Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Batman #10 Review



Breaking Great

Written by: Tom King
Art by: Mikel Janin, June Chung and Clayton Cowles
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: November 2, 2016

Last issue of Batman was some pretty kick ass setup for Batman and his Suicide Squad. The Team may be a bit strange, but that's the main reason that I'm so pumped going into this issue.  The group and the fact that they are heading to Santa Prisca to face Bane is just so damn cool that I really couldn't wait the two weeks between issues.  I'm telling you, that hasn't been happening lately.  So, now that the issue is here, was it worth the wait?  Let's find out...


The issue opens with Batman (or is it?) flying into Santa Prisca airspace with a message for Bane...hand over Psycho Pirate or get your damn back broken.  Of course, Bane is not really going for that and his men shoot Batman down and then surround him.  Seriously, it's about 100 to 1 and Batman ends up pretty beaten up and on the ground before Bane himself.

While all this is going on, we get a printed narration by Catwoman that gives an awesome look at this Rebirth Selina Kyle and also answers the questions why, when and how did she kill 237 people.  It was touching and satisfying as well.  It doesn't make her a hero...or does it?




Back to Batman, Bane is having his way with him and really, the dialogue here is so great. Tom King gives the hulking villain the voice of intelligence that many forget to give him and after Batman repeats his line about Psycho Pirate and breaking backs, Bane puts him in the hole that was his personal hell for a good portion of his life.  It is another one of those moments that Tom King has expertly set up and it makes it that much better.

While the Selina Kyle narration tying Bruce Wayne's and her childhood is awesome, I have to admit that Batman is the most intriguing part of the issue.  More specifically, why he keeps repeating himself.  I do have some theories which I will talk about in a bit, but as the issue goes, we get a prolonged sequence of Batman escaping from Bane's prison.




The issue ends with the Selina narration hoping for a future for her and Bruce and the team heading off to...Break Bane's Back!!!  This is such a fast moving issue and please don't judge the book by the length of this review.  The issue has no wasted space and answers questions while giving the reader a big mystery that may not even turn out to be a mystery at all.

Okay, before going on, I will give a quick theory of what's going on...

I don't think that we are seeing Batman in this issue at all.  We were introduced to Punch last issue as a man who escaped Santa Prisca as well as being a master of disguise.  I think that Punch was pretending to be Batman to keep Bane occupied while Bronze Tiger, Batman and Jewlee were off doing their part of the plan.  As for the one-line we keep getting, I'd love to think that's where the Ventriloquist comes in, but him being able to say his "B's" threw me off there.  Again, this is just the theory from someone who usually gets this stuff wrong!

I really liked this issue and while the Selina Kyle stuff is the best part, everything else is a close second.  While I fell into the trap of wondering why the hell Batman picked this band of misfits to face Bane, Tom King is showing the tactical side of the Dark Knight who is always prepared.  Well done.




I mentioned two things last issue...I love Mikel Janin's art, but thought he "dumbed it down" a bit to fit the overall style of this series.  He steps it up this issue and while I still don't think it's up to his "Grayson" standards just yet, it's getting pretty damn close.  The detail in his Batman is just awesome!

Bits and Pieces:

While the I Am Suicide story is a little more subtle than I thought it would be, this issue hit most of the right notes for me and left me satisfied while still wanting so much more.  Selina Kyle stole the show while hardly being in the issue and Batman kicks ass...and may not have been in the issue either.  Tom King and Mikel Janin are turning what could be a straight up action fest into a smart and intriguing mystery.  Sure, there is still action, but it's everything else that has me waiting in anticipation for the next chapter.

8.5/10


21 comments:

  1. I think this is a beautifully crafted issue. I really like the way the King tells the story in this issue. I would have liked a little more meat to the story, but Tom King has done so well with this series so far, I trust what he's building.

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  2. Wost part of this issue is i have to wait 2 weeks for the next one, honestly i can't see anyone hating on this he unbroke his own back yes, tom king is definitely coming out as the voice of the bat family imo

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  3. I liked everything but the dialog. Batman especially felt really off.

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    1. Thing is...I don't think that is Batman

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    2. The thing with the dialog is that King seems to love selling emotion with repetition. What I take from this issue is that Batman is pissed and determined as hell. Him repeating this is almost like him keeping himself calm because he's so angry and he knows what he has to do. It's like when Gotham Girl was going around Gotham, but now with Batman and a different emotion. King really loves his repetition and he is really damn good at it.

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    3. Ok the whole time Batman keeps repeating the same line over and over and getting his ass kicked I thought, "it's not Bruce. It's someone else." But who? But by the end when Selina says the plan worked perfectly I figured ok maybe it is Bruce? And what's with all the black lines in your review, Jim? Did you redact your theory?

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    4. Freni, if you highlight the black section you can see what he wrote. Some blogs do that to hide spoilers...

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    5. As for the repetition, all I could think of was "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."

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    6. yea, I should have put a bit about highlighting it...I hate to spoil things and it is just a theory.

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  4. I am glad you made something of this. I was so lost and just chalked it up to one of those that will make perfect sense once the entire story is in place.

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    1. don't count on me being right! Though, I hope I am

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  5. So I just gave up on reading all the cursive text on every panel and I loved it. Art was insane 9 out a 10.

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  6. Art was so dope! It felt bronze age with a mondern twist.

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    1. I really do love Mikel Janin's art...but he still can do better.

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  7. After enduring years of Scott Snyder's mopey, pissy, little bitch, Tom king has brought Batman back to greatness. Loving this series ("Monster Men" excluded, of course)!

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  8. IDK if it's because I tried to read this at 1 in the morning after a 12 hour shift but until they were talking about kissing for some reason I thought the diary pages were written by Bane
    After a 2nd reading the next day 8.5/10

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