Page 9 – The Batman Universe

TBU Review: Catwoman #83

by BJ Shea January 23, 2026

written by BJ Shea

In this review of Catwoman #83, Selina finds out that she not only has to deal with Carmine Falcone. The Court of Owls are out for blood as well.

Catwoman #83 main cover by Sebastián Fiumara (DC Comics)

CATWOMAN #83
Written by TORUNN GRØNBEKK
Art by DANILO BEYRUTH
Main Cover: SEBA FIUMARA
Variant Covers: FRANK CHO, MAHMUD ASRAR, and CORIN HOWELL, TULA LOTAY
Page Count: 32 pages | Variant $4.99 US (card stock)
Release Date: 1/21/26

This review contains spoilers

Catwoman #83 opens with a flashback to young Carmine Falcone executing someone who stole from his family on orders from his father. To prove that he is his son and to be untouchable.

A man named Zervas is killed by the Court of Owls because he is a traitor to the Falcone organization. Traitors in his organization are being killed by the Court all over the world as a demonstration of his power. Catwoman tries to escape but the Court has every exit blocked off. Carmine discovers the Palmero Pearl is missing (because Catwoman stole it duh) and starts to blame other people which was Selina’s hope all along.

Catwoman makes it to the roof and is about to escape until she is stopped by a Talon. Catwoman gets a few shots in, but Talon easily defeats her. As Talon carries her away, Selina turns the tide on him and stabs him in the eye and is able to jump into the waters of Venice. Carmine discovers Selina’s name on the guest list and knows that she is the one who stole the pearl.

Meanwhile, Selina is able to escape and the issue ends with her starting to feel her injuries during her battle with Talon.

Analysis: Carmine Falcone and the Court of Owls. What a teamup! Carmine is in kill everyone mode and he is pointing the Owls towards all his targets. If anyone can escape the Court, Talons, and Falcone it is Selina Kyle. She took quite a beating from the Talon and she was commenting that he doesn’t seem human so I expect some sort of reveal about that next issue.

I really liked the art. Beyruth seems like a cross between David Mazzucchelli and Chris Samnee. That old school style works well with a story involving Carmine Falcone. When I see Carmine, I think of Year One and Long Halloween. Anything over stylized wouldn’t exactly work.

Selina is in quite a pickle here, stuck in the middle of Carmine and the Court of Owls and lets see how she gets out of it.

Catwoman #83

Final Thoughts

Selina is in quite a pickle here, stuck in the middle of Carmine and the Court of Owls and lets see how she gets out of it.

Final Score

January 23, 2026 0 comments

Comic Reviews and Editorials

Comic Review: Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #47

by Theodis Wright January 22, 2026

written by Theodis Wright

In this review of Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #47, the secret is out, as the Joker/Lex Hybrid reveals Batman and Superman’s secret identities to the entire world. Chaos ensues, forcing the Justice League to deal with the fallout as Superman faces a quieter but no less devastating confrontation.

BATMAN/SUPERMAN: WORLD’S FINEST #47 main cover by Dan Mora (DC Comics)

BATMAN/SUPERMAN: WORLD’S FINEST #47
Written by MARK WAID
Art by ADRIÁN GUTIÉRREZ
Main Cover: DAN MORA
Variant Covers: E.M. GIST, ADRIÁN GUTIÉRREZ, CHRIS SPROUSE, FABRIZIO DE TOMMASO
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: 1/21/26

This review contains spoilers

Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #47 begins as the Joker/Lex Hybrid uses the alien Absorbascon to telepathically extract and transmit the World’s Finest duo’s secret identities. High above Metropolis, the Batman/Superman Composite is overpowered by the Joker/Lex Hybrid as the villains unleash a magic attack (courtesy of Doctor Fate). The Hybrid vanishes, leaving the Composite trapped in mid-air and wrapped in a complex spell as the ramifications from the info leak begins to take hold.

Superman warns Batman that those closest to them are in danger, (specifically Alfred Pennyworth). The Batman/Superman Composite breaks free, rushes to Wayne Manor and protects the startled Alfred from a vengeful Poison Ivy (who was much more proactive and less conscientious as she is in her current series). Soon, the Composite briefs the JLA aboard their orbiting satellite before heading for the worst confrontation imaginable.

Elsewhere, the Joker/Lex Hybrid sets up shop in an abandoned Keystone City mental hospital (Joker’s idea of course), where the pair bicker over what to do with the Absorbascon, and who should be in charge. Joker takes the initiative, running with Lex’s idea, but adding his own particular twisted spin, which makes everyone on Earth (including most of the JLA) dumber rather than enhancing Lex’s own intellect. The Joker/Lex Hybrid’s combined brainpower meanwhile is shorting out the Absorbascon.

page from batman/superman: world's finest #47 showing bruce wayne's secret identity

Identities revealed… (DC Comics)

In Metropolis, Superman and Lois Lane have a crushing heart-to-heart as Lois vents her sense of betrayal at learning Clark’s secret, but not from him (which is awkward considering Batman is stuck there too listening to all of this). The Batman/Superman Composite track down the Hybrid but is quickly overwhelmed. Luckily, The Atom hitched a ride and snatches the Absorbascon away, creating a chain reaction that separates everyone back to their individual selves.

Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #47 ends with the Batman/Superman Composite still around, as the World’s Finest duo express their admiration for the other after their merging. The Composite is now housed in Superman’s Fortress of Solitude, but for how long?

