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Batman (2016)
Batman Vol. 5: The Dying City (Batman
Under the stewardship of Zdarsky and Jiménez and featuring art from some of the biggest names incomics, a bold new chapter for the Caped Crusader unfolds that will rock Gotham City to its core.Collects Batman #153-157 and the lead story from Batman #150
Kindle Edition
First published May 6, 2025
18 people are currently reading
154 people want to read
About the author
Chip Zdarsky
883 books867 followersChip Zdarsky is a Canadian comic book artist and journalist. He was born Steve Murray but is known by his fan base as Chip Zdarsky, and occasionally Todd Diamond. He writes and illustrates an advice column called Extremely Bad Advice for the Canadian national newspaper National Post's The Ampersand, their pop culture section's online edition. He is also the creator of Prison Funnies and Monster Cops.
Source: Wikipedia.
Source: Wikipedia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
July 14, 2025
Maybe the city should, like, take some vitamins or something.
February 5, 2025
Nothing out of this world, but probably the best Zdarsky’s run has been in a long time. Jim and Bruce are decently characterised, and it is their dynamic which aims to carry a rather weak plot. There are twists and turns which try to keep readers on their toes, but the status quo is somewhat reset by the end, and the effect of the more permanent plays have yet to provide any real substance. Moving back into the right direction, it is more of a stepping stone which will hopefully start a ripple of quality to come than a masterpiece to be remembered.
August 16, 2025
3.3 stars
Not a bad but not a great ending to Chip Zdarsky’s Batman run. It didn’t help that every issue was drawn by a different artist.
Not a bad but not a great ending to Chip Zdarsky’s Batman run. It didn’t help that every issue was drawn by a different artist.
November 1, 2025
I really enjoyed this book. One of the things I really liked is that the majority of the last few Batman books were more about the Bat-family or the guest stars it was great to have a solo Batman adventure. It was also great to see Batman win fights again.
Gotham City is getting better. Bruce Wayne has been investing heavily in Gotham to help the underprivileged, but his good intentions are misinterpreted or purposely turned against him to manipulate the people against him. Also with Batman as public enemy number one his effectiveness as a vigilante/protector is diminished. However, things are still getting better but a murder could tear the city apart and the investigation and suspects will call Batman's moral code into question, and Bruce will also have to deal with a personal crisis.
All in all, this is a great action-packed investigation into who did it. A great battle of wits and fists. Awesome artwork and story I loved every page of this book. The book finishes with a huge variant cover gallery.
Gotham City is getting better. Bruce Wayne has been investing heavily in Gotham to help the underprivileged, but his good intentions are misinterpreted or purposely turned against him to manipulate the people against him. Also with Batman as public enemy number one his effectiveness as a vigilante/protector is diminished. However, things are still getting better but a murder could tear the city apart and the investigation and suspects will call Batman's moral code into question, and Bruce will also have to deal with a personal crisis.
All in all, this is a great action-packed investigation into who did it. A great battle of wits and fists. Awesome artwork and story I loved every page of this book. The book finishes with a huge variant cover gallery.
April 29, 2025
After all the flash and bangs - often messed up - of the previous volumes, this conclusion to Zdarsky's run seems like half-hearted. Subdued.
It's likely that this isn't what he had in mind, but that the need to leave the field clear for Hush2 forced him to rethink his plans and conclude with this rather lame arc that attacks Gordon directly in a rather vain way and probably without any consequences in the near future.
A sad conclusion to an overall disappointing run.
On an artistic level, however, there's nothing to say: Jime'ez, Di Giandomenico, Fornes, Daniel: what a fine bunch.
It's likely that this isn't what he had in mind, but that the need to leave the field clear for Hush2 forced him to rethink his plans and conclude with this rather lame arc that attacks Gordon directly in a rather vain way and probably without any consequences in the near future.
A sad conclusion to an overall disappointing run.
On an artistic level, however, there's nothing to say: Jime'ez, Di Giandomenico, Fornes, Daniel: what a fine bunch.
August 31, 2025
We have made it to the end of Chip Zdarsky’s Batman run, one that began with much anticipation, leading to a series with a very mixed reception from Bat-fans. While this doesn’t reach the brilliance of his Daredevil run at Marvel, it was interesting seeing how Zdarsky was remixing aspects from Batman’s decades-long history such as the return of Zur-En-Arrh, whilst introducing new threats like Failsafe.
Following the crossover event Absolute Power, DC Comics would begin a new initiative with All In, which would not only continue ongoing titles of their iconic superheroes, but also the establishment of the Absolute Universe, featuring reimagined and modernized versions of those characters. Amongst those continuing ongoing titles, Zdarsky would do one last storyline during the All In initiative, which is what we’re here to talk about.
Things seem to be looking up for Gotham as Bruce Wayne hits the ground running with brand new initiatives for the public and has dedicated himself to improving the city both behind the mask and without it. However, his plans are complicated by a sudden, apparent change of heart by the Riddler who now claims to have gone legit, whilst a new vigilante known as Commander Star is becoming a favourite for the public with his more ruthless methods. And to make matters worse, somebody has murdered Mayor Nakano.
While there are some continuing elements of what Zdarsky was previously with his run, such as Vandal Savage being Gotham’s police commissioner, this arc sets up a promising new status quo, from the aforementioned Riddler turning over a new leaf, to James Gordon as a private investigator. Considering this was meant to start a wave of new storylines, due to the departure of the book’s editor Ben Abernathy, who hired the writer, Zdarsky decided to end his run sooner than expected and it shows here.
