In this review of Batman #149, Bruce deals with the aftermath of the battle against Zur en Arrh, especially with the clone of himself that was turned into a twisted vision of Robin…
This review contains spoilers
Batman #149 main cover by Jorge Jimenez
Batman #149
Main Story: “A Good Fantasy”
Writer: Chip Zearsky
Artist: Michele Bandini
Colors: Nick Filardi
Main Cover: Jorge Jimenez
Variant Covers: Gabriele Dell’otto, Belen Ortega, Dan Panosian, Steve Lieber/Nathan Fairbairn
Release Date: June 18th, 2024
Two weeks after the end of “Dark Prisons”, Zur en Arrh’s Bruce Wayne clone Robin fights crime in Gotham alleyways, and Batman stops him and embraces him. Bruce takes him to the cave under the brownstone and runs tests, revealing that clone Bruce has manipulated memories from Bruce’s life, and he’s aging at an incredible rate. Clone Bruce admits that Zur planned to let him die and put another clone in his place, so none of the “Robins” could ever break free of his control. Damian tells Bruce that he’s going to get the Failsafe body back from Amanda Waller, but Bruce feels his priority has to be the clone for now. Batman takes Tim Drake Robin to Zur’s base, where they search for a cure to clone Bruce’s aging, and Bruce talks about the fallout in his mind and heart after Zur’s attacks. Back at the brownstone, clone Bruce notices Bruce’s robot hand, and Bruce, slowly gaining Zur’s memories, realizes that Zur had secret accounts with more than 3 billion dollars. When he comes back to the brownstone, Tim and Damian tell Bruce that clone Bruce has cut off his hand for Bruce to use.
Dick Grayson arrives, meeting Damian, Tim, Barbara, and Mr. Terrific, but none of them can figure out a solution to clone Bruce’s aging. Clone Bruce, now very, very old, says he doesn’t want to die underground, so Bruce (sporting weeks worth of beard) takes him outside to watch the sunset in the yard of Wayne Manor. Clone Bruce dies, saying that a good life is helping and being helped, and Bruce thanks his clone.
Vandal Savage lights up the Batsignal, offering to let Bruce be Batman if he just does some jobs for him. Batman blows up the Batsignal in response, punches Vandal, and says he’s going to take him down.
Analysis:
After the non-stop high intensity of Mindbomb, Joker Year One, and Dark Prisons, Zdarsky takes this issue as a one-shot examination of Batman’s mission, themes, as well as a fun classic Batman and Robin action in a dark Gotham alleyway, with a twist! The tale of clone Bruce was touching and fun – a really nice way for Zdarsky to have Bruce reflect on his own memories and what Batman means – particularly in clone Bruce’s final words – “To help and be helped” is a good life. Similar to Zdarsky’s work on Daredevil, that lasered in on Daredevil’s heart to help others, we see his grasp of Batman as a hero – one who inspires because he helps others. And also dresses as a bat and is very cool. But mostly because he helps others, and slowly learns to accept help from those he inspires.
The sense of “putting the toys back in the toybox” is strong in this issue, with Bruce’s severed hand being fixed by the clone Bruce’s sacrifice, Zur en Arrh being said to be completely wiped from Failsafe. With Tom Taylor, Ram V, Tini Howard, and Josh Williamson all ending their run on Bat-books in September, it’s looking like a complete relaunch of the Bat-line, possibly under Katie Kubert’s hand, possibly as the start of a new Bat-editorial’s tenure. No announcement from Zdarsky, unlike the other four who are leaving, so it’s possible that he’s staying for a final arc, but I hope he’s able to finish up the way he wanted. He said back at the beginning of his run that he had about 2-3 years planned, up to about 2025, and it’s quite possible that the end of this year will see the end of his run. A shame for me, personally, if true, as I’ve generally enjoyed the run quite a bit. Lower points like The Bat-Man of Gotham or of course Gotham War are more than balanced out by the high-energy fun of Failsafe, the Tim Drake multiverse backups, and the last year of increasingly dark Zur en Arrh stories. Zdarsky’s managed to write a Bruce who is very flawed, but also very loveable, and juggle the Batfamily pretty well, giving everyone their moment to shine (even if it’s also clear that he loves Tim Drake the best).
Artist Michele Bandini draws very appealing characters – and has since I first encountered his work in Amazing Spider-Man by Nick Spencer and the Insomniac Spider-Man video game adaptation. While the clean lines and layouts don’t have the same absolutely brilliant energy of Jorge Jimenez’s work, they work perfectly for the quieter story, while also emphasizing the darker emotions of the opening. Veteran colorist Nick Filardi returns to the Bat-titles after a long absence and knocks it out of the park – from the dark, high contrast lighting of the Gotham alleyway and rooftops, to the intensely warm and sweet hues of the sunset as clone Bruce dies. Artistically, the book remains in top form as usual, and if one can’t have Jorge on the interiors, Bandini is more than sufficient for a good Batman story.