Analysis

Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #47 certainly redefines the concepts of comic book “crossovers” and “team ups” with this clever re-imagining of the World’s Finest, and the World’s…Worst (?) duos. The Joker/Lex Hybrid merges intellect (plus a tinge of ego and irrational envy) with utter chaos and cunning. The Hybrid brings the worst aspects of both dastardly villain to the forefront, as each villain struggles for dominance of both their merged form, and of the power of the Absorbascon.

In contrast, the Batman/Superman Composite seems to bring the best of both worlds to the fore, as Batman and Superman gain new insight into their partner in crime (fighting) with mutual respect and understanding for both their personal struggles and unique gifts. Batman’s declaration of helping fix the fallout with Lois shows emotional growth on his part.

Writer Mark Waid continues to reimagine classic Silver Age concepts for the modern age with this merger storyline. Waid’s boundless understanding of DC lore (hey, he just wrote a series on it), allows him to approach the fun and absurdities of non-continuity stories and repackage them with a modern sensibility. Even with some silliness, the stakes are made clear, even if they don’t last long. Waid knows the World’s Finest duo’s characters to their core, regardless of which decade they’re in.

Artist Adrian Gutierrez dominates with stunning artwork and layouts for the battle scenes, while adding clever sight gags (mostly involving the Joker/Lex Hybrid), plus the unsettling visuals of JLA heroes dumbstruck. Even the quiet, dramatic scene between the Composite and Lois feels heavier than having to battle a Hybrid made of Batman and Superman’s greatest nemeses.

Meanwhile, Tamra Bonvillain’s palettes are fully utilized in Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #47, as each scene is distinctly colored to match the mood, from the sickly greens/heavy blacks of the Joker/Lex Hybrid scenes, to the muted primary colors (red, blue and yellow) of the Batman/Superman Composite. Even as the “camera” draws closer in each successive panel in the final battle, the background shifts gradually around the Joker/Lex Hybrid from sickly yellow-brown to a brighter orange-yellow.

Final Thoughts

Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #47 continues this series’ grand tradition of remixing classic Silver Age DC Comics concepts for a modern audience, adding emotional weight, humor, plot twists and a sense of fun into the mix. The art and color combinations maintain the series’ high quality output as well.

Batman/Superman: World's Finest #47

Final Thoughts

Batman/Superman: World's Finest #47 continues this series' grand tradition of remixing classic Silver Age DC Comics concepts for a modern audience, adding emotional weight, humor, plot twists and a sense of fun into the mix. The art and color combinations maintain the series' high quality output as well.

4.7

Final Score

January 22, 2026 0 comments

Comic Reviews and Editorials

Review: Nightwing #134

by Ian Miller January 21, 2026

written by Ian Miller

In this review of Nightwing #134, Dick’s adventures get REALLY metafictional as he faces down the Zanni in the Cirque du Sin.

Nightwing #134 main cover by Dexter Soy (DC Comics)

NIGHTWING #134
Written by DAN WATTERS
Art by V KEN MARION
Main Cover by DEXTER SOY
Variant Covers: V KEN MARION, ELIZABETH TORQUE, PHAN TUAN DAT, TRAVIS MOORE
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: 1/21/26

This review contains spoilers

As Nightwing #134 begins, Martian Manhunter explains to Babs how he helped Nightwing get into the Fifth Dimension to attack the Zanni and his Cirque du Sin.

Nightwing follows Oliva Pearce’s decapitated form through the Cirque, and steps into the ring with the Zanni. The self proclaimed “god” Zanni challenges Dick to a game of “tin can alley” throwing balls at a tin can model of Bludhaven that will cause catastrophic damage to Dick’s city. The Zanni’s first throw collapses many skyscrapers. If Dick can’t knock down more cans/buildings, Zanni will keep Nightwing and the children he’s lured into the Cirque forever. Nightwing offers to stay and become ringmaster instead of attacking Bludhaven, but Zanni insists on Nightwing embracing the meaningless cruelty of the world. As Zanni sends the enspelled children to attack Nightwing and Bludhaven burns, Nightwing throws a ball.

But not the ball Zanni expected – a “soup grenade” made up of Nite-Mite from the Fifth Dimension adventure, which burns a hole in the Zanni. Dick attacks, fighting the weakened fifth dimensional imp, but Oliva, enraged, throws her head at Bludhaven’s model, knocking down Titans Tower with Nightwing Prime inside.

page from Nightwing #134 showing Nightwing and Zanni facing off

Nightwing and Zanni, face to face… (DC Comics)

Analysis

After my frustration with last issue seemingly showing Nightwing acting purely in reaction to the Zanni’s clear baited trap, it’s nice that Watters has a nicely setup Batman gambit – the weakness seeded early in another arc used by Dick as his weapon against his enemy’s secret weakness. Clever and nicely setup and paid off. I’m not sure I completely buy the amount of time spent on building up the Zanni’s evil plans, stretching back decades, and really eerie appearances throughout Watters’s run, but the arc isn’t done, after all, so maybe there’s more to come! (I’m still a bit hopeful that this is connected to the really weird Knight Terrors Detective Comics miniseries that Watters did three years ago.)