Over the course of five issues, it feels like there are multiple storylines going on, ranging from a murder mystery, a corporate takeover, a clash of ideals through vigilantism, and the Court of Owls is involved in some capacity. Any one of these could have been its own narrative but compressed them all into this five-issue arc is a misstep, despite some interesting ideas and characterisation, especially a conflict that occurs between Batman and Gordon. And regarding Commander Star, who has an awesome design that is a cross between Batman and a far-right patriot bathed in American symbolism, Zdarsky does the problematic Arkham Knight twist, in which a supposedly brand-new character ends up being someone very familiar.
While you do get some amazing work from Jorge Jiménez, who crafts some amazing action sequences that showcase Batman’s ingenuity, he doesn’t draw all five issues, with one artist tacking each one. With artists like Carmine Di Giandomenico, Jorge Fornés and Tony S. Daniel, all of which have previous experience with the Dark Knight, and they do great work here as they lean hard into their sensibilities, even if it does feel like Zdarsky wanted to work them since this was his last storyline of the book.
After “The Dying City”, the trade actually ends with the lead story from #150, which focuses on a criminal named Teddy, who tends to work for big-time villains. As he comes across some information regarding Batman’s secret identity, and he wants to cash out of the crime business and get rich quickly. Told through the perspective of Teddy, who is a flawed individual, certainly when it comes to his relationship with his family, the issue is a well-intentioned if overly familiar tale about how Batman can have an influence on somebody to be better. It also doesn’t help that Denys Cowan whose illustrations are too reminiscent of latter-day Frank Miller and looks rough compared to the few polished pages drawn by Jiménez, who really should have drawn the whole issue.
Not the worst I’ve seen from this run, but Chip Zdarsky’s time on the main Batman title ends on a bit of a whimper. As for the future of the title itself, I have zero expectations towards “Hush 2” by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee, but Matt Fraction and Jorge Jiménez tackling Batman later this year will hopefully give me enough satisfaction to get me back into the book.
Following the crossover event Absolute Power, DC Comics would begin a new initiative with All In, which would not only continue ongoing titles of their iconic superheroes, but also the establishment of the Absolute Universe, featuring reimagined and modernized versions of those characters. Amongst those continuing ongoing titles, Zdarsky would do one last storyline during the All In initiative, which is what we’re here to talk about.
Things seem to be looking up for Gotham as Bruce Wayne hits the ground running with brand new initiatives for the public and has dedicated himself to improving the city both behind the mask and without it. However, his plans are complicated by a sudden, apparent change of heart by the Riddler who now claims to have gone legit, whilst a new vigilante known as Commander Star is becoming a favourite for the public with his more ruthless methods. And to make matters worse, somebody has murdered Mayor Nakano.
While there are some continuing elements of what Zdarsky was previously with his run, such as Vandal Savage being Gotham’s police commissioner, this arc sets up a promising new status quo, from the aforementioned Riddler turning over a new leaf, to James Gordon as a private investigator. Considering this was meant to start a wave of new storylines, due to the departure of the book’s editor Ben Abernathy, who hired the writer, Zdarsky decided to end his run sooner than expected and it shows here.
Over the course of five issues, it feels like there are multiple storylines going on, ranging from a murder mystery, a corporate takeover, a clash of ideals through vigilantism, and the Court of Owls is involved in some capacity. Any one of these could have been its own narrative but compressed them all into this five-issue arc is a misstep, despite some interesting ideas and characterisation, especially a conflict that occurs between Batman and Gordon. And regarding Commander Star, who has an awesome design that is a cross between Batman and a far-right patriot bathed in American symbolism, Zdarsky does the problematic Arkham Knight twist, in which a supposedly brand-new character ends up being someone very familiar.
While you do get some amazing work from Jorge Jiménez, who crafts some amazing action sequences that showcase Batman’s ingenuity, he doesn’t draw all five issues, with one artist tacking each one. With artists like Carmine Di Giandomenico, Jorge Fornés and Tony S. Daniel, all of which have previous experience with the Dark Knight, and they do great work here as they lean hard into their sensibilities, even if it does feel like Zdarsky wanted to work them since this was his last storyline of the book.
After “The Dying City”, the trade actually ends with the lead story from #150, which focuses on a criminal named Teddy, who tends to work for big-time villains. As he comes across some information regarding Batman’s secret identity, and he wants to cash out of the crime business and get rich quickly. Told through the perspective of Teddy, who is a flawed individual, certainly when it comes to his relationship with his family, the issue is a well-intentioned if overly familiar tale about how Batman can have an influence on somebody to be better. It also doesn’t help that Denys Cowan whose illustrations are too reminiscent of latter-day Frank Miller and looks rough compared to the few polished pages drawn by Jiménez, who really should have drawn the whole issue.
Not the worst I’ve seen from this run, but Chip Zdarsky’s time on the main Batman title ends on a bit of a whimper. As for the future of the title itself, I have zero expectations towards “Hush 2” by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee, but Matt Fraction and Jorge Jiménez tackling Batman later this year will hopefully give me enough satisfaction to get me back into the book.
July 4, 2025
In my way..I enjoyed this.
There were some nice twists to a story that's possibly been told before.
A business savvy Nygma......does Bruce have a brother he doesn't know about?
There were some nice twists to a story that's possibly been told before.
A business savvy Nygma......does Bruce have a brother he doesn't know about?
