I Am Batman (2021-) Vol. 3: The Right Question

I Am Batman

by John Ridley, Christian Duce (Inker), Rex Lokus (Colorist)

Following the brutal, random killing of a FoxTech employee, the Foxes gather in New York for a family dinner to try to do the one thing they have been unable to do for tell each other the truth about all their secrets and lies. The shocking finale introduces new heroes and villains, and has Jace go head-to-head with Sinestro! Collecting I Am Batman #11-18. 

Genres: Comics, Batman, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics

209 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 26, 2023

About the author

John Ridley IV (born October 1965)[2] is an American screenwriter, television director, novelist, and showrunner, known for 12 Years a Slave, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He is also the creator and showrunner of the critically acclaimed anthology series American Crime. His most recent work is the documentary film Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982–1992.


Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
This profile may contain books from multiple authors of this name.

Reviews

[Khurram]

This has been my favourite "I Am Batman" book. I am not a fan of the recent trend in comics to have two or more versions of established heroes and heroines. However, I thought this was the volume where Jace really comes into his own as his version of Batman. I also think the supporting cast is great. They really made this book great for me. The only annoying thing for me is not that I sm really into this series it I'd over? Doh!!!

The fallout from a Batman being in New York, a number of questions need to be answered. An un-civil war in the police department, political manoeuvring, and more "masks" appearing is New York the new Gotham? Also, family secrets will be revealed. Can the Fox family survive the revelations?

I really hope I get to see more of all the characters in this book. There are a lot of questions and angles that need to be addressed. I am just not sure where. I guess I will have to see how the dust settles from the Dawn of DC. The book finishes with a great varient covers gallery.

[Vinicius]

Review da edição 12 brasileira de Batman especial (issues de 11-15)

Continuando a história exatamente onde o ultimo encadernado parou, temos o seguinte cenário: o departamento de policia está dividido, a força tarefa Batman perdeu prestigio, a figura do Batman se tornou duvidosa na visão da população, e o prefeito está sendo questionado a respeito de seus possíveis crimes. Além disso, sem um comissário de polícia, o departamento de policia que já estava bagunçado, agora lida com a falta de liderança e a desconfiança interna.

É nesse cenário que Renee Montoya chega em Nova York e é convidada para ser a nova Comissária de Polícia. Porém, ela foi à NY para agir segundo outras intenções: investigar o assassinato do Anarquia (visto durante o Estado de Medo). É dessa forma que a parceria entre o Batman e a Questão tem início.

É interessante ver a interação entre esses personagens no que tange o questionamento envolvendo a Questão sobre o Jace, sendo que a maneira que ocorre não é da Montoya para o Jace, mas sim do próprio Jace ficando paranoico com o que a Questão pode pensar ou interpretar dele agindo como Batman. Logo, as auto reflexões que ele faz e a maneira como ele começa a agir visando corresponder a alguma expectativa e justificar que ele é um bom Batman, se tornam algo bem interessante.

Além disso, com a chegada da Questão em Nova York, a polícia, o prefeito, a mídia e outros agentes, começam a tecer comentários sobre mais um mascarado atuando na cidade, logo após uma série de crimes cometido por um vilão que se inspirava no Batman. Reflexões em torno dessa questão dos vigilantes são levantadas e são bem desenvolvidas.

Ademais, há uma boa exploração da família Fox vivendo em NY, com a mãe de Jace criando uma instituição que ajuda mulheres desamparadas; assim como as irmãs de Jace, que estão lutando contra seus fantasmas internos e do passado, visando começar uma nova vida na cidade.

Contudo, mesmo a história sendo legal e havendo elementos de investigação que me agradam, acho que houve uma tentativa de dar um plot twist em cima de outro a respeito do assassino do Anarquia, que achei desnecessário. Mesmo sendo obvio o caminho que a história seguindo, trabalhando policias corruptos, estava bem amarrada. A tentativa de ir além acabou me perdendo um pouco.

Review da edição 13 brasileira de Batman especial (issues de 16-18)

Um encerramento chocante, cativante e instigante para o Batman Jace Fox, que ao longo de suas 18 edições conseguiu permear diversas temáticas, e agora, retorna com drama familiar que fora trabalhado desde a Guerra Coringa.

Tudo começa com uma execução impiedosa, no meio da rua, de um funcionário da FoxTec, que trabalhava diretamente com a mãe de Jace. Após isso, outros incidentes começam a ocorrer com outros funcionários e envolvidos com a família Fox, até culminar em um sequestro que traz a tona um dos maiores segredos de Lucius Fox e sua família.

Nesse sentido, a trama vai além da ação e do combate ao crime característica do Batman, conseguindo trabalhar muito bem questões familiares e os drama do personagem. Assim, além do personagem já ser inseguro consigo mesmo, ele ganha mais um elemento com o qual se preocupar.

Contudo, mesmo a trama conseguindo trabalhar bem as motivações dos personagens e conduzir bem a trama, alguns elementos expostos parecem ser forçados ou executados de maneira rápida e simplória, tornando-o a trama menos convincente em alguns momentos.