Despite this welcome bit of writerly craft, Watters does seem to have fallen back on a very small amount of story for this issue – though he flashes back and forth between Martian Manhunter and Nightwing’s locations, it’s one simple story that basically hinges on exactly one action scene – Dick confronts the Zanni and springs his counter-trap in response to Zanni’s trap. Martian Manhunter and Babs, though decently characterized, serve almost completely as exposition and reaction shots to what’s happening with Nightwing. After a nicely layered set of plotlines adding depth and reducing the overly linear nature of the first few arcs, it’s a bit disappointing to come to a climactic issue of this arc with such a thin linear thread.

V Ken Marion’s 90s-tastic art showcases a bodacious Babs, a muscular Martian, a powerful Nightwing, and reasonably creepy Zanni and Columbina/Oliva. Though not quite as atmospheric as the Dexter Soy art that’s been the majority of this run so far, Marion’s art does showcase his love of action, heroics, and these characters. Veronica Gandini’s coloring is nice, though I wish she’d chosen to emphasize some of the potential shadow and moodiness that could have made Marion’s art blend a bit better with Soy’s trends. Overall, though, Nightwing continues to be one of the more consistent and enjoyable books from an art perspective on the stands.

Dexter Soy’s main cover shows Nightwing in shadow on a black plinth above grey lost children – a nice setting of the stakes, though less reflective of the interior story than often the case with Soy’s work. Elizabeth Torque’s variant highlights Nightwing with a bloody nose post-beatdown of a gang in a warehouse. Phan Tuan Dat’s painterly variant shows Nightwing soaring above the rooftops beyond a pastel blue sky – a very sunny image, quite a contrast with the darkness of the story. Lastly, Travis Moore’s Sweater Weather variant highlights Dick’s very toned pecs and abs under a ski jacket in the snow – very silly, of course, but what are the Sweater Weather covers for if not silliness?

Let me know what you think on twitter @ibmmiller, or join the conversation in our Discord!

Final Thoughts

Though Watters has some fun ideas, and V Ken Marion does a splendidly 90s job with the visuals, the overall effect of the story is too thin and worn.

Nightwing #134

Final Thoughts

Though Watters has some fun ideas, and V Ken Marion does a splendidly 90s job with the visuals, the overall effect of the story is too thin and worn.

2.5

Final Score

January 21, 2026 0 comments

The Batman Universe Comic Podcast

TBU Comic Podcast: Season 18 Episode 1

by Theodis Wright January 15, 2026

written by Theodis Wright

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

It’s 2026. And with the new year comes Season 18 Episode 1 of The Batman Universe Comic Podcast. With this new year comes a new era as the podcast comes to you on a YouTube page (yes, with video) and on all of your favorite audio platforms. With this episode, Steph and Theo comes to you from New Orleans, LA and Fan Expo New Orleans. They give their thoughts on their weekend at the annual event. After giving their thoughts, they jump into what they do best, review Batman comics. This episode, the review Batman #5 and Batman and Robin #29, the penultimate issue of Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s run on the series. What are their thoughts on how things are coming to a close? Listen in and find our what’s next. They close things out with Greater Gotham.

Books Covered In Season 18 Episode 1

Batman #5
Batman and Robin #29

Greater Gotham Titles

Batgirl #15
DC K.O. Knightfight #3
Absolute Batman: Ark M #1
Poison Ivy #40
Batman, Green Arrow, The Question: Arcadia #2
DC K.O. #3

Get Even More DC Comics Goodness By Supporting Us On Patreon At The $5 Level

This will get you access to Beyond The Gates Of Gotham, our Patreon-exclusive podcast
https://patreon.com/TheBatmanUniverse

Follow The Batman Universe

Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/BatmanUniverse
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebatmanuniverse/
Discord: https://discord.gg/sKZncrm
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/batmanuniverse.bsky.social

January 15, 2026 0 comments

Comic Reviews and Editorials

Comic Review: Batman And Robin #29

by Stephanie Mounce January 13, 2026

written by Stephanie Mounce

**In this review of Batman and Robin #29, the Dynamic Duo figures out Scarface’s final play on Penguin and Two-Face while also determining the Quiet Man’s role in it.**

Batman and Robin #29 main cover by Nimit Malavia (DC Comics)

BATMAN AND ROBIN #29
Written by PHILLIP KENNEDY JOHNSON
Art by FICO OSSIO
Main Cover: NIMIT MALAVIA
Variant Covers: GUILLEM MARCH and MARTIN SIMMONDS
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: 1/14/26

This review contains spoilers

Batman And Robin #29 begins with Wesker and “Blair” arriving at a GCPD storage facility and killing the guard to pick up Mr. Scarface. Wesker and Scarface (Blair has disappeared into the ether), arrive at Penguin’s hideout and shoots up his goons until they tell him where their boss is at.

Penguin is gone, believing that since the Sacred Heart Fundraiser is on his turf, he has the right to attend as an honored guest.

At Blackgate, where the Penguin has men stationed as guards outside The Quiet Man’s cell, Batman and Robin are getting more info from the prisoner. We find out that Cyrus Mercer, The Quiet Man, had found silver in the mountains while living with his son. They worked out a deal to sell the silver to Falcone, but Scarface arrived and started shooting indiscriminately, killing Cyrus’s son in the back of their van. Because the van was stolen with the silver, no one ever found the boy’s body.