July 30, 2025
3.5 Stars
I believe this is the end of Zdarsky's run. overall, it was fairly enjoyable. I'm not super plugged in to Batman, so I had troubles connecting this volume with the previous book, and as a result, I almost DNF'd this guy. it was such a slow start. Fortunately, things picked up, and Jimenez got to shine with his action sequences. I feel like the colour's on the previous volumes made the art pop so much better. the story threads were wrapped well, and I enjoyed the prologue feel. The final issue which is basically a one shot that follows a bottom wrung of the ladder type crook was actually the best storytelling of the volume and if this is the Farewell to Batman it's a very good one.
I believe this is the end of Zdarsky's run. overall, it was fairly enjoyable. I'm not super plugged in to Batman, so I had troubles connecting this volume with the previous book, and as a result, I almost DNF'd this guy. it was such a slow start. Fortunately, things picked up, and Jimenez got to shine with his action sequences. I feel like the colour's on the previous volumes made the art pop so much better. the story threads were wrapped well, and I enjoyed the prologue feel. The final issue which is basically a one shot that follows a bottom wrung of the ladder type crook was actually the best storytelling of the volume and if this is the Farewell to Batman it's a very good one.
January 5, 2026
Chip Zdarsky ends his Batman run with a pretty classic adventure that (delightfully!) includes Batman doing actual detective work. The triggering event and related twists definitely kept me guessing (), even as the huge number of side quests tried to distract me. Riddler gone straight? Batman's brother(??) vying for company shares? A random new hero, Commander Star, instigating riots? A new Court of Owls baddie?
Fortunately, all these disparate threads tie into main plotline (if tenuously), making for a propulsive read. The artwork is consistently fantastic too, even as artists shift. Loved the exploration into Jim Gordon, even if it sends him to the dark place. It's also nice to have a Batman adventure where we're not digging into his mental palace - just let the man solve a mystery and punch bad guys! ()
Fortunately, all these disparate threads tie into main plotline (if tenuously), making for a propulsive read. The artwork is consistently fantastic too, even as artists shift. Loved the exploration into Jim Gordon, even if it sends him to the dark place. It's also nice to have a Batman adventure where we're not digging into his mental palace - just let the man solve a mystery and punch bad guys! ()
April 22, 2025
I think Chip Zdarsky is a super talented writer, I’ve really enjoyed Sex Criminals, Daredevil, Defenders, and a bunch of his other work. That said, his Batman run has been all over the place for me.
I genuinely loved Failsafe. it was wild, fast-paced, and just a blast to read. The dimension-hopping arc right after was fun too. But things really started to go downhill after that.
The Joker: Year One arc? Honestly, I thought it was awful. And the series never really bounced back. This volume felt pretty meh overall.
The idea of Batman and Gordon teaming up had promise and started out well. But once the twist hit, what could’ve been a cool shake-up turned into a mind control mess. It just got silly fast. And the “new” villain reveal? Super underwhelming, it was just someone we’ve seen a million times before.
Overall, the run started strong but really lost its way. A disappointing wrap-up. Gonna have to give it 2 out of 5.
I genuinely loved Failsafe. it was wild, fast-paced, and just a blast to read. The dimension-hopping arc right after was fun too. But things really started to go downhill after that.
The Joker: Year One arc? Honestly, I thought it was awful. And the series never really bounced back. This volume felt pretty meh overall.
The idea of Batman and Gordon teaming up had promise and started out well. But once the twist hit, what could’ve been a cool shake-up turned into a mind control mess. It just got silly fast. And the “new” villain reveal? Super underwhelming, it was just someone we’ve seen a million times before.
Overall, the run started strong but really lost its way. A disappointing wrap-up. Gonna have to give it 2 out of 5.
March 12, 2025
Zdarsky’s run wraps up and my overriding feeling is one of relief.
The entire run is a clumsy rollercoaster with some peaks that I enjoyed, that I know others did not.
This issue in itself is possibly the worst of the entire run. Stupid and riddled with plot holes and lazily thought through. I wish Zdarsky spent more time thinking about what he’s writing than he does surfing Twitter or Bluesky.
Because that’s where he gets his plot points from.
He’s dialled up to 11 here on the nose social media talking points with Russians controlling Gotham, criminals not really the bad guys, rich people are all bad, capitalism is bad, Batman is a facist; it just goes on and on. I’m surprised he never went to full hog and squeezed a Palestine flag in there.
I’m delighted this is over; regardless of anyone’s political persuasion this is just a fill blown propaganda pamphlet. Even agreeing with many of the perspectives it’s not what I want out of a Batman comic.
He’s either become obsessed with this stuff personally or he’s playing up to an audience (one which judging by the nosedive on sales, doesn’t really exist in the comics buying public).
I wish someone would take guys like Zdarsky aside, get them some therapy to enable them to detach themselves from social media for a bit and go spend some time living in the real world. Maybe do a bit of travelling.
Maybe then they’d find something more interesting and less cliched to write about.
No matter how bad Hush 2 is it’s got to be better than this.
Terrible end cap to a very mixed run, one that will probably be mocked in the years to come.
The entire run is a clumsy rollercoaster with some peaks that I enjoyed, that I know others did not.
This issue in itself is possibly the worst of the entire run. Stupid and riddled with plot holes and lazily thought through. I wish Zdarsky spent more time thinking about what he’s writing than he does surfing Twitter or Bluesky.
Because that’s where he gets his plot points from.
He’s dialled up to 11 here on the nose social media talking points with Russians controlling Gotham, criminals not really the bad guys, rich people are all bad, capitalism is bad, Batman is a facist; it just goes on and on. I’m surprised he never went to full hog and squeezed a Palestine flag in there.
I’m delighted this is over; regardless of anyone’s political persuasion this is just a fill blown propaganda pamphlet. Even agreeing with many of the perspectives it’s not what I want out of a Batman comic.