Além dessa trama, o encadernado compila 3 edições de Batman Urban Legends, sendo o grande destaque a edição focada no Sinal e nos Renegados, que buscam resolver uma questão que está em aberto desde a Guerra Coringa: o desaparecimento da mãe do Sinal.

As outras duas histórias da revista Batman Urban Legends trazem uma edição focada na Cassandra Cain, que é bem rápida; enquanto a ultima história é sobre um Batman do futuro – bem diferente do Batman do Futuro tradicional – que é bem esquecível.

[Frédéric]

Two arcs in this final volume. The first started ok but Tiff’s way of handling things got me out of it. Did we really need a new sidekick?
I’ll mercifully skip the useless Dark Crisis filler.
Then the second arc... The soapish family secret is as ridiculous as it’s just plain dumb. Jace’s real mother is actually an Asian woman! I’m pretty sure african/asian children would bear some physical characteristics of both parents.

Art is Christian Duce again so it’s vaguely serviceable.

And so the series is cancelled. I’m afraid I won’t shed no tears. It started honorably with some interesting ideas and characters and I liked the idea of a Black Batman and Jace’s motivations. But whether rushed or not to fit in the number of issues allowed this book clearly shows it was going to go down the drain faster than a batarang.

[Chad]

The Question comes to New York when Renee Montoya considers becoming the NYC Police Commissioner. There's a lot of complicated stuff in this volume about bias and racism that like life doesn't really get resolved. Then we get a little Dark Crisis issue that seems out of place. It's followed up by more family drama as Jace learns yet another family secret. This one doesn't make much sense to me just because of how hard it would be to physically hide. When someone has a kid with someone from another race, they rarely don't have ANY physical traits of that other race. That's just how genetics work. So if someone's mother is really Asian instead of black, it's going to come out before the person is an adult unless everyone in the family is blind. It doesn't mean they'll be loved any less, but kids are smart enough to ask questions.

[Ross]

'Black Batman' is back for more....

More whiny police officers
More whiny family members
More internal insecurities
More (some could say EXTREME AMOUNTS) self loathing

Wow. It took them 18 issues to have him settle into this 'other' Batman role? The previous volume was all about the move to NYC and how ill-fit he was as a police liaison. This volume follows shortly after the previous and he's even MORE uncertain of his place in...well....anything? His family is a mess. His relationship(?) is a side note. He even blows off Jonathan Kent at the start of Dark Crisis.

Highlights for this volume?
* Renee Montoya ...passes the torch(?)
* Sinestro shows up in his Dark Crisis, black chains look...
* Jace finally finds a groovy Batcave of his own
* Nobody gets called 'Robin'

---
Bonus: Dark Crisis Sinestro is seriously OP
Bonus Bonus: So, is it Nobody...or Question?

[Chris Lemmerman]

With help from The Question, Jace faces off against police corruption, his true identity, and Sinestro, of all people.

This final volume collects the last eight issues of the series. The momentum's built nicely, and John Ridley feels like he's really gotten into the groove. Jace feels like a whole character now, and his supporting cast are well-established. Things do wrap up a little too quick, especially in terms of Tiffany's evolution, but I guess that's what happens when your series gets cut short.

Christian Duce handles most of the art, with some assistance from Eduardo Pansica, so the art's just as solid as it has been, which is nice.

Just when I Am Batman gets going, it ends, as is the way. I do hope this isn't the end of Jace's story, because he really did prove why he was a character worth being invested in over the course of the series.

[Jamie]

Good book and a satisfying ending to the series. While I felt the book started off kind of slow and not very well, it picked up and then got more interesting with each issue. I was surprised with the sorta plot twist near the end, but at the same time it didn’t feel like it mattered that much in the end and could have been explored a little better?
The artwork is good like the last 2 volumes and it’s mostly written pretty well. It was cool seeing Batman work with The Question, but I felt this end to the series was a little rushed and was missing an interesting big villain. I also didn’t like the way they portrayed Lucius Fox has a power hungry abuser….
Overall, pretty good book that I’d recommend to any Batman fan. I’m glad I read this series.

[Joel Hansen]

I was excited to read this volume. I enjoyed volumes 1 and 2 (volume 2 especially), but this one started out pretty slow, characters tying up a few loose ends. The last part of this was good, though. Some more character development, secrets revealed that had been hinted at for the whole series. Jace Fox is my favorite non-Bruce Batman and brings his own unique set of motivations and prejudices. It’s a refreshing take.

[Scott]

If you thought Robert Pattinson's Batman was emo, wait until you meet Jon Sn---I mean, Jace Fox's Batman.

[Toby]

Fun alternate Batman storyline where he leaves Gotham for New York and struggles to find his identity within his family and community.

[James]

I Am Batman Vol. 3

Pretty good series so far, Jace makes a pretty good Batman but still learning. Got a new Robin in training, maybe and his mother turn out not his mother.

[Kris Ritchie]

An ok end to an ok series. Probably won't leave any lasting impressions.

[Logan Polk]

An absolute blast