las mismas heridas que King ha estado mencionando desde su primer tomo.
Después sigue la historia de dos números "El padrino" en donde vemos el interés de Joker por ser el padrino de la obra. Esta historia es bastante buena, pero creo que es un gran ejemplo de lo que a la gente no le gusta del run de King en Batman. Más allá de una pelea contra el Joker, estos dos números se centran en una larga y tensa conversación entre estos dos enemigos. Muy interesante y sigue construyendo sobre la boda, que si bien parecía el enfoque central del run de King, en esta historia vemos un poco de por qué es central y porque Bruce/Batman busca su propia felicidad y lo que eso podría desencadenar.
De ahí tenemos el polémico pero sublime número "La boda". King muestra por qué es un gran escritor, dándonos un número, personal, íntimo y desgarrador. Si bien King no nos da las razones detrás de la decisión de Catwoman, nos muestra un poco de lo que está sucediendo tras bambalinas y creo que es suficiente para darse cuenta del trabajo impresionante que puso King para planear su historia y que la boda, si bien es la meta de su run, no íbamos a llegar a ella en 50 números.
Tras lo sucedido en la boda viene la historia de tres números "Cold Days". De nuevo una historia muy al estilo King, sin acción de golpes pero con muchos diálogos, muchos simbolismos, mucha psicología y mucho desarrollo del personaje. Es una historia que nos presenta a Bruce Wayne siendo jurado en un juicio de Mr. Freeze contra Batman. Y finalmente, al final de la historia, vemos emociones desgarradoras de Batman. Eso es lo que más disfruto de este run, nunca habíamos visto a un Batman tan vulnerable como este, incluso por ejemplo en historias como Knightfall.
Tenemos posteriormente la historia de un número "Better Man" que nos ayuda a dimensionar la relación entre Bruce y Dick y lo importante que son el uno para el otro. Es muy interesante que esta historia sencilla y sin mucho trasfondo es muy emotiva y te deja con un buen sabor de boca.
Después tenemos la historia de tres números "Beast of Burden" una historia fuerte, pero lamentablemente es el punto más débil de la colección. Suceden muchas cosas que no se tocan más, por ejemplo lo sucedido con Dick Grayson, la razón por la cuál KGBeast se quiere vengar, etc. Y en el último número King introduce un paralelismo muy interesante entre ambos personajes, lamentablemente, no hay verdadero trasfondo entre los dos para que ese paralelismo sea impactante. Si relees las conversaciones entre KGBeast y su papá te darás cuenta que efectivamente los motivos de él y Bruce son muy parecidos, pero no es una relación sencilla ni evidente.
En general si es un tomo fuerte que marca un parteaguas en el run de King. Si bien el autor había abordado las emociones de Bruce/Batman, se marca una línea fuerte que nos grita que la historia se pondrá mucho más oscura, fuerte y emotiva. Incluso que el lomo sea negro en vez de blanco como en los tres volúmenes anteriores, nos da muchas pistas de lo que se viene.
Sin embargo el cuarto volumen no me impresionó tanto como los anteriores. King sigue abordando a Bruce/Batman de manera sublime, y en la primera mitad del tomo, lo que corresponde al tomo 7 que incluye el preámbulo y la boda, nos da emociones muy humanas y otras facetas del personaje que no habíamos visto. King nos da la historia "El regalo", conformada por 3 números y es en resumen un Flashpoint pero causado al salvar a Batman. Esta historia es perturbadora, bastante tensa y bastante desgarradora. Nos muestra otras alternativas del futuro del personaje y sigue construyendo sobre las mismas heridas que King ha estado mencionando desde su primer tomo.
Después sigue la historia de dos números "El padrino" en donde vemos el interés de Joker por ser el padrino de la obra. Esta historia es bastante buena, pero creo que es un gran ejemplo de lo que a la gente no le gusta del run de King en Batman. Más allá de una pelea contra el Joker, estos dos números se centran en una larga y tensa conversación entre estos dos enemigos. Muy interesante y sigue construyendo sobre la boda, que si bien parecía el enfoque central del run de King, en esta historia vemos un poco de por qué es central y porque Bruce/Batman busca su propia felicidad y lo que eso podría desencadenar.
De ahí tenemos el polémico pero sublime número "La boda". King muestra por qué es un gran escritor, dándonos un número, personal, íntimo y desgarrador. Si bien King no nos da las razones detrás de la decisión de Catwoman, nos muestra un poco de lo que está sucediendo tras bambalinas y creo que es suficiente para darse cuenta del trabajo impresionante que puso King para planear su historia y que la boda, si bien es la meta de su run, no íbamos a llegar a ella en 50 números.