He’s either become obsessed with this stuff personally or he’s playing up to an audience (one which judging by the nosedive on sales, doesn’t really exist in the comics buying public).
I wish someone would take guys like Zdarsky aside, get them some therapy to enable them to detach themselves from social media for a bit and go spend some time living in the real world. Maybe do a bit of travelling.
Maybe then they’d find something more interesting and less cliched to write about.
No matter how bad Hush 2 is it’s got to be better than this.
Terrible end cap to a very mixed run, one that will probably be mocked in the years to come.
June 24, 2025
Batman Vol. 5 The Dying City collects issues 150, 153-157 of the DC Comic series written by Chip Zdarsky, art by Jorge Jiménez, Tony Daniel, and Carmine Di Giandomenico, and colors by Tomeu Morey.
The Riddler has gone straight, launching a cutting edge tech company that he hopes to legitimize by merging with Wayne Tech. But Gotham is in for a regime change after Mayor Nakanko is murdered in his own home. There are plenty of the usual suspects, but one of Batman’s closest allies could be the trigger man.
This often times almost feels like an Elseworlds tale with how the status quo is often played with. I’m still not feeling Vandal Savage as Gotham City’s Police Commissioner. It just doesn’t make any sense, even using comic book logic. Chip Zdarsky’s run largely goes out with a “meh” which is crazy after his first two volumes were so well crafted.
The Riddler has gone straight, launching a cutting edge tech company that he hopes to legitimize by merging with Wayne Tech. But Gotham is in for a regime change after Mayor Nakanko is murdered in his own home. There are plenty of the usual suspects, but one of Batman’s closest allies could be the trigger man.
This often times almost feels like an Elseworlds tale with how the status quo is often played with. I’m still not feeling Vandal Savage as Gotham City’s Police Commissioner. It just doesn’t make any sense, even using comic book logic. Chip Zdarsky’s run largely goes out with a “meh” which is crazy after his first two volumes were so well crafted.
June 4, 2025
This was fine. I'll probably forget about it in a week. Zdarsky was clearly playing it safe after taking big swings with the rest of the run (though they were all misses for me unfortunately) and to clear the way for h-two-sh (yahoo 🙄).
September 3, 2025
«Помираюче місто» стало фінальною точкою у суперечливому рані Чіпа Здарскі на основній серії про Бетмена. Від самого старту його роботи очікування були високими. Однак вийшло інакше. Серія виявилася дуже неоднорідною, з гучними ідеями, але сумнівною реалізацією. Тим не менш, саме цей том можна вважати, мабуть, найцікавішим і найбільш вдалим серед усього циклу. Принаймні для мене.
Після подій «Абсолютної влади» Брюс Вейн повертається до Ґотема і намагається відновити місто — як у ролі мільярдера, так і під маскою Бетмена. Одним із ключових моментів стає несподівана «реформа» Загадника, який прагне легалізуватися через бізнес, тоді як у місті розгорається політична криза через убивство мера Накано. До цього додається новий гравець — жорстокий Командир Зірка, котрий швидко здобуває прихильність мешканців Ґотема, але викликає підозри Бетмена. І, як годиться у хорошому детективі, тут з’являється й стара тінь — Суд Сов, інтриги якого переплітаються з великими політичними іграми.
Сюжет виглядає насиченим і часом навіть перевантаженим. Автор намагається вплести кілька різних ліній у п’ять випусків, через що деякі теми здаються стиснутими. Водночас варто відзначити кілька хороших моментів: драматичну конфронтацію Бетмена й Ґордона, інтригу навколо Ніґми, а також соціальну складову, де Здарскі намагається показати Ґотем як місто на межі змін.
Попри всі проблеми, цей том залишає більш цілісне й цікаве враження, ніж більшість попередніх. Найбільше тут працює поєднання детективної інтриги та політичного підтексту. Вперше за довгий час здається, що Здарскі вдалося вхопити суть «бетменівського» Ґотема: місто, де злочинність, політика й моральні дилеми сплітаються в одне. Звісно, оці всі зв'язки із рашкою в результаті вибісили, бо враження, щоб без того гімна в коміксах не можна обійтися. Але зате візуально комікс на висоті. Хорхе Хіменез, Тоні Деніел і Карміне Ді Джандоменіко створили потужний візуальний ряд, у якому екшн, атмосфера і драматичні сцени працюють на історію.
Ран Чіпа Здарскі на «Бетмені» загалом залишає відчуття розчарування. Були окремі цікаві ідеї — повернення концепції Зур-Ен-Арр, спроби дослідити людяність Брюса Вейна чи запровадити нових антагоністів. Але більшість із них швидко виснажилися, а глобальна історія виявилася розтягнутою, хаотичною. «Помираюче місто» показує, що Здарскі міг би створити якісний бетменівський нуар, якби сфокусувався на менших масштабах і глибших персонажних конфліктах.
У підсумку ран виглядає значно слабшим, ніж міг би бути, і не витримує порівняння навіть із паралельним «Детективні комікси» від Рама Ві, який виявився у рази цікавішим, атмосфернішим і більш цілісним. Тому, якщо оцінювати весь цикл — це радше приклад нереалізованого потенціалу. Чи читати його, то вже особиста справа кожного. Але не очікуйте від нього занадто багато, як я на початку.
