Written by: Chip Zdarsky
Art by: Mike Hawthorne, Adriano Di Bendetto
Colors by: Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Letters by: Clayton Cowles
Cover art by: Salvador Larrocca, Matt Herms (cover A)
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: September 4, 2024
Batman #152, by DC Comics on 9/4/24, sends Batman and Catwoman on the most unusual game of tag while they try to recover Amanda Waller's Mother Box on Czarnia while chased by the Suicide Squad.
Is Batman #152 Good?
Chip Zdarsky's time on Batman may be drawing to a close, but he's doing his darndest to make the remaining issues as wild and full of crazy action as possible. Batman #152 may not be the most meaningful Absolute Power tie-in or the smartest, but what it lacks in sense, it makes up for in over-the-top action.
When last we left the Caped Crusader in Batman #151, Batman and Catwoman infiltrated a U.S. military base to find and steal the Mother Box Amanda Waller is hiding. Their plan mostly works, but what they didn't expect is that the Mother Box's portal tech opens a gateway to Czarnia, where the graves of Waller's deceased family are resting inside a protective dome. Further, members of the Suicide Squad guard the plots with orders to kill anyone who arrives who doesn't have the last name of Waller.
In Batman #152, the Absolute Power tie-in arc continues. Batman and Catwoman begin a deadly game of Tag to escape the Suicide Squad, composed of Gunsmith, Black Alice, Deadeye, and a partially cybernetically reconstructed Bizarro, within a small space.
Batman uses every tool in his utility belt to evade getting shot or worse, while Catwoman races to disarm the time on the encased Mother Box. Unfortunately, Catwoman isn't fast enough, and the timer goes off. Strangely, the timer doesn't explode but instead removes the mausoleum over the Mother Box.
If it wasn't clear by now, Chip Zdarsky attacks this issue with frantic action and a high pace. You have to suspend an unreasonable amount of disbelief to accept that Batman escaped capture or death by the likes of Bizarro and Black Alice in a space the size of a typical suburban backyard, but here we are. To be fair, Zdarsky compensates that disbelief with the fast-paced action reasonably well.
Batman holds his own against the Suicide Squad long enough until everyone realizes the true threat of the Mother Box's timer. Removing the force field allowed several lethal swarms of Czarnian insects to get in, and exposure of the Mother Box allowed its presence to be detected by the last person Batman wants to see... Darkseid.
That's right. Chip Zdarsky goes from unreasonable suspension of disbelief to "Aww, come on! Really!? You're pulling the Darkseid card now?!?" this issue quickly becomes the comic equivalent of "everything and the kitchen sink" to distract away from the super-thin plot.
The issue ends with one Squad member dying, but not by Suicide, Deadeye finding out just how heartless his aunt, Amanda Waller, really is, and Batman taking a moment to get his act together.
What's great about Batman #152? Readers who are fans of mindless, kinetic action will probably get a kick out of this issue. Chip Zdarsky crams every zig, zag, and attempt at a wow moment that can be squeezed into this issue to make it as entertaining as possible. Does this tie-in matter to the Absolute Power event? Not much beyond the recovery of the Mother Box, but it's not the worst tie-in.
What's not great about Batman #152? As mentioned, you have to suspend enough disbelief to believe in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy all at once. Fast-paced action is good when integrated into a solid story, never as a substitute. Zdarsky invokes more Bat-God nonsense to try and convince you that Batman can get out of any situation, and it just doesn't fly here.
How's the Art? Mike Hawthorne and Adriano Di Benedetto deliver perfectly decent visuals to sell Zdarsky's script as much as possible. The action is certainly engaging, and the more absurd moments are almost made believable by the choreography.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Final Thoughts
Batman #152 is a thrill ride of nearly silly proportions. Chip Zdarsky throws everything and the kitchen sink at Batman to get the Caped Crusader out of the painted corner Zdarsky put him in. At least the art team does their level best to sell the action and cover for the paper-thin plot.
6/10
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