Tras lo sucedido en la boda viene la historia de tres números "Cold Days". De nuevo una historia muy al estilo King, sin acción de golpes pero con muchos diálogos, muchos simbolismos, mucha psicología y mucho desarrollo del personaje. Es una historia que nos presenta a Bruce Wayne siendo jurado en un juicio de Mr. Freeze contra Batman. Y finalmente, al final de la historia, vemos emociones desgarradoras de Batman. Eso es lo que más disfruto de este run, nunca habíamos visto a un Batman tan vulnerable como este, incluso por ejemplo en historias como Knightfall.
Tenemos posteriormente la historia de un número "Better Man" que nos ayuda a dimensionar la relación entre Bruce y Dick y lo importante que son el uno para el otro. Es muy interesante que esta historia sencilla y sin mucho trasfondo es muy emotiva y te deja con un buen sabor de boca.
Después tenemos la historia de tres números "Beast of Burden" una historia fuerte, pero lamentablemente es el punto más débil de la colección. Suceden muchas cosas que no se tocan más, por ejemplo lo sucedido con Dick Grayson, la razón por la cuál KGBeast se quiere vengar, etc. Y en el último número King introduce un paralelismo muy interesante entre ambos personajes, lamentablemente, no hay verdadero trasfondo entre los dos para que ese paralelismo sea impactante. Si relees las conversaciones entre KGBeast y su papá te darás cuenta que efectivamente los motivos de él y Bruce son muy parecidos, pero no es una relación sencilla ni evidente.
En general si es un tomo fuerte que marca un parteaguas en el run de King. Si bien el autor había abordado las emociones de Bruce/Batman, se marca una línea fuerte que nos grita que la historia se pondrá mucho más oscura, fuerte y emotiva. Incluso que el lomo sea negro en vez de blanco como en los tres volúmenes anteriores, nos da muchas pistas de lo que se viene.
October 5, 2019
Tom King's long term Batman narrative continues in this hit and miss collection. It is important to note that this deluxe hardcover is the first to have a paper quality that is more in line with the single issue comics. The glossy and higher quality paper is no longer used. This is a major loss and I found the glossier paper added another layer to the gorgeous art that has consistently been produced for this series.
This volume's opening arc is easily one of the worst during King's tenure. The focus is on time traveling Booster Gold and his desire to get a unique present for the Batman/Catwoman narrative. While this arc had some time travel related shocks and I found Booster to be well written, the overall plot was tedious at times with a conclusion that lacked any significant payoff.
Unfortunately the book does not regain its footing with the highly debated wedding. Needless to say thing are not as straightforward as they initially appear. The sequence of events around the wedding are effectively portrayed but a range of former Batman artists.
King regains momentum while effectively demonstrating Batman's damaged psyche after the wedding fallout through the lens of a criminal trial. The villain under investigation is Mister Freeze but the the focus is very much on Bruce Wayne rather than Batman. I thought this added a unique dynamic within the court room setting. The final story arc focus on near death of a major Batfamily character. While King plots an effective build up, having seen the outcome in the media it lacked the emotional impact that was clearly intended.
Through King's run I think he can be commended for taking narrative, stylistic and character risks in ways that differ sharply with the previous run of Scott Schneider. While this type of energy often adds a much appreciated level of unpredictability to the storyline, I find that it does not always maintain momentum.
The long simmering Bane storyline continues at an extremely slow pace with a true conclusion far down the road. Despite this I still find this to be one of the strongest DC books. With King concluding his run soon and transitioning to a Batman/Catwoman limited series I look forward to seeing where the story goes from here. Hopefully DC can keep releasing this in a hardcover format. It appears that most of the DC books are no longer receiving this treatment.
This volume's opening arc is easily one of the worst during King's tenure. The focus is on time traveling Booster Gold and his desire to get a unique present for the Batman/Catwoman narrative. While this arc had some time travel related shocks and I found Booster to be well written, the overall plot was tedious at times with a conclusion that lacked any significant payoff.
Unfortunately the book does not regain its footing with the highly debated wedding. Needless to say thing are not as straightforward as they initially appear. The sequence of events around the wedding are effectively portrayed but a range of former Batman artists.
King regains momentum while effectively demonstrating Batman's damaged psyche after the wedding fallout through the lens of a criminal trial. The villain under investigation is Mister Freeze but the the focus is very much on Bruce Wayne rather than Batman. I thought this added a unique dynamic within the court room setting. The final story arc focus on near death of a major Batfamily character. While King plots an effective build up, having seen the outcome in the media it lacked the emotional impact that was clearly intended.
Through King's run I think he can be commended for taking narrative, stylistic and character risks in ways that differ sharply with the previous run of Scott Schneider. While this type of energy often adds a much appreciated level of unpredictability to the storyline, I find that it does not always maintain momentum.
The long simmering Bane storyline continues at an extremely slow pace with a true conclusion far down the road. Despite this I still find this to be one of the strongest DC books. With King concluding his run soon and transitioning to a Batman/Catwoman limited series I look forward to seeing where the story goes from here. Hopefully DC can keep releasing this in a hardcover format. It appears that most of the DC books are no longer receiving this treatment.