Після подій «Абсолютної влади» Брюс Вейн повертається до Ґотема і намагається відновити місто — як у ролі мільярдера, так і під маскою Бетмена. Одним із ключових моментів стає несподівана «реформа» Загадника, який прагне легалізуватися через бізнес, тоді як у місті розгорається політична криза через убивство мера Накано. До цього додається новий гравець — жорстокий Командир Зірка, котрий швидко здобуває прихильність мешканців Ґотема, але викликає підозри Бетмена. І, як годиться у хорошому детективі, тут з’являється й стара тінь — Суд Сов, інтриги якого переплітаються з великими політичними іграми.
Сюжет виглядає насиченим і часом навіть перевантаженим. Автор намагається вплести кілька різних ліній у п’ять випусків, через що деякі теми здаються стиснутими. Водночас варто відзначити кілька хороших моментів: драматичну конфронтацію Бетмена й Ґордона, інтригу навколо Ніґми, а також соціальну складову, де Здарскі намагається показати Ґотем як місто на межі змін.
Попри всі проблеми, цей том залишає більш цілісне й цікаве враження, ніж більшість попередніх. Найбільше тут працює поєднання детективної інтриги та політичного підтексту. Вперше за довгий час здається, що Здарскі вдалося вхопити суть «бетменівського» Ґотема: місто, де злочинність, політика й моральні дилеми сплітаються в одне. Звісно, оці всі зв'язки із рашкою в результаті вибісили, бо враження, щоб без того гімна в коміксах не можна обійтися. Але зате візуально комікс на висоті. Хорхе Хіменез, Тоні Деніел і Карміне Ді Джандоменіко створили потужний візуальний ряд, у якому екшн, атмосфера і драматичні сцени працюють на історію.
Ран Чіпа Здарскі на «Бетмені» загалом залишає відчуття розчарування. Були окремі цікаві ідеї — повернення концепції Зур-Ен-Арр, спроби дослідити людяність Брюса Вейна чи запровадити нових антагоністів. Але більшість із них швидко виснажилися, а глобальна історія виявилася розтягнутою, хаотичною. «Помираюче місто» показує, що Здарскі міг би створити якісний бетменівський нуар, якби сфокусувався на менших масштабах і глибших персонажних конфліктах.
У підсумку ран виглядає значно слабшим, ніж міг би бути, і не витримує порівняння навіть із паралельним «Детективні комікси» від Рама Ві, який виявився у рази цікавішим, атмосфернішим і більш цілісним. Тому, якщо оцінювати весь цикл — це радше приклад нереалізованого потенціалу. Чи читати його, то вже особиста справа кожного. Але не очікуйте від нього занадто багато, як я на початку.
October 9, 2025
After the explosive showdown with Zur and set up of the Wayne revitalization of Gotham, you'd think everything would calm down a bit. Unfortunately, it did not.
Highlights:
- Mirroring real world issues, revitalization of an area of Gotham brings in "unwanted elements" and the people of Gotham turn against Bruce Wayne
- Helping this bad propaganda is Riddler, now trying to legitimize himself with Nygmatech, but it all turns out to be a front to create an army of citizens to fight back against Batman using hidden Mad Hatter control tech inside the Nygmatech products.
- We also get issues from Vandal Savage being Gotham's police commissioner. Not only does he not approve of Batman, but he supports a new "hero" Commander Star, who through Riddler's puzzles is revealed to Batman to be KG Beast.
- Jim Gordon has an affair with the Mayor's wife, and after the Mayor is killed (by Jim, but under Hatter's control - kind of) Batman must work hard to clear his name.
- Finally, a flaw in Nygmatech's servers gives high level access to the russian guy heading up the Court of Owls. A fight on board a plane (which has an amazing crash into Gotham streets scene) has Batman saving the day again.
This run of Batman leads right up to H2SH, which I can't wait to read! Hush is my favorite ever Batman story. Need to catch up on some other Batman/Bat-Family titles soon.
Good read, decent run. Recommend.
Highlights:
- Mirroring real world issues, revitalization of an area of Gotham brings in "unwanted elements" and the people of Gotham turn against Bruce Wayne
- Helping this bad propaganda is Riddler, now trying to legitimize himself with Nygmatech, but it all turns out to be a front to create an army of citizens to fight back against Batman using hidden Mad Hatter control tech inside the Nygmatech products.
- We also get issues from Vandal Savage being Gotham's police commissioner. Not only does he not approve of Batman, but he supports a new "hero" Commander Star, who through Riddler's puzzles is revealed to Batman to be KG Beast.
- Jim Gordon has an affair with the Mayor's wife, and after the Mayor is killed (by Jim, but under Hatter's control - kind of) Batman must work hard to clear his name.
- Finally, a flaw in Nygmatech's servers gives high level access to the russian guy heading up the Court of Owls. A fight on board a plane (which has an amazing crash into Gotham streets scene) has Batman saving the day again.
This run of Batman leads right up to H2SH, which I can't wait to read! Hush is my favorite ever Batman story. Need to catch up on some other Batman/Bat-Family titles soon.
Good read, decent run. Recommend.
January 24, 2026
Total switch between the last book and this- this is some quality BAT! Bruce tries to better Gotham by paying for social services and making things better for the average Joe- propaganda is pushed to make Bruce look like a damn commie! Of course, it’s Riddler (being played like a fiddle by the Russians) and Bruce is actually making the city better. People want to hear what they want to hear- so feeding the hungry and sick lies is easier, they want to FEEL something, feel powerful in their own lives.
Ok, what the hell was Jim thinking? That part of the story was wild to me, I always thought of Jim as doing the right thing but here he is sleeping around town like he’s Bruce Wayne! What a wild story.
Ok, what the hell was Jim thinking? That part of the story was wild to me, I always thought of Jim as doing the right thing but here he is sleeping around town like he’s Bruce Wayne! What a wild story.
