Comic Review: Batman (2016-) #128

DC Comics

Write: Chip Zdarsky

Artist: Jorge Jiminez

Colorist: Tomeu Morey

Letterer: Clayton Cowles

Chip Zdarsky’s work on Batman is moving at a much quicker pace compared to his recent Daredevil issues. Batman #128 is another extended action sequence featuring a number of DC heroes, and this one ends with a significant narrative escalation.

Zdarksy’s knowledge of the Batman world and Bruce Wayne as a character cannot be questioned. His inner monologue is pitch perfect. Wayne, verging on death, delivers cool analytics assessments of his friend Clark’s chances of undoing one of Bruce’s greatest follies: the Failsafe program. “The x-ray once-over,” he remarks, then knowingly adds, “Useless thanks to the lead I surely built into it.” Zdarsky allows Wayne only a modicum of pathos when it comes to examining his own physical and mental state: “I can’t save my friend. My body is finished.”

Despite the grim circumstances, Zdarsky’s Failsafe arc has so far served as a celebration of all things Batman, including his extended family. “Only my friends can save me,” words I wonder if Bruce could ever utter aloud. It’s an even more surprising, enjoyable twist on lonely, brooding crusader tropes considering a “Dark Knight rides alone” tale seemed like exactly the story Zdarsky was setting out to tell just a few issues back.

Instead, Zdarsky’s inaugural arc on the proper Batman book has evolved from a story about Burce’s past, to his present with the Bat family, to his legacy with Gotham and the Justice League. Yet, Zdarsky’s story remains completely entwined in the actions and inner-workings of Bruce; every heroic attempt his friends make is to save him and his city, each of their failures and fatal wounds are impressed upon his psyche, more mistakes Bruce will spend a lifetime paying off.

While Zdarsky’s ability to tell an effective Batman story that has mainly involved Batman getting his butt kicked and his friends doing their damndest to haul his broken body around is no doubt impressive, comic fans should be picking up this book based on art alone. Jorge Jiminez is truly a master, with bold colors and stylish characters that cut evenly between modern and classic, the perfect complement to Zdarky’s story. Jiminez largely eschews traditional layouts, opting for big, angled panels supported by smaller squares and rectangles that never distract or confuse. However, he knows when to hold the kinetic energy and let the image speak for itself: a standard square panel depicting Batman sprawled unconscious over a dying Superman is a beautiful, memorable shot.

Despite all the fun and tension of Batman #128, Zdarsky’s story might be becoming too big for its own good, unless the writer is under a 12 issue contract or something similarly short. The idea of yet another “Gotham has fallen” story is worthy of a shrug at best. The relationship between Bruce and Failsafe is still impossibly personal, but the story could very quickly take on the weight of an event book. Even so, the fallout of this catastrophe will not come on Lex Luthor, an alien race, or some faceless entity of evil we’ll forget in a month. This is Bruce’s mess, and there’s a good chance Zdarsky is sending Bruce to the absolute bottom before he can rebuilt in Chip’s image, similar to his path with Matt Murdock.

So, what’s the plan, Batman?