Backup Story:
Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Artist: Steve Lieber
Colors: Nick Filardi
The Batfamily gathers in civilian clothes, starting with Dick and Babs, joined by Damian and Duke, Cass, Steph, and Tim, and they wind up at an old, broken down mansion Bruce is fixing up. He tells his kids that it’s the Lohmuller Mansion, taken over by the Joker. Bruce plans to convert the buildings around the mansion into affordable housing, charities, and gardens for the public, and rename the house “Pennyworth Manor.” He invites the kids to consider Pennyworth Manor their new home, too, saying they’re not an army, but a family. He wants Batman and the Batfamily, as well as the Wayne family, to live in Gotham, not outside it. He tells Dick that getting old with his family is a good fantasy.
Later that night, as he receives the coffin for clone Bruce and buries it, Selina arrives. They laugh about the weirdness of their lives (his clone, her space adventures in Tini Howard’s run), and Bruce apologizes for his actions during Gotham War. He asks if Selina wants to move in with the rest of the family, and she turns him down, but comes in to see the house and his plans nonetheless.
Backup Analysis:
Though not officially labeled a backup (indeed, the title at the beginning references a line near the end of this portion of the story), the sharp cutoffs in setting, theme, and of course the change in artist means I think it should be reviewed as one. Zdarsky is setting up a new status quo for Batman and the Batfamily – instead of being a millionaire in a brownstone with the family scattered, Zdarsky’s given Bruce his money and his hand back, and given him a project to revitalize part of Gotham and make an impact as the Waynes with his family around him. Reminiscent of Tom Taylor’s work in Nightwing as Dick Grayson inherits Alfred’s fortune and uses it to establish charities and community in Bludhaven, this has a more Bruce flavor to it, even as it also pays homage to the beloved Alfred and his impact on Bruce and the family. It’s great to see the Batfamily, including of course Catwoman, find a new space with Batman, and I hope that however much time Zdarsky has left on the title, he manages to make this status quo stick for a while even after he leaves. The character writing is pitch perfect for each character, though some commentators have been irritated that Jason doesn’t show up in this backup story. Given his huge role in the last issue, and the potential for Jason to play a big part in Absolute Power, my guess is that Zdarsky wasn’t able to include him, but not that he considers Jason “not part of the family” at all.
Classic artist Steve Lieber (who drew one of the first comics I remember reading as a kid, Detective Comics #767) draws this 8 page backup, once again colored by Nick Filardi (confirmed on twitter). His clean lines have humor and a bite to them that Bandini’s don’t have. Not that Bandini’s characters and faces don’t have expression and pungency, but Lieber has such a finely honed sense of comedy, appeal and ugliness, and linework that it’s cool seeing how he manages to imbue so much life into minor interactions between the Batfamily in their civilian clothes. Plus, he throws in absolutely beautiful touches like the shadow of the Batman as Bruce receives the coffin. The interactions between Bruce and Selina are also pitch purrfect – flirty, romantic, wistful, regretful – all the emotion of the dialogue is impeccably enhanced by Lieber and Filardi’s skilled work. All in all, this short 8 page backup provides a perfectly conceived and executed new status quo for Batman and the Batfamily, and I hope that it proves durable for a few years, come what may.
Series main artist Jorge Jimenez provides our main cover, a nicely rendered image of Bruce facing Batman with his mask off – a nice reference to the interior story of Bruce dealing with his own clone. Gabriele Dell’Otto’s variant features Bane pushing Batman down, instead of raising him up, a somewhat novel framing of the arch-rivals! Frequent backup artist Belen Ortega (of the Trinity backups in Wonder Woman and the Catwoman backup that Zdarsky started this series out with) draws a Bruce lit all in red kneeling in contemplative fashion against a backdrop of blue smoke and red sky. Dan Panosian’s 1-in-25 incentive is a gorgeous Batman marching towards the reader through an alleyway lit in golden glow. Lastly, interior backup artist and all time classic Batman artist Steve Lieber provides the 1-in-50 incentive variant featuring a carefully selected array of objects – a bad, a skull, a glove (hinting at Batman’s hand shenanigans in the issue), the utility belt, and of course, a photo of the Waynes and Martha’s pearls.
Editor’s Note: DC Comics provided TBU with an advance copy of this comic for review purposes. You can find this comic and help support TBU in the process by purchasing it this issue digitally on Amazon or a physical copy of the title through Things From Another World.