February 8, 2025
3.5 stars.
June 13, 2025
Some twists and turns that you know have to be resolved in a certain way to keep Batman on target.
October 17, 2025
... Okay, why couldn't the whole RUN have just been this?!
For his final storyline as writer on Batman, Chip Z'Darsky trades in his metatextual references, Zur-en-Arrh, and Bat-God trope deconstruction for a simple, straightforward five-issue Riddler story... and it's one of the best Batman arcs I've read in YEARS. This is a rich, thematically layered yarn with plenty of pointed socio-political commentary and a good number of twists that I genuinely didn't see coming.
This is TOP-SHELF Batman. I'm still kind of in awe of it. (Wish we'd gotten some more stuff like this instead of that ghastly Joker origin story...)
For his final storyline as writer on Batman, Chip Z'Darsky trades in his metatextual references, Zur-en-Arrh, and Bat-God trope deconstruction for a simple, straightforward five-issue Riddler story... and it's one of the best Batman arcs I've read in YEARS. This is a rich, thematically layered yarn with plenty of pointed socio-political commentary and a good number of twists that I genuinely didn't see coming.
This is TOP-SHELF Batman. I'm still kind of in awe of it. (Wish we'd gotten some more stuff like this instead of that ghastly Joker origin story...)
Read
July 20, 2025DNF’d
July 11, 2025
The Dying City offers a moody, street-level Batman story focused on Gotham’s slow decay. It delivers solid detective work and atmosphere, but lacks the punch or urgency of more memorable arcs.
While the themes are strong and the art fits the tone, the plot feels stretched at times. A decent read for fans of grounded Batman tales, but not a standout
Overall: 3/5
While the themes are strong and the art fits the tone, the plot feels stretched at times. A decent read for fans of grounded Batman tales, but not a standout
Overall: 3/5
April 7, 2025
I had high hopes going into a Batman series written by Chip Zdarsky, especially after loving his Daredevil run. Now 5 volumes later and I’m very whelmed…
While this final volume had some interesting parts and ideas, it all feels kind of rushed to a finish.
This definitely isn’t bad but it’s a shame as I expected so much more
While this final volume had some interesting parts and ideas, it all feels kind of rushed to a finish.
This definitely isn’t bad but it’s a shame as I expected so much more
August 27, 2025
Ось ми й підійшли до завершення рану Чіпа Здарськи на Бетмені. Тут нарешті у нас не буде ніяких Фейлсейфів, Зур Ен Арів, та вчителів Брюса з лімітки "Batman: The Knight", ба більше того, цього сюжету початково взагалі не повинно було б бути, оскільки Здарськи хотів піти десь в 149 номері, однак його попросили ще трішки залишитися на серії. Тож давайте дізнаймося яким вийшло це завершення.
Спочатку декілька слів про історію зі 150 номеру. У нас тут закривається кліфгенґер з грабіжником, який після "Gotham War" дізнався, що Брюс Вейн це Бетмен. Сюжет вийшов хорошим і місцями навіть дещо сентиментальним, ми тут дізнаємося про особисте життя цього мужика і як його злочинне життя вплинуло на його родину, також ми спостерігаємо за тим як він намагається продати інформацію про особистість Бетса. Я можу навіть порадити прочитати цю історію окремо від усього рану.
Щодо основного сюжету збірки то він, на перший погляд, зосереджується на багатьох різних лініях, які не є пов'язаними одна з одною. У нас тут і спроби Брюса покращити занедбані райони Ґотему та покращити стан життя в них незважаючи на протести деяких жителів міста, і Загадник, який, на перший погляд, вирішив перестати бути лиходієм і став чесним бізнесменом, і поява позашлюбного сина Томаса Вейна і поява нового супергероя Командира Зірки. Головною ж лінією тут стає вбивство мера Накано (щиро дякую Здарськи за це, персонаж був неймовірно бісячим) і те як Бетмен та Ґордон проводять своє розслідування. І знаєте, більшу частину часу ця лінія була досить цікавою, мені подобається твіст з тим, що сам Ґордон є замішаним у цьому і причина через яку він вляпався у це, як на мене, це досить цікава персонажна драма, навіть ще більший поворот з Ніґмою та тим, що насправді він, на перший погляд, тягне за ниточки. Однак уявіть моє здивував коли виявилося, що цей сюжет є алегорією на актуальний політичний стан Америки. А тепер уявіть моє ще більше здивування коли виявилося, що антагоністами які стоять за всім тим, що відбувалося у цій арці є руснявий уряд, який хоче викрасти американські дані завдяки Ніґмі та його компанії й не хоче, щоб Ґотем став кращим містом, бо вони його у пропаганді використовують як страшилку. І дещо розчаровує, що замість цікавого детективного розслідування у кінці ми отримуємо це. На щастя малюнок Хіменеза, Форнеса та Деніела у коміксі все ще на висоті. На останок скажу, що трохи жаль, що останній номер Здарськи не є фіналом усього тому, бо був би цікавий момент з тим, що цей том почався з того, що Бетмен зупиняє падаючий літак і закінчився на номері з тим же.
"Dying City" є далеко не найгіршим сюжетом у Здарськи, малюнок як завжди хороший і початок історія є досить непоганим та інтригуючим, одна сцена з тим як Бетс кричить на Ґордона у домі Накано чого варта, однак в один момент цей сюжет звертає взагалі не в ту сторону.