August 8, 2025
While not quite as strong as the previous two volumes, this collection still delivers some fantastic storytelling. Here, Tom King really begins to dig into the core narrative he’s been building.
The opening arc sees Booster Gold trying to give Batman the perfect wedding gift. But what do you get for the billionaire who has everything? Booster decides to travel back in time and stop the murder of Bruce’s parents. The result is a twisted “what if” scenario that subtly plants the idea in Selina’s mind that if Bruce is truly happy, he won't be Batman — and without Batman, the world would fall apart.
Next comes a brilliant Joker story. The Clown Prince of Crime attacks a church just to draw Batman’s attention. King writes a great Joker: equal parts laugh-out-loud funny and terrifying. It’s hard to tell sometimes if Jokers actions are due to his insanity or his cunning. Again, the theme of Batman’s happiness being incompatible with his mission surfaces, this time from the Joker’s perspective.
Then we reach the much-hyped wedding issue. I’ll be honest — DC’s marketing here was pretty sleazy. They sold it as if Batman was definitely getting married, only to pull the rug out from under readers. According to King, though, this was always his plan: for Batman to hit rock bottom at this point so that he could rebuild, with a real wedding planned closer to the end of his intended 100-issue run. I think that’s fair, but the misleading marketing and knee-jerk fan backlash cast an unnecessary shadow over the story. This issue also hints that Bane may have been manipulating events — including the wedding — from behind the scenes.
After that, we get a story where Bruce Wayne finds himself on jury duty regarding a case involving Mr. Freeze. Batman had captured Freeze after the experimentation and murder of three women. However, in his current mental state, Batman apprehended him with extreme brutality causing some moral and legal questions. This arc is one of the book’s best.
A heartwarming story exploring the relationship between Nightwing and Batman follows, which ends in a downer due to spoilery reasons. This further pushes Batman to the edge. King originally intended for Tim Drake to temporarily take over as Nightwing after this, but DC editorial stepped in, pushing for an amnesia arc in the Nightwing series instead. It’s one of several editorial choices that disrupted King’s long-term plans.
The volume closes with an intense KGBeast arc, where Batman hunts him down after what happened to Nightwing. It further underscores Batman’s descent to his lowest point.
Overall, this volume earns a solid 4 stars. There are a few bumps along the way, but the overarching story is still gripping, emotional and full of great moments.
The opening arc sees Booster Gold trying to give Batman the perfect wedding gift. But what do you get for the billionaire who has everything? Booster decides to travel back in time and stop the murder of Bruce’s parents. The result is a twisted “what if” scenario that subtly plants the idea in Selina’s mind that if Bruce is truly happy, he won't be Batman — and without Batman, the world would fall apart.
Next comes a brilliant Joker story. The Clown Prince of Crime attacks a church just to draw Batman’s attention. King writes a great Joker: equal parts laugh-out-loud funny and terrifying. It’s hard to tell sometimes if Jokers actions are due to his insanity or his cunning. Again, the theme of Batman’s happiness being incompatible with his mission surfaces, this time from the Joker’s perspective.
Then we reach the much-hyped wedding issue. I’ll be honest — DC’s marketing here was pretty sleazy. They sold it as if Batman was definitely getting married, only to pull the rug out from under readers. According to King, though, this was always his plan: for Batman to hit rock bottom at this point so that he could rebuild, with a real wedding planned closer to the end of his intended 100-issue run. I think that’s fair, but the misleading marketing and knee-jerk fan backlash cast an unnecessary shadow over the story. This issue also hints that Bane may have been manipulating events — including the wedding — from behind the scenes.
After that, we get a story where Bruce Wayne finds himself on jury duty regarding a case involving Mr. Freeze. Batman had captured Freeze after the experimentation and murder of three women. However, in his current mental state, Batman apprehended him with extreme brutality causing some moral and legal questions. This arc is one of the book’s best.
A heartwarming story exploring the relationship between Nightwing and Batman follows, which ends in a downer due to spoilery reasons. This further pushes Batman to the edge. King originally intended for Tim Drake to temporarily take over as Nightwing after this, but DC editorial stepped in, pushing for an amnesia arc in the Nightwing series instead. It’s one of several editorial choices that disrupted King’s long-term plans.
The volume closes with an intense KGBeast arc, where Batman hunts him down after what happened to Nightwing. It further underscores Batman’s descent to his lowest point.
Overall, this volume earns a solid 4 stars. There are a few bumps along the way, but the overarching story is still gripping, emotional and full of great moments.
August 7, 2020
Contains the "wedding" and it's aftermath. The first three issues are "The Gift", which are essentially a prelude for Booster Gold in Tom King's "Heroes in Crisis". I honestly didn't care for it. It focuses to heavily on Booster instead of the world the story takes place in, and the rambling way King writes Booster made things a bit confusing. But I will say that by the end of all of it, I'd need therapy too.