After leaving Blackgate, Robin accuses Batman of being too harsh a judge on Cyrus, comparing the two and believing that the only difference is that Bruce had money to find productive ways to channel his pain and Cyrus did not. Batman acknowledges Robin’s opinion, and while not wanting to talk about it in the middle of the rain during such a stressful time, allows Robin to deduce Wesker’s plans. They realize that he will try to attack Penguin at the Sacred Heart Fundraiser.

Batman And Robin #29 ends at the Fundraiser, where the organizers are upset that Bruce and Damian Wayne haven’t arrived yet, but never fear, for the Penguin has arrived. However, The Quiet Man, who has broken out of prison, Batman, Robin, Wesker, and Scarface are all converging at the same place. To be continued in the next issue.

Review

This story is getting more and more exciting. I am very impressed that a Scarface story has this many facets to it and yet is all coming together for an ultimate showdown. PKJ, though starting the his run with a strange characterization of Bruce and back peddling Damian’s growth a bit, has managed, in my opinion, to create some very memorable stories with great interactions between the dynamic duo.

Though I personally do not agree with Damian’s point of view, it was a very compelling scene between father and son addressing differences and the way Bruce chose to handle it. I feel like this showed his growth as a father while still maintaining the integrity of their investigation and doing their best to keep Gotham safe. It really feels like PKJ has found the voice for these characters.

The art is very good and adds to the excitement and tension building in the story. Though there is quite a bit of dialog between Cyrus and Batman and Damian and Batman, there are quite a few pages where the art is carrying the action and the drama, and Ossio does an amazing job with his shadows and framing.

I can honestly say, I will miss PKJ so much after his last issue and though I wish him the best of future endeavors, he really did make his mark on Batman & Robin with his stories.

Batman and Robin #29

Final Thoughts

I can honestly say, I will miss PKJ so much after his last issue and though I wish him the best of future endeavors, he really did make his mark on Batman & Robin with his stories.

Pros

Great art

Amazing tension building

Healthy Father-Son disagreement

Cons

It's PKJ's penultimate issue!

3.8

Final Score

January 13, 2026 0 comments

Comic Reviews and Editorials

Comic Review: DC K.O.: Knightfight #3

by BJ Shea January 13, 2026

written by BJ Shea

In this review of DC K.O.: Knightfight #3, the Heart of Apokolips gives gives Batman a challenge he may not be able to overcome — a life where he is happy.

DC K.O.: Knightfight #3 main cover by Dan Mora (DC Comics)

DC K.O.: KNIGHTFIGHT #3
Written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON
Art and Main Cover: DAN MORA
Variant Covers: LUDO LULLABI, JEFF SPOKES, and RILEY ROSSMO
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: 1/7/26

This review contains spoilers

The Heart of Apokolips gave Batman the power to be Clayface to take on Jason. Bruce saves Jason and tells him that he has never been a loner and that he will stay with Jason in this world together. As that happens Batman gets sucked away and a voice shouts out that he cheated.

The Heart shows Batman what is happening in the KO Tournament and that the allies are losing and Joker is winning. The Heart makes a new deal with Batman. Batman has to beat the Heart’s challenge and then will be returned to the tournament. This will be a challenge of the mind though.

In this new reality, Batman has solved every crime in Gotham and there are no cold cases open for him to solve. But the Batman of this world is….. Tim Drake.

Tim is back at the Cave and discovers that someone has hacked into the Batcomputer and that someone is Bruce Wayne who has been trapped in the Cave’s computer. Bruce tells Tim that he is proud of him but Tim yells back that he can’t solve his murder. AI Bruce shows Tim the crime scene of his death and Tim knows who did it and he wants to upload Bruce to a robot so they can solve it. Just then the Heart takes Bruce away again.

The Heart is upset that Bruce didn’t fight Tim and shows him other versions of his allies so he can fight. But the Heart chooses something else to hurt Bruce….

In this new world, Bruce is much older. Damian is there and says that he saved Gotham. Bruce tells him that this isn’t real and Damian agrees but first he wants to show him something. Damian’s son, Bruce’s grandson, named Alfred.

Analysis

Oh man what a killer of an ending. This next issue is going to be heartbreak for Bruce. To be in a world where Gotham is saved and he is living with his son and is now a grandfather, it is going to be a gut punch to see Bruce have to give up on this world of happiness. Williamson has been able to turn what was thought to be an action packed miniseries with Batman fighting future versions of his Robins and has flipped into something which will have an emotional ending.

Mora is just the best. The little things he includes are fantastic such as little bat ears on Batman when he’s “Clayface”. The level of detail an artist will include like that is really appreciated. The best artists do things like make their art the next level.

The next issue is going to be a good one. I have a feeling it will be the “Perchance to Dream” episode from the animated series. Where Bruce has the dreamworld but has to go back into his nightmare reality.

DC K.O.: Knightfight #3

Final Thoughts

Final Score

January 13, 2026 0 comments

Comic Reviews and Editorials

Review: Batman/Green Arrow/The Question: Arcadia #2

by Ian Miller January 9, 2026

written by Ian Miller

In this review of Batman/Green Arrow/The Question: Arcadia #2, as Batman and Green Arrow clash on the frozen wastes, The Question’s investigation heats up underground!