Щодо рану Здарськи загалом то він вийшов розчаруванням величезного масштабу. Видно, що Здарськи у ньому хотів показати, що Брюс Вейн не є маскою Бетмена, і на скільки важливою складовою героя є його людяність та емоції, в той час, як Зур Ен Ар уособлює собою все те холодне і найгірше, що приписують Бетсу люди які або взагалі не знайомі з персонажем або поверхнево. Проблема в тому, що він весь цей сюжет розтягнув на весь свій ран, в результаті чого це максимально швидко набридло, а все те, що стосується Джокера взагалі краще не згадувати. В результаті можете пропускати цей ран. І я б хотів закінчити цей відгук на якійсь позитивній ноті й сказати, що далі буде краще, але далі у нас в серії сюжет "Л2х".
Спочатку декілька слів про історію зі 150 номеру. У нас тут закривається кліфгенґер з грабіжником, який після "Gotham War" дізнався, що Брюс Вейн це Бетмен. Сюжет вийшов хорошим і місцями навіть дещо сентиментальним, ми тут дізнаємося про особисте життя цього мужика і як його злочинне життя вплинуло на його родину, також ми спостерігаємо за тим як він намагається продати інформацію про особистість Бетса. Я можу навіть порадити прочитати цю історію окремо від усього рану.
Щодо основного сюжету збірки то він, на перший погляд, зосереджується на багатьох різних лініях, які не є пов'язаними одна з одною. У нас тут і спроби Брюса покращити занедбані райони Ґотему та покращити стан життя в них незважаючи на протести деяких жителів міста, і Загадник, який, на перший погляд, вирішив перестати бути лиходієм і став чесним бізнесменом, і поява позашлюбного сина Томаса Вейна і поява нового супергероя Командира Зірки. Головною ж лінією тут стає вбивство мера Накано (щиро дякую Здарськи за це, персонаж був неймовірно бісячим) і те як Бетмен та Ґордон проводять своє розслідування. І знаєте, більшу частину часу ця лінія була досить цікавою, мені подобається твіст з тим, що сам Ґордон є замішаним у цьому і причина через яку він вляпався у це, як на мене, це досить цікава персонажна драма, навіть ще більший поворот з Ніґмою та тим, що насправді він, на перший погляд, тягне за ниточки. Однак уявіть моє здивував коли виявилося, що цей сюжет є алегорією на актуальний політичний стан Америки. А тепер уявіть моє ще більше здивування коли виявилося, що антагоністами які стоять за всім тим, що відбувалося у цій арці є руснявий уряд, який хоче викрасти американські дані завдяки Ніґмі та його компанії й не хоче, щоб Ґотем став кращим містом, бо вони його у пропаганді використовують як страшилку. І дещо розчаровує, що замість цікавого детективного розслідування у кінці ми отримуємо це. На щастя малюнок Хіменеза, Форнеса та Деніела у коміксі все ще на висоті. На останок скажу, що трохи жаль, що останній номер Здарськи не є фіналом усього тому, бо був би цікавий момент з тим, що цей том почався з того, що Бетмен зупиняє падаючий літак і закінчився на номері з тим же.
"Dying City" є далеко не найгіршим сюжетом у Здарськи, малюнок як завжди хороший і початок історія є досить непоганим та інтригуючим, одна сцена з тим як Бетс кричить на Ґордона у домі Накано чого варта, однак в один момент цей сюжет звертає взагалі не в ту сторону.
Щодо рану Здарськи загалом то він вийшов розчаруванням величезного масштабу. Видно, що Здарськи у ньому хотів показати, що Брюс Вейн не є маскою Бетмена, і на скільки важливою складовою героя є його людяність та емоції, в той час, як Зур Ен Ар уособлює собою все те холодне і найгірше, що приписують Бетсу люди які або взагалі не знайомі з персонажем або поверхнево. Проблема в тому, що він весь цей сюжет розтягнув на весь свій ран, в результаті чого це максимально швидко набридло, а все те, що стосується Джокера взагалі краще не згадувати. В результаті можете пропускати цей ран. І я б хотів закінчити цей відгук на якійсь позитивній ноті й сказати, що далі буде краще, але далі у нас в серії сюжет "Л2х".
July 4, 2025
So this final volume from Chip Zdarsky really reads like his version of Tom King’s work after departing the Batman title. That one issue, with Jorge Fornés, really feels like that. The story from #150, with Denys Cowan, is a full throwback to a prior age. This is what DC could’ve had. It could’ve had another all-star. They had him. Then they let him go back to Marvel. Marvel doesn’t know what to do with Chip Zdarsky. It’s like Mark Waid all over again. Mark Waid at Marvel only ever indulged himself. Zdarsky at least has Daredevil under his belt. And maybe he will be able to keep that kind of storytelling going. Waid, he eventually got so full of himself he forgot he had real talent. This is the best Zdarsky I’ve ever read. I know DC would’ve known what to do with it, once he allowed himself to go this deep. He always demonstrated talent, exceptional talent, but it took this deep, just screwing around by this point, buying time until his assignment was over, the next two creative teams lined up. He walked away. Maybe that was always the plan. Maybe he never had a plan for Anton. Maybe once the pressure was off he could relax a little. Well! Now we know. And now it’s too late.
But he could always come back. DC can give him the Tom King deal. Now we know exactly what it would look like.
But he could always come back. DC can give him the Tom King deal. Now we know exactly what it would look like.