The next two issues are "The Best Man". Part One was awful in my opinion, with Joker just rambling a repetitive monolog while Batman just stares at him. And Batman some how surviving a point blank gun shot to the head! Part Two however was really enjoyable. When King writes character interactions, they usually have at least one of them whose dialog acknowledges the absurdity of the reality a hero/villain lives. Most of the time it doesn't land well because Batman is the sounding board, but this time it really worked. Catwoman and Joker's banter was just a unique and wonderful moment.
And then finally we get to "The Wedding". It's really a beautiful issue with multiple artist depicting the couple as they each take turns reading their vows. The actual story going on around these pages though is a bit odd. I found it strange that it was actually Batman and Catwoman getting married not Bruce and Selina. Yet they would be getting married out of costume but under different names? Like that was weird. And even though the inevitable out come came true, King still made it very poetic and believable.
"Cold Days" follows the aftermath of Selina's leaving. And I for one thought it was a brilliant look on Batman as a character. Having Bruce deconstruct Batman and reveal that he is just a man was very cool.
"Shadows of the Past" had some very interesting artwork. Not necessarily bad but it was a times distracting. However, it did a phenomenal job at building a connection for the character in "Beasts of Burden".
I still have moments where I feel that Tom King writes character dialog that makes no sense. People talk with incomplete sentences like the other person is in on it, but we as the audience are sitting here confused as to what is happening because the character isn't really saying anything.
The next two issues are "The Best Man". Part One was awful in my opinion, with Joker just rambling a repetitive monolog while Batman just stares at him. And Batman some how surviving a point blank gun shot to the head! Part Two however was really enjoyable. When King writes character interactions, they usually have at least one of them whose dialog acknowledges the absurdity of the reality a hero/villain lives. Most of the time it doesn't land well because Batman is the sounding board, but this time it really worked. Catwoman and Joker's banter was just a unique and wonderful moment.
And then finally we get to "The Wedding". It's really a beautiful issue with multiple artist depicting the couple as they each take turns reading their vows. The actual story going on around these pages though is a bit odd. I found it strange that it was actually Batman and Catwoman getting married not Bruce and Selina. Yet they would be getting married out of costume but under different names? Like that was weird. And even though the inevitable out come came true, King still made it very poetic and believable.
"Cold Days" follows the aftermath of Selina's leaving. And I for one thought it was a brilliant look on Batman as a character. Having Bruce deconstruct Batman and reveal that he is just a man was very cool.
"Shadows of the Past" had some very interesting artwork. Not necessarily bad but it was a times distracting. However, it did a phenomenal job at building a connection for the character in "Beasts of Burden".
I still have moments where I feel that Tom King writes character dialog that makes no sense. People talk with incomplete sentences like the other person is in on it, but we as the audience are sitting here confused as to what is happening because the character isn't really saying anything.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2021
Startling humanity from Tom King’s writing for a despondent Batman.
Tom King’s comic book Batman: The Rebirth Deluxe Edition Book 4 (2019) is an astonishing accomplishment of finding the heartfelt reasons behind Batman and Catwoman getting married. His romantic flirting is fun, but King writes thoughtfully for a Bruce Wayne longing to find solace from his never ending crusade against crime as well as Selina Kyle’s desires for a man who understands her as Catwoman. The main plot of Tom King’s Batman run has been centered around Catwoman and Batman’s feelings, so it’s incredible how real and sensitive King writes. This book feels like an event book all around a wedding. It’s quite sweet during the romance passages.
Besides the Catwoman arcs, Book 4 of Tom King’s Batman: The Rebirth features a killer black comedy unravelling of the Joker’s manic reaction to Batman getting married. It’s as funny and reflective as anything anyone has ever written for Joker. King knows his characters. He even gives cameos to funny obscure characters like Crazy Quilt or Condiment King for a lark. I adore the emotional issue devoted to Nightwing’s reaction to being there for Bruce Wayne in his time of need. It’s shocking and will surely provide entertainment for readers for years to come who discover this comic book. Tom King’s writing about justice and flaws for the Mr. Freeze courtroom drama arc is nicely nuanced. Seeing Bruce Wayne on jury duty is fun in and of itself! So there’s plenty of arcs here to impress an easily bored reader.
I really enjoyed the illustrations for this comic from all the various pencillers who did a variant cover or guest splash page between Batman and Catwoman scattered throughout this comic book. The main artwork from comic artists Tony S. Daniel and Mikel Janin are strikingly contemporary with respects to past versions of these iconic characters. All the colorists, inkers, and letterers went all out with bursts of color and creativity. It looks very nice, especially Joelle Jones’ design for Catwoman’s wedding dress that still leaves me in awe.
In short, Tom king did it again with a fantastic Batman comic full of his innovative ideas and emotional character writing.