Batman/Green Arrow/The Question: Arcadia #2 main cover by Gabriel Hardman (DC Comics)

BATMAN/GREEN ARROW/THE QUESTION: ARCADIA #2
Written by GABRIEL HARDMAN
Art and Main Cover: GABRIEL HARDMAN
Variant Cover: MAHMUD ASRAR
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: 1/7/26

This review contains spoilers

The Question (Vic Sage), under cover, is press-ganged into “indentured servitude” for the Arcadia project.

Meanwhile, Batman chases Green Arrow (Oliver Queen) across a frozen island near Greenland in the Batplane. Batman attempts to stop the bloodthirsty Captain Billings, billionaire Emil Rotha’s security commander, from killing Green Arrow, but fails. Oliver manages to fight off many of Billings’s troops, but accidentally lands in the ice cold ocean and is captured.

The Question meets members of the Ceres resistance group among the throngs of slaves.

Batman confronts Rotha over Billings’s actions and tries to get Oliver released. Rotha refuses, and tries to sell Batman on his vision of independent nation-state cities in a climate collapse future, hinting at threats to Bruce Wayne who funds Batman as well.

The Question dons his mask at night and goes investigating.

Batman slips into server rooms for some digital files, impressing a security guard superhero fan.

Green Arrow is awakened by his phone, ringing from The Question, who gives him more hints about Ceres. Queen is invited to talk to Rotha while Question heads to the ventilation system. Rotha tries the same speech to Green Arrow as he gave Batman, claiming the slaves are just working off their “debt” and happy to be part of the project. As Green Arrow protests, a huge explosion rocks the compound, injuring Rotha. In the chaos that follows the attack, Billings takes charge and starts shooting the workers he suspects of being Ceres.

The Question finds the group of Ceres members hiding, including their apparent leader, Ashti, and is captured by them.

Batman confronts Green Arrow in his cell, uses acid to break the lock and tells Oliver to leave the island.

The Question uses his last gas pellet to allow Ceres to escape down the sewers, but a drone follows.

Batman and Green Arrow both find huge troop movements in the compound.

The Question and the Ceres members reach their escape vehicle, but the drone leads troops to their position, and many are killed. Green Arrow joins the fight and knocks out the drone and some troops, and calls The Question and Ceres to follow.

Batman tries to reason with the injured Rotha, but discovers that Rotha desires violent retaliation for the assassination attempt, and knows Batman’s secret identity. Disgusted, he finds Green Arrow and The Question and the Ceres members, throwing in his lot with them and giving Oliver his bow and arrows.

Analysis

Gabriel Hardman’s dark sci-fi noir tale takes a very action packed turn, with Batman, Green Arrow, and The Question all deploying their signature strengths against the problem of Arcadia. We get a humorous hint that The Question hid his gear in unmentionable places, a very cool Batplane vs. Green Arrow scene, and Green Arrow and the Question mixing it up with fisticuffs many times throughout the issue. All action is lovingly rendered by Hardman and colorist Romulo Fajardo Jr. There’s a very real love evident for all three characters, despite them all being at odds for most of this chapter of the story. Each perspective gets some play – Batman’s desire to limit damage and death by working with the system, Green Arrow’s outrage at abuse of power, and The Question’s methodical, single-minded detective work. Each character, though, cares about saving people, which inevitably puts them against the rather cartoonishly evil Billings and the less shallow but still ultimately pretty mustache twirling Rotha. I will be very curious to see if Hardman plans to have any future ramifications of the causes that drive Rotha to build the Arcadia projects, or if stopping the ultrapowerful billionaire will be the end of the plot. Given the attempt to view things from different perspectives so far, I hope that the last half of the story will give us some complexity to our admittingly all too believably monstrous villains.

So far, the mundanity of the villains leaves the story feeling a bit generic – though the heroic characterization and beautiful artwork does lift it quite high above many other stories on the shelves. The use of Green Arrow and The Question especially also gives it both a historical connection (to the Fables Annuals project by Denny O’Neil, mentioned last review) and a less frequently deployed character appeal as well as the Batman factor. Still plenty of time for our villains and our Ceres resistance fighters to gain a bit of depth to latch the story to our memories a bit longer than just the gorgeous visuals.

Gabriel Hardman’s main cover features Green Arrow about to loose an arrow at a raging Batman in the snow – a nice transition between issues 1 and 2. The great Phil Hester’s variant shows Batman rock-chimneying up some steel girders as snow falls around him, Green Arrow and Question treading the deep drifts below Batman.

Final Thoughts

Though the overall plot and villain characterization is a bit thin, the characterization of our trio of heroes and the gorgeous artwork maintains a high level of reader enjoyment.

Batman/Green Arrow/The Question: Arcadia #2

Final Thoughts

Though the overall plot and villain characterization is a bit thin, the characterization of our trio of heroes and the gorgeous artwork maintains a high level of reader enjoyment.

3.8

Final Score

January 9, 2026 0 comments

Comic Reviews and Editorials

Review: Batman #5

by Ian Miller January 9, 2026

written by Ian Miller

In this review of Batman #5, as Bruce Wayne takes Dr. Zeller on a date, a lot of assassins are determined that it will not just be their first date, but their last.