October 12, 2025
Collects Batman #153-157 and the lead story from Batman #150. Chip Zdarsky ends his run with the final parts of his attempt to reboot the series, an attempt that will almost certainly be negated by whomever takes over writing it next. This arc (issues #153-157) goes back to a more traditional Batman story, with a murder mystery filled with supervillains, particularly Riddler. There is a lot of over-the-top action and a bit of nice characterization. We gets hints that Bruce Wayne's father had another son by a different mother, but this doesn't pay off (perhaps if Zdarsky had stayed on the book this would have been a bigger subplot). We also get to see the Court of Owls for a second and a half (perhaps another subplot that would have played out differently if Zdarsky had stayed). We also see the overused trope of Mad Hatter's technology used to mind control people. The revolving door of artists (excellent individually) doesn't help the consistency of the storytelling. The final tale in this volume goes back to issue #150 for a stand-alone tale of a minor hood who somehow finds out Batman's secret identity and tries to sell the information to the highest bidder, finding out that he's bitten off more than he can chew. In the end he realizes that to be a better person to himself and his son he just needs to "be better." A nice sentiment, but probably not realistic.
April 25, 2025
Chip Zdarsky ends his Batman run with an All-In final arc, pitting Batman against the Riddler, the Court Of Owls, and...Jim Gordon?
This arc is odd. It doesn't really pick up on anything from before, it's mostly just Batman doing Batman things - it makes me wonder if Zdarsky was planning more and had to cut it short since Hush 2 was on the cards, or if he was ready to finish after the last arc and had to squeeze something else out here. The Batman plot is decent, while the Gordon one feels...off. Not just because of the whole thing with Chris Nakano's wife but just...yeah, weird. And then there's the Wayne brother who basically writes himself out of the story at the end.
The art's awesome at least - it's a shame Jorge Jimenez couldn't finish the whole arc himself, but alas, monthly comics double shipping.
Not bad, but not really an 'ending' so much. Not a whimper, but not a bang either.
This arc is odd. It doesn't really pick up on anything from before, it's mostly just Batman doing Batman things - it makes me wonder if Zdarsky was planning more and had to cut it short since Hush 2 was on the cards, or if he was ready to finish after the last arc and had to squeeze something else out here. The Batman plot is decent, while the Gordon one feels...off. Not just because of the whole thing with Chris Nakano's wife but just...yeah, weird. And then there's the Wayne brother who basically writes himself out of the story at the end.
The art's awesome at least - it's a shame Jorge Jimenez couldn't finish the whole arc himself, but alas, monthly comics double shipping.
Not bad, but not really an 'ending' so much. Not a whimper, but not a bang either.
June 21, 2025
Y si pensábamos que lo peor de Chip Zdarsky ya había llegado estábamos muy equivocados. Este que quizás sea el último compilado (no se si regresará a la serie una vez que termine el arco de Hush 2 de Jeph Loeb y Jim Lee) consigue en tan solo cinco números destruir por completo a Jim Gordon volviéndolo un asesino que tiene un affair con una mujer casada (la esposa del alcalde de Gotham nada menos). A eso hay que sumarle una subtrama donde al parecer Bruce tiene un hermano perdido que gracias a dios no prospera además del regreso de la Court of Owls (que a mi en particular no me gustan) junto a KGBeast de la manera mas absurda posible. En fin, para mi este run de Zdarsky (que tan bien lo hizo por ejemplo en Daredevil) ha sido un desperdicio. Ojalá DC decida, después de Jeph Loeb, darle este título insignia a un escritor mejor.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 26, 2025
This was messy. Not like sloppy storytelling, but messy in a soap opera way. Gordon? Messy. Thomas Wayne? Messy.
MAGA hitting Gotham, complete with Russian propagandists and the white nationalist populists calling a billionaire philanthropist a communist because he actually tried to help people as a plot by other criminal businessmen to discredit him and steal his money, was at the same time a little on the nose and something of an oversimplification.
This Batman run is the first thing I have ever read by Chip Zdarsky that I thought was kind of a whiff. I've read much worse, but I expected more from the guy who wrote Spider-Man: Life Story.
Zdarsky's use of the Court of Owls was clunky.
Why is Vandal Savage running the GCPD? He doesn't seem to be doing anything other than annoying Batman.
MAGA hitting Gotham, complete with Russian propagandists and the white nationalist populists calling a billionaire philanthropist a communist because he actually tried to help people as a plot by other criminal businessmen to discredit him and steal his money, was at the same time a little on the nose and something of an oversimplification.
This Batman run is the first thing I have ever read by Chip Zdarsky that I thought was kind of a whiff. I've read much worse, but I expected more from the guy who wrote Spider-Man: Life Story.
Zdarsky's use of the Court of Owls was clunky.
Why is Vandal Savage running the GCPD? He doesn't seem to be doing anything other than annoying Batman.
October 7, 2025
Oh man, looks like I was right in my review of the last volume about Jiménez's art making Zdarsky's stories better. Maybe the most unnecessary coda following an obvious ending since the Godfather Part 3?
I'm hesitant to use the term "character assassination" because Batman and his world are bigger than one writer but the decisions Zdarsky makes with Jim Gordon in this volume are pretty bad. Maybe stupid? Is it too mean to say stupid? Not only is it stupid, but it's derivative of what Zdarsky did over in Daredevil, and my biggest complaint about his Daredevil run was how derivative it was! The Big Z is just retelling his own stuff at this point.
It's a shame his run ended this way instead of going out on a relative high last volume.
I'm hesitant to use the term "character assassination" because Batman and his world are bigger than one writer but the decisions Zdarsky makes with Jim Gordon in this volume are pretty bad. Maybe stupid? Is it too mean to say stupid? Not only is it stupid, but it's derivative of what Zdarsky did over in Daredevil, and my biggest complaint about his Daredevil run was how derivative it was! The Big Z is just retelling his own stