In this review of Batman #137, we see part two of the Gotham War event. Batman and Catwoman battle for the soul of Gotham City with the Bat Family caught in the middle on who to side with. However, there’s another player about to enter the battle that no one expects.
Title: Batman #137
Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Artist: Jorge Jiménez
Colors: Tomeu Morey
Main Cover: Jorge Jiménez
Variant Covers: Joe Quesada, Gabriele Dell’Otto, Rose Besch, Pablo Villalobos, Salvador Larroca
Release Date: September 5, 2023
Note: This review might contain spoilers
1:25 incentive variant cover by Salvador Larroca
Batman #137 begins not much longer after the ending of The Gotham War – Battle Lines #1. Two of Catwoman’s students are on a mission to rob some Gotham penthouses. However, as they make their way through the first penthouse, they find Batman there, waiting on them. After the death of a would-be thief in Battle Lines, he’s on a personal mission to end Selina’s newfound guild of thieves before another life is lost. Marquise relays just how relentless he’s become to Selina. Catwoman feels her best weapon against her former fiancé is his worse mistake. She tells Marquise to contact Jason.
Right out of the gates, Zdarsky hits us with action and suspense. He shows us a Batman who truly has a take-no-prisoner mentality after the death of Roland Garner in the Battle Lines issue. And he seems intent on letting nothing or no one get in his way. the intentions become no clearer than with his interaction on the docks with Tim. After a great interaction between the two beginning with Zdarsky’s run and through the Failsafe arc, Bruce doesn’t hesitate in threatening his young protégé should he cross the line. Considering how Batman took down Jason in the pages of Red Hood and the Outlaws back during Rebirth, one would think arresting Tim would be nothing for Batman.
A Family Feud Again?
This interaction, however, much like the interaction between Bruce and the family in Battle Lines laid the groundwork for what occurs by the time we get close to the end of the issue. batman and his family would come to blows. Like many readers, I am not a fan of this drastic a dynamic between Bruce and those he trained. We as reader have seen it before. In previous family battles, the reaction from fans have been the same. We do not like it. As with any group of loved ones, we know that there will be disagreement. But do we have to see them fight again? How different will Zdarsky’s take be any different?
An added caveat to this comes from the other title in this event – Catwoman. What can we expect from Tini Howard in the pages of her series? It was not hard to tell who wrote what pages in Battle Lines. The different voices didn’t gel that well. Zdarsky moves things along at a great pace leading us to the end of the issue. Can we trust his event co-writer to do the same?
If You Like Action, This Comic Is For You
It doesn’t take long for the action to kick it to the next level. The Family decides they’re going to do what they can to keep the peace, even if it means taking on their leader (Jason actually made his choice previously). They truly thought they had the upper hand on their teacher considering the tracker Babs placed on Bruce. However, once again, Batman one-ups his grasshoppers in order to take out much of Catwoman’s soldiers before they arrive for the save.
Much like previous family battles, Batman easily handles his family members until he lets his guard down, allowing Jason and Dick to take the upper hand in the fight. Just when you think they have him where they want him is when you realize a member of the Bat Family is unaccounted for. That’s when Damian arrives for the save, allowing he and Batman to escape. He’s truly his father’s son.
Ironically, Zdarsky uses this fight as a means of creating a distraction. While the fighting is going on, she’s breaking her team out of jail. She doesn’t leave anyone behind. But even she was unaware the extent Batman would go to stop her, including the attack of her base in Alleytown. It infuriates her to no end. One has to wonder what’s next up her sleeve.
The True Big Bad
As expected with these Batman Family battles (see the recent Batman vs. Robin arc for example), neither side of the dueling factions are the true bad guy (insert shocked, but not shocked face here). As Zdarsky has done throughout most of his run on Batman, he continues to take Bruce lower, even when you think it can’t be done. This time, Zdarsky accomplishes this by taking Wayne Manor away from Bruce. As the story began in the pages of Detective Comics, Bruce moved out of Wayne Manor in an effort to be closer to the depths of the city. However, as the issue ends, Bruce finds out that not only has the bank foreclosed on Wayne Manor (which was used as collateral to buy the brownstone), someone already seized possession of it. That person… Vandal Savage. Savage has popped up here and there across the DC Universe of late and now find himself in Gotham City. It will be interesting to see what Zdarsky has planned for the immortal villain as the event progresses.
Clone Jorge Jiménez and Tomeu Morey
I am so happy to see Jorge Jiménez back on the art of Batman. As always, his pencils are a joy to watch. He and Tomeu Morey are a dynamic artistic team together. If it was possible to clone these two so that they can remain on this title while also completing their other projects, I would do it. I read some who feel that the quality in the art has declined a little. I simply do not see it. It remains exquisite. The panel with Damian laying out Jason deserves a chef’s kiss for how good it looks.
Questions for Next Time
As we await part 3 of The Gotham War, coming in Catwoman #57, I’m looking for the answers to the following questions:
- Can Tini Howard keep up the pace and the voice? What readers experienced in The Gotham War – Battle Lines did not work at all. Zdarsky set the tone. She needs to keep it up and going.
- Is Jason being played?
- What is Vandal Savage doing in Gotham City? It’s not just to buy a new house. Are he and Selina in cahoots with one another?
- Who’s the person Duke found tied up after their skirmish with Bruce? Unless I missed it, they never mentioned it.
- What’s the endgame? I would be really disappointed if the end. result of Gotham War is something we’ve seen before.
I’ve always enjoyed Zdarsky’ voice for Batman. He brings it a notch more in Batman #137 as Batman has to face off against his family (again). Let’s hope Tini Howard can keep the momentum going in part 3 of the Gotham War.
Editor’s Note: DC Comics provided TBU with an advanced copy of this comic for review purposes. You can find this comic and help support TBU in the process by purchasing this issue digitally on Comixology through Amazon or a physical copy of the title through Things From Another World.