Batman #5 main cover by Jorge Jiménez (DC Comics)

BATMAN #5
Written by MATT FRACTION
Art and Main Cover: JORGE JIMÉNEZ
Variant Covers: JIM LEE, JULIAN TOTINO TEDESCO, LEIRIX, JORGE JIMÉNEZ, MITCH GERARDS, DAVID AJA
Page Count: 40 pages
Release Date: 1/7/26

This review contains spoilers

Batman #5 begins as Bruce Wayne picks up Dr. Annika Zeller for their date at the Harborview Wayne Experimental Science Building, and they trade some flirtatious banter as Bruce drives them away…but he also spots some motorcycle driving assassins tailing them! On the way to Little Tokyo, Bruce talks a bit about Dr. Zeller’s mental health technology and his driving skills, but then lets her know of the assassins. Bruce and the Cycle-Sassins engage in a lot of very exciting car chase maneuvers and close calls. After crashing his car, Bruce and Dr. Zeller run down an alley in Little Tokyo, but a scary new assassin lady appears (along with many birds) with glowing swords. Bruce throws Dr. Zeller in a dumpster for safety, but the assassin slices through the dumpster with a sword – which breaks on Bruce’s present to Dr. Zeller.

Bruce kicks the surprised assassin, and is surprised himself when she dodges. His Layer 0 Body Armor blocks a stab from the assassin’s remaining blade, and the assassin lady appears to turn into a flock of birds to move around the battlefield. The Cycle-Sassins arrive, all bearing katanas, apparently scaring the bird assassin lady off. Bruce explains that his present was a cube of titanographene which broke the sword, and the two flee as the bird lady and the Cycle-Sassins battle. They continue running, Bruce putting Dr. Zeller on his back to climb a fire escape. On the rooftop, the bird lady assassin appears again, and Bruce squares up against her, but Robin (Damian Wayne) arrives and launches a Batsnare shock field, causing the lady to morph into birds again and fly off. Robin declares that the lady was “The Ōjō”, someone he studied as a member of the League of Assassins. However, in his pride at scaring off the assassin, Damian lets the word “father” slip in front of Dr. Zeller…

Analysis

Back in 1997, Chuck Dixon and Graham Nolan crafted Detective Comics #711 – and in homage to the 7-11 overnight convenience store chain, had the whole issue be Bruce Wayne running into problems Batman would solve easily, but having to deal with them incognito. Batman #5 from Matt Fraction, Jorge Jimenez, and Tomeu Morey puts Batman in the same situation – though adding the stinger at the end of perhaps revealing Bruce’s secret identity after all. All of the little gadgets and tricks Bruce pulls to save Dr. Zeller from the assassins plays with great dual layer humor and excitement. As Jorge’s main cover promises a very Hitchcockian “wrong man” style chase sequence, Fraction delivers in spades. Though Dr. Zeller isn’t our main point of view character (that’s Bruce), the glimpses we get of her perspective give us the same flustered, brave, frightened, but ultimately defiant response we see from Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll in the great film The 39 Steps.

In addition to the zany but frightening action, Fraction also runs a nice line in almost screwball comedy style flirtatious banter between Bruce and Dr. Zeller. Hopefully the good Doctor sticks around quite a while in this run, as her personality and interactions with Bruce are very winning and enjoyable. Jorge’s art gives both of them stellar expressions all throughout – showcasing a Batman issue without any Batman brilliantly. The storytelling, full of eyelines, complex action beats between panels, and kinetic sequences that almost create visceral sounds as you read, remains simply top notch in this book.

The new character, The Ōjō, highlighted on multiple covers and publicity pieces, seems to be sort of like a Dracula of ravens, cohering and de-cohering (as Damian mentions) in a very cool way. Hopefully some explanation will be forthcoming, and not just “oooh mystical Japanese ninja with magic.” Also hopefully, Fraction won’t go QUITE as overboard with new characters the way Jorge’s first Batman writer did (James Tynion IV) – we’ve gotten the Minotaur and The Ōjō two issues in a row, and while they’re quite cool, a balance between new and old helps to maintain the strength of a run (something Ram V’s Orgham Family did NOT manage to do, despite some very strong appearances of Two-Face and Mr. Freeze). That being said, Fraction has done so well in these first five issues that hopefully he’ll continue on that streak and provide depth, explanations, and motivation for our new villains (and new allies, like Dr. Zeller!)

Jorge Jimenez’s main cover for Batman #5 highlights the “Bruce and Dr. Zeller on the run” in a very 39 Steps fashion, with a huge Ojo head and sword (with Batman reflected in the sword) behind them ominously (this design is also featured as a virgin foil variant). Jim Lee’s variant features the new Damian Wayne Robin design, with a firefly dragon behind him. Julian Totino Tedesco’s lovely painterly cover features Bruce and Dr. Zeller on their date, a Japanese style painting showing the assassination attempt on the wall behind them. Leirix’s variant highlights the new character the Ojo alone, wielding two swords and surrounded by the birds she can transform into.

For his Bat-Gadget variant, Jorge Jimenez provides the Bat-Cowl, featuring the audio wiring, lens option, and microprocessing chips – typically awesome stuff. Mitch Gerads provides a fun, if basic, Sweater Weather variant, featuring Bruce’s smirking chin, a bat-mug of cocoa (or coffee), and a knitted sweater with Joker, Scarecrow, Man-Bat, Killer Croc, and Bane over a cityscape. Jorge Jimenez also provides a design sheet cover for the Ojo, showing his sketches of the new villain in action – quite cool, as all his design variants have been since 2021. Fraction’s Hawkeye collaborator David Aja continues to provide lovely 1 in 25 incentive variants, this time with a raven croaking on Batman’s shoulder, a shuriken in the raven’s word balloon.