Tom King’s comic book Batman: The Rebirth Deluxe Edition Book 4 (2019) is an astonishing accomplishment of finding the heartfelt reasons behind Batman and Catwoman getting married. His romantic flirting is fun, but King writes thoughtfully for a Bruce Wayne longing to find solace from his never ending crusade against crime as well as Selina Kyle’s desires for a man who understands her as Catwoman. The main plot of Tom King’s Batman run has been centered around Catwoman and Batman’s feelings, so it’s incredible how real and sensitive King writes. This book feels like an event book all around a wedding. It’s quite sweet during the romance passages.
Besides the Catwoman arcs, Book 4 of Tom King’s Batman: The Rebirth features a killer black comedy unravelling of the Joker’s manic reaction to Batman getting married. It’s as funny and reflective as anything anyone has ever written for Joker. King knows his characters. He even gives cameos to funny obscure characters like Crazy Quilt or Condiment King for a lark. I adore the emotional issue devoted to Nightwing’s reaction to being there for Bruce Wayne in his time of need. It’s shocking and will surely provide entertainment for readers for years to come who discover this comic book. Tom King’s writing about justice and flaws for the Mr. Freeze courtroom drama arc is nicely nuanced. Seeing Bruce Wayne on jury duty is fun in and of itself! So there’s plenty of arcs here to impress an easily bored reader.
I really enjoyed the illustrations for this comic from all the various pencillers who did a variant cover or guest splash page between Batman and Catwoman scattered throughout this comic book. The main artwork from comic artists Tony S. Daniel and Mikel Janin are strikingly contemporary with respects to past versions of these iconic characters. All the colorists, inkers, and letterers went all out with bursts of color and creativity. It looks very nice, especially Joelle Jones’ design for Catwoman’s wedding dress that still leaves me in awe.
In short, Tom king did it again with a fantastic Batman comic full of his innovative ideas and emotional character writing.
June 27, 2021
The centerpiece of this is the midpoint of Tom King's run on Batman: an issue about the Wedding between Bruce Wayne Batman and Selina Kyle Catwoman. It's a great issue, beautiful, lovely, but the way things spiral into and out of there are the things I remember most from this.
Directly before the wedding... the issues that focus on Selina... The issue that locks her and The Joker in a collapsed church is just magnificent in the way King's single issues have all been. His take on The Joker is so different and welcome, but the thing I love about it is that he does make a real decision to not have The Joker be Batman's ultimate mirror. And in that there's the ability for The Joker to play less into those tropes of yanging Batman's yin, which makes for a fresh take on the character.
The wedding's follow-up arc about Bruce Wayne serving on a jury that will deliver a verdict on Mr. Freeze's potential crimes is inspired in ways I can't describe, and the direction this takes immediately after using both Dick Grayson and KGBeast is upsetting and dark in all the best of ways that make me want to keep reading.
Worst of all is I can see why DC pulled him off the book a year early. I can see why comics fans more or less rejected this (at least the vocal fans did, but I also think sales dropped throughout this run, so it's still not pleasing the hardcores), but that is the thing I find most upsetting here. This is ambitious, bold swings with the character of Batman that go beyond just having him fight The Joker again and again. It's one of the best runs on Batman I've ever read. Every issue is awesome, ambitious, and compelling.
Perhaps comics readers didn't get it because they were reading it month-to-month (or bi-week to bi-week)... but I doubt that. No. This is rejected because it doesn't keep Batman precious and within the narrow guidelines that Batman always is. It is actively interrogating the character without deconstruction (as Morrison did) or by working at a superficial level (like Snyder did).
All of this makes the character stronger. Rejecting it only proves just how much comics' readership habitually make the entire medium weaker.
Directly before the wedding... the issues that focus on Selina... The issue that locks her and The Joker in a collapsed church is just magnificent in the way King's single issues have all been. His take on The Joker is so different and welcome, but the thing I love about it is that he does make a real decision to not have The Joker be Batman's ultimate mirror. And in that there's the ability for The Joker to play less into those tropes of yanging Batman's yin, which makes for a fresh take on the character.
The wedding's follow-up arc about Bruce Wayne serving on a jury that will deliver a verdict on Mr. Freeze's potential crimes is inspired in ways I can't describe, and the direction this takes immediately after using both Dick Grayson and KGBeast is upsetting and dark in all the best of ways that make me want to keep reading.
Worst of all is I can see why DC pulled him off the book a year early. I can see why comics fans more or less rejected this (at least the vocal fans did, but I also think sales dropped throughout this run, so it's still not pleasing the hardcores), but that is the thing I find most upsetting here. This is ambitious, bold swings with the character of Batman that go beyond just having him fight The Joker again and again. It's one of the best runs on Batman I've ever read. Every issue is awesome, ambitious, and compelling.
Perhaps comics readers didn't get it because they were reading it month-to-month (or bi-week to bi-week)... but I doubt that. No. This is rejected because it doesn't keep Batman precious and within the narrow guidelines that Batman always is. It is actively interrogating the character without deconstruction (as Morrison did) or by working at a superficial level (like Snyder did).
All of this makes the character stronger. Rejecting it only proves just how much comics' readership habitually make the entire medium weaker.
May 26, 2020
Batman Rebirth Book 4
This is a pretty uneven collection of stories.
- The Gift - I usually like seeing alternate realities, but this one didn’t hit it for me. Booster’s characterization and motivation are a bit absurd. King tries to be deep with Booster's motivation and explanation at the end of issue #47, but it just doesn’t tie well with Booster’s character. As with Ivy, this also serves as a backdoor pilot for Heroes in Crisis.
- The Best Man - A weird story involving the Joker, who obviously seeks to be the only on sin Batman’s life. This ends in a confrontation between Catwoman and the Joker that should leave them both dead, but hey…comics. We learn later that this is somehow part of Bane’s plan.
- The Wedding - $^$*#*@!#@*#!() DC hyped this up so hard….anyway, things go awry, which we learn later is all part of Bane’s plan…somehow.
- Cold days. This has been compared to 12 angry men. And it sort of fits. Post wedding fiasco, Bruce bribes himself into a jury to defend Mr. Freeze because he knows he messed up and went too far as Batman. The art fits perfectly with Lee Weeks. I know the arc gets praised, but it wasn’t a home run for me - Bruce argues that Batman is fallible and not God. The police shouldn’t blindly rely on him to arrest Freeze. I get it, but if I were a member of the jury, I wouldn’t change my vote based on the argument.
- Shadows of the Past - Post wedding fiasco, Dick is trying to get Bruce to feel better. It was nice.
- Battle for the soul of Gotham & To Hunt the Beast - Ric is born. Holy hell. Also, Batman goes hard on the KGB. We learn later that this is somehow part of Bane’s plan.
Again, uneven. 5/10 for the story and 8/10 for the art.
This is a pretty uneven collection of stories.
- The Gift - I usually like seeing alternate realities, but this one didn’t hit it for me. Booster’s characterization and motivation are a bit absurd. King tries to be deep with Booster's motivation and explanation at the end of issue #47, but it just doesn’t tie well with Booster’s character. As with Ivy, this also serves as a backdoor pilot for Heroes in Crisis.
- The Best Man - A weird story involving the Joker, who obviously seeks to be the only on sin Batman’s life. This ends in a confrontation between Catwoman and the Joker that should leave them both dead, but hey…comics. We learn later that this is somehow part of Bane’s plan.
- The Wedding - $^$*#*@!#@*#!() DC hyped this up so hard….anyway, things go awry, which we learn later is all part of Bane’s plan…somehow.
- Cold days. This has been compared to 12 angry men. And it sort of fits. Post wedding fiasco, Bruce bribes himself into a jury to defend Mr. Freeze because he knows he messed up and went too far as Batman. The art fits perfectly with Lee Weeks. I know the arc gets praised, but it wasn’t a home run for me - Bruce argues that Batman is fallible and not God. The police shouldn’t blindly rely on him to arrest Freeze. I get it, but if I were a member of the jury, I wouldn’t change my vote based on the argument.
- Shadows of the Past - Post wedding fiasco, Dick is trying to get Bruce to feel better. It was nice.
- Battle for the soul of Gotham & To Hunt the Beast - Ric is born. Holy hell. Also, Batman goes hard on the KGB. We learn later that this is somehow part of Bane’s plan.
Again, uneven. 5/10 for the story and 8/10 for the art.
August 18, 2021
I previously read v2 I am Suicide and v3 I am Bane... while I enjoyed those volumes, King isn't my favorite writer but certainly good for a unique style, so I keep coming back to him. Though I need breaks.
I wasn't to keen on going through all 85 issues of King's run but I was curious about the Bat and Cat wedding and this 13 issue Deluxe Book 4 was cheap at my local used book store so picked it up.
And then many, many months went by as I read other stuff...
Finally I decided I felt a spark of interest. This is a big book and unlike Mister Miracle, which is sparse on text... this Deluxe book was packed full of dense story. Really really great stories and the wedding issues weren't even my favourite. Probably the Trial of Mr. FREEZE and Beast of Burden... the later stories in the book were my favs.
If your a fan of King like me then he's always a welcome unique voice in DC.
Not my favorite, but I do think he's somewhere in the top 5 or 10.
I'd have rated this 5 stars except I don't think I'd reread it. So solid 4 stars!
I wasn't to keen on going through all 85 issues of King's run but I was curious about the Bat and Cat wedding and this 13 issue Deluxe Book 4 was cheap at my local used book store so picked it up.
And then many, many months went by as I read other stuff...
Finally I decided I felt a spark of interest. This is a big book and unlike Mister Miracle, which is sparse on text... this Deluxe book was packed full of dense story. Really really great stories and the wedding issues weren't even my favourite. Probably the Trial of Mr. FREEZE and Beast of Burden... the later stories in the book were my favs.
If your a fan of King like me then he's always a welcome unique voice in DC.
Not my favorite, but I do think he's somewhere in the top 5 or 10.
I'd have rated this 5 stars except I don't think I'd reread it. So solid 4 stars!
June 21, 2022
A dramatic conclusion to the BatCat wedding saga with the Joker taking a special role in the wedding preparations.
With notable veteran Batman writers and artists such as Tim Sale, Jim Lee, Frank Miller, Mitch Gerads, and Greg Capullo; this was certainly an amalgamation of the best talents in DC. But that being said, I want to say that with so many styles included it became somewhat of a "too many cooks spoil the broth" situation. The wide range of styles really conflicted with each other and made it a un-unified, almost hodge-podge. Which would have been fine if this was just an art book but the writing and storyline really suffered with the sheer multitude of special guests.
"The Best Man" and "The Better Man" were my favorite plots within Book 4, especially since both showcased a great understanding of the characters and the dynamics between them. "The Gift" was... a choice, definitely the wrong choice on multiple levels but I suppose, at least the artist for the storyline had fun with the homages and slapstick.
With notable veteran Batman writers and artists such as Tim Sale, Jim Lee, Frank Miller, Mitch Gerads, and Greg Capullo; this was certainly an amalgamation of the best talents in DC. But that being said, I want to say that with so many styles included it became somewhat of a "too many cooks spoil the broth" situation. The wide range of styles really conflicted with each other and made it a un-unified, almost hodge-podge. Which would have been fine if this was just an art book but the writing and storyline really suffered with the sheer multitude of special guests.
"The Best Man" and "The Better Man" were my favorite plots within Book 4, especially since both showcased a great understanding of the characters and the dynamics between them. "The Gift" was... a choice, definitely the wrong choice on multiple levels but I suppose, at least the artist for the storyline had fun with the homages and slapstick.
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October 7, 2023Art continues to be wonderful, writing continues to be inconsistent and overlong. Every story arc in here could be one, maybe two issues, and is instead stretched out over three. While I like his ideas and much of his characterization, King is constantly taking the worst of Frank Miller with long monologues with needless word repetition, Brian Michael Bendis with unmotivated double page spreads that see text boxes snake across the page, and his own special of 9-panel grids where nothing happens (which worked in Mister Miracle but frequently seem like a crutch here). When two people have a conversation it's usually great. When someone starts speaking for more than one panel, or, god help me, writes a letter, you know you're fucked for the rest of a boring issue.
But damn that art! Tony S Daniel's best work possibly? And Lee Weeks, yeah baby, on a Freeze story no less! With Elizabeth Breitweiser on colors feeling very Mazzuchelli-Lewis Year 1!
But damn that art! Tony S Daniel's best work possibly? And Lee Weeks, yeah baby, on a Freeze story no less! With Elizabeth Breitweiser on colors feeling very Mazzuchelli-Lewis Year 1!
August 30, 2019
As I said in my reviews of earlier books in his run, I thought Tom King wrote a competent Batman but had difficulty creating a story for the character that was on par with The Vision.
The comics collected in this volume changed my mind. It took him a while to build to it, but Tom King has earned his spot on the Mount Rushmore of Batman writers. I have always imagined that writing any of DCs flagship characters would be near impossible task, given the lofty expectations set by readers and fact that these characters have been written into, and out of, almost every situation imaginable. King brings a stunning level of originality to The Dark Knight, without deviated from a firm sense of the character's foundation.
The comics collected in this volume changed my mind. It took him a while to build to it, but Tom King has earned his spot on the Mount Rushmore of Batman writers. I have always imagined that writing any of DCs flagship characters would be near impossible task, given the lofty expectations set by readers and fact that these characters have been written into, and out of, almost every situation imaginable. King brings a stunning level of originality to The Dark Knight, without deviated from a firm sense of the character's foundation.
December 31, 2019
The wedding was a little disappointing. Even though it’s obviously planned for Bane to come around in the final arc and that this wasn’t really over yet, it still sucks a little bit. Mostly because Tom King didn’t get to have his full 100 issues and had to compress his last storyline which sucks for him.
I am still enjoying this run for the most part. I must say that I am sick of DC mistreating Dick Grayson as a character. It really is quite awful and I could rant all day about it but I won’t do it here for now. Maybe when I reread some stuff.
That being said, it’s still a run I want to continue with until the end even though there’s something coming up which I really do not like but whatever I’m in it now!
I am still enjoying this run for the most part. I must say that I am sick of DC mistreating Dick Grayson as a character. It really is quite awful and I could rant all day about it but I won’t do it here for now. Maybe when I reread some stuff.
That being said, it’s still a run I want to continue with until the end even though there’s something coming up which I really do not like but whatever I’m in it now!
February 5, 2020
Batman rebirth vol 4.