Final Thoughts

Full of frenetic action gorgeously rendered and wonderful dialogue between Bruce and Dr. Zeller, this “Date Night” is well worth the outing.

Batman #5

Final Thoughts

Full of frenetic action gorgeously rendered and wonderful dialogue between Bruce and Dr. Zeller, this “Date Night” is well worth the outing.

Final Score

January 9, 2026 0 comments

Comic Reviews and Editorials

Comic Book Review: Poison Ivy #40

by Gareth Turner January 8, 2026

written by Gareth Turner

In this review of Poison Ivy #40, Poison Ivy conducts an environmental terror attack in Gotham City with the Order of the Green Knight before encountering Commissioner Vandal Savage and his new crime prevention “tech czar.”

Poison Ivy #40 main cover by Jessica Fong (DC Comics)

POISON IVY #40
Written by G. WILLOW WILSON
Art by DAVIDE GIANFELICE
Main Cover: JESSICA FONG
Variant Covers: NOOBOVICH, KYUYONG EOM, JOSHUA “SWAY” SWABY, DIBERKATO, DANI
Page Couunt: 32 pages
Release Date: 1/7/26

This comic book review contains spoilers

The Story

Poison Ivy returns to Gotham City to lead a strike on a petrochemical company’s headquarters. The Order of the Green Knight helps her steal the company’s data before wiping it and blowing up the building. When the SWAT team arrives, she surrenders willingly.

At the Police Commissioner’s office, a timid envoy from the mayor’s office comes to serve as an interdepartmental liaison after allegations of police misconduct. Vandal Savage demands that she sits without recording or saying a word. Poison Ivy is brought in and says if Savage does anything to her, he’ll have to answer to the Order of the Green Knight. Savage punches her in the stomach before offering her a deal. He introduces his crime prevention tech czar: Marie Henley and asks Ivy to shadow her to make their environmentally destructive AI surveillance company look less harmful to the public.

Marie takes Ivy on a walk around the city demonstrating how their AI surveillance system works. They engage in a dialectical debate where Marie argues for a hypertechnological police state while Ivy argues for a return to nature. While walking through a protest, a kid hands Ivy a piece of paper on how to run for office.

Once they reach a dilapidated part of town, Marie tells Ivy that another feature of this system is identifying unproductive neighborhoods and shutting off their water supply. Marie threatens to deport Ivy to a foreign asylum if she interferes with their program but in a rage, Ivy attacks her with vines. Off to the side, a young boy records the attack on his cellphone.

Analysis

Poison Ivy #40 really sees G. Willow Wilson leans into her strengths with dynamic and focused storytelling. I think we’re more than due for a change in scenery after Marshview, and Ivy’s return to Gotham City lives up to its promise. Wilson jettisons the book’s side characters for a story focusing exclusively on Ivy’s journey which allows the narrative to laser in on her journey, something I quite appreciated. Ivy’s narration also has a propulsive thriller quality, like an early Chuck Palahniuk novel.

I continue to enjoy the Order as a background element akin to the Weather Underground, and their environmental terrorism definitely has a more coherent vision now that Ivy is calling the shots. No more blowing up random grocery stores. Savage’s appearance was also a welcome addition for me. I love his depiction as a power drunk tyrant and the way he completely rejects the city’s attempts to encroach on his turf. The scene of him punching Poison Ivy was honestly a bit shocking but I assume her brief encounter with the protestor is setting her up for a revenge storyline. I hope we stay in Gotham with these characters a bit, I really appreciate the change of pace and scenery.

Davide Gianfelice takes over art duties from Marcio Takara this week and while I’ll always mourn the absence of Takara, Gianfelice does a very respectable job stepping into his shoes. He fills the book with dutch angles and exaggerated poses, and turns what could’ve been a pedestrian office meeting into one of the most visually stunning stretches of the book. You can read the extremely different emotional states of Savage, Ivy, and the envoy from the mayor’s office so well and I could feel the punch from Savage in my gut with all the motion lines and blur. Savage in general is drawn like a giant Mastiff of something. Finally, the ending fight between Ivy and Marie is awesome for how short it is. For a book that isn’t always known for its fights, Gianfelice gives us a few sick Ivy poses with the vines flying like Absolutely Batman’s ropes.

—–

Poison Ivy #40 is a terrific issue seeing both a change of pace and scenery for the character. By setting up a conflict with Vandal Savage and Gotham City at large, G. Willow Wilson has laid the groundwork for an interesting new direction for this book.

Poison Ivy #40

Final Thoughts

Final Score

January 8, 2026 0 comments

Comic Reviews and Editorials

Review: Absolute Batman: Ark M Special #1

by Kris Burke January 8, 2026

written by Kris Burke

**With Absolute Batman: Ark M Special #1 being the first release in the series for 2026, it’s pretty easy to see why.**

Absolute Batman: Ark M Special #1 main cover by Joshua Hixson (DC Comics)

ABSOLUTE BATMAN: ARK M SPECIAL #1
Written by SCOTT SNYDER and FRANK TIERI
Art and Main Cover: JOSHUA HIXSON
Variant Covers: JAVIER RODRÍGUEZ, RILEY ROSSMO, STEVE SKROCE, JOSHUA HIXSON
Page Count: 32 pages | Variant $5.99 US (card stock)
Release Date: 1/7/2026

Absolute Batman: Ark M Special #1 is a horror film in comic form centered in a Batman universe, it’s executed to perfection. In this story, we get an up close and personal look at this universe’s Amadeus Arkham. It’s been awhile since we’ve gotten a deep dive into Dr. Arkham and this story is one of the most intriguing yet. He’s a well-intentioned man whose facility becomes increasingly dilapidated but also holds a deep, terrible secret that mortifies Dr. Arkham. Oh, and it ends with the reveal of another Absolute version of another villain that I absolutely (no pun intended) cannot wait to see in action.

Absolute Batman: Ark M Special #1 starts with narration from Dr. Arkham reciting an excerpt from his diary. The first image jumping out is him holding one of his books, “Who is Jack the Ripper?” Remember that title, it’ll come in handy as the story progresses.

As he introduces the story, Dr. Arkham also provides a warning to the reader before jumping to 1945. It’s there that we see Dr. Arkham discussing the sale of Arkham Asylum to a prospective buyer, a man with an unknown name. We then go back in time to Arkham’s childhood where his mother is eagerly awaits her husband’s return from the Civil War. She sees a Union soldier approaching the home and assumes it is her husband. It’s not. It’s another soldier informing her of his death.

It’s too much for her to handle and she shoots and kills the soldier in cold blood and that’s not even the horrifying part of the story. She then turns the gun and shoots and kills her own children, but spares Amadeus before killing herself. It’s never explained why, which makes the scene somehow even more morbid. That moment of mercy towards him inspires Arkham into a lifetime of helping others like his mother. He builds what’s now known as Arkham Asylum and we see the facility operate much more normally than we have in 99.9% of Batman stories, regardless of which universe they occur in.

Until he comes across HIM.

“He” happens to be a patient known as “Jack Doe” any Batman fan knows anyone in Arkham named Jack Doe could be or has some connection to a certain clown. Jack has already killed and mutilated several people but Arkham says he was the patient he wanted to help the most. Later on, a boy approaches the asylum covered in blood and Arkham takes him under his wing. The boy immediately becomes fascinated with everything Arkham does. You immediately begin to wonder who this boy is and who he will become. The boy is even taunted and held hostage by Jack Doe before he’s released during a standoff with a guard. The buyer now asks Arkham about the infamous breakout after Arkham initially denies knowing what the buyer was talking about before finally admitting it happened. Arkham is convinced Jack did it and is terrified realizing Jack probably would go after the boy Arkham felt was his son. He goes and finds the boy’s room empty and bloody. Arkham (and the reader) presumes Jack took the boy and killed him.

We arrive back in 1945 again and Arkham assumes Jack is the infamous serial killer Jack the Ripper. The buyer asks to see the furnace room where the iates escaped from during the breakout

This is the big twist: he sees not one but TWO walls re-bricked. Arkham never noticed the second. The buyer then asks him what else he never noticed and whispers in his ear before leaving. It stopped Arkham cold he couldn’t sleep the entire night. He gets the boy’s teddy bear and sets it on fire via the furnace before burning the asylum to the ground…with patients still inside. This is the insane Amadeus Arkham fans know. We reach the end of the journal entry and see Arkham is sending it to Captain Flash of Gotham Police, hoping it will stop not Jack but…the boy he once called his son.

After letting out a “Wow!”, we are now taken to the modern “Ark M.” to a man smiling behind a desk.

We also learn Arkham goes down to the furnace room to open the second hole that was repaired. The suspense as a reader at this point is almost too much. Inside that hole we find…. The body of Jack Doe! We learn now that boy is indeed Jack Grimm, this universes’s Joker. Absolute Batman: Ark M Special #1 ends with Batman kicking butt and we’re teased several members of this universes’s rogues gallery we haven’t met yet but that wasn’t the big reveal.

Meet Absolute Deathstroke.

Analysis

Absolute Batman: Ark M Special #1 is a wonderfully morbid and exciting start to Absolute Batman in 2026. It’s a little bit of Gotham by Gaslight mixed with the rest of this series and it kept me on the very edge of my seat the entire read. Joshua Hixson’s art is perfect for this environment. It actually gave me some vibes from Grant Morrison’s classic Arkham Asylum story. I don’t know how much higher praise I can give it.

Despite not having much Batman in it, Absolute Batman: Ark M Special #1 kept me hooked. I figured it would have some connection to the issues that came before it but the fact that reveal really wasynt until the end actually made the experience much more enjoyable. That means that if you’re picking up this issue for your first dive into this series, you don’t necessarily need to read every issue before it.

That’s the sign of a good special issue.

Final Thoughts

Not having enough Batman usually holds an issue back, but that wasn’t the case for me anyway. I COULD see it being a problem for others, so be warned if you’re one of them. That said, the story is so darn good I really don’t think a vast majority of people in that crowd will mind. Scott Snyder again shows why he’s one of my favorite Batman writers (yep, I loved his whole New 52 run even if Bloom was shaky) and Hixson’s art is too shelf.

Absolute Batman: Ark M Special #1

Final Thoughts

Scott Snyder again shows why he's one of my favorite Batman writers (yep, I loved his whole New 52 run even if Bloom was shaky) and Hixson's art is top shelf.

4.5

Final Score

January 8, 2026 0 comments

Newer Posts

Older Posts