I read Batman in collected editions, in this one was the wedding of Batman and Catwoman, but because of the hype of issue 50 i already knew what was going to happen so that was a little bummer. All of a sudden they changed the paperstock, i dig it but really dont know why they did it? Somethink i really dont dig is that all the collected rebirth hardcovers have white spines, and this one a totally different color, i like to speak to the manager please 😅 no but seriously who okays this shit, every time the spines dont match, same with Snyders Batman, i just dont get it ! For the rest pretty lackluster first part and solid second part, not the best collected stuff, but still fun to read.
I read Batman in collected editions, in this one was the wedding of Batman and Catwoman, but because of the hype of issue 50 i already knew what was going to happen so that was a little bummer. All of a sudden they changed the paperstock, i dig it but really dont know why they did it? Somethink i really dont dig is that all the collected rebirth hardcovers have white spines, and this one a totally different color, i like to speak to the manager please 😅 no but seriously who okays this shit, every time the spines dont match, same with Snyders Batman, i just dont get it ! For the rest pretty lackluster first part and solid second part, not the best collected stuff, but still fun to read.
February 19, 2020
5 stars for the Joker story alone. Each volume has gotten better and while I am not happy with the direction they chose to go with Catwoman and Batman, the stories were great. Although I'm sure many will be upset with the section of the book that is basically pin-up art with some thought balloons, I found that a nice throwback to the 90s. I also know many people are upset over the paper change and while it does seem like the more inexpensive choice than the previous gloss, I still found myself happy with the end results. I don't know if it was a feeling of nostalgia or what but I enjoyed the look and feel of the new paper.
February 21, 2020
While many may be disappointed at the outcome of the event things had been building to, one needs to bear in mind that as long as it makes sense for the characters, it works. With King's focus on the psyche of the characters, it definitely does, and is done beautifully, to boot. The other arcs are fantastic as well, and I especially liked the take on 12 Angry Men. King continues to take great storytelling risks and fully utilizes and experiments with the form of comic books, and that is something that needs more appreciation and respect. Giving fanboys what they want just leads to stagnation and the same old crap over and over again.
October 21, 2021
This volume probably is a drop in quality from the entire run so far, but I still loved it a whole lot.
The first arc has Booster Gold and while it's a time travel story where as long as they can get back and change the past there are no consequences, I really loved how this was written. And I love Booster and Tom King writes him silly but not the stupidest person in the world. Tom King is funny!
The lead up to the wedding is fun and the wedding itself are polarizing, but I can understand why what happened happened.
Then Mr. Freeze on trial! And important Nightwing stuff! And I loved the journeys for each of these.
Can we please put this run into a couple omnibuses, please!
The first arc has Booster Gold and while it's a time travel story where as long as they can get back and change the past there are no consequences, I really loved how this was written. And I love Booster and Tom King writes him silly but not the stupidest person in the world. Tom King is funny!
The lead up to the wedding is fun and the wedding itself are polarizing, but I can understand why what happened happened.
Then Mr. Freeze on trial! And important Nightwing stuff! And I loved the journeys for each of these.
Can we please put this run into a couple omnibuses, please!
February 22, 2023
As I’ve made my way through these volumes, I’ve given a lot of credit to Tom King and the story he’s been weaving but I must also shout out Mikel Janin’s artistry which is the perfect visual medium for this epic. There are some real highlights here - most notably the one featuring the Joker as jilted best man - as all roads lead to a potentially status quo changing moment in the history of Batman. The end result is certain to be divisive but one must assume that there is definitely more to tell as far as the Cat and the Bat are concerned.
May 17, 2024
The Fated Wedding
Ah yes the event I was looking least forward too, got I wanted it to be perfect but it wasn’t. This book was good and I still enjoyed most of it, I just think that it is the volume with the most misses. I wanted to give it a 3.5/5 but that wasn’t an option. I loved many of the arcs before the “wedding” but after that not so much. I also think the booster gold arc was lukewarm for me, but that was mostly because I was waiting for the big day.
Ah yes the event I was looking least forward too, got I wanted it to be perfect but it wasn’t. This book was good and I still enjoyed most of it, I just think that it is the volume with the most misses. I wanted to give it a 3.5/5 but that wasn’t an option. I loved many of the arcs before the “wedding” but after that not so much. I also think the booster gold arc was lukewarm for me, but that was mostly because I was waiting for the big day.
January 3, 2024
Wow... this volume is really, really bad. No shit, I liked one issue throughout this entire volume. Every other story is long-winded, pretentious, and in the case of the "wedding" issue, downright insulting. I was being nice to this run at first, but it looks like this volume was the turning point for the worse.
April 15, 2019
There’s the ebb and flow of every collected edition, the “wedding story” was a little bloated and, ultimately, did not change the status quo. We did get a bigger look at the major theme undergirding King’s arc.
August 11, 2020
King's stories just keeping getting better and better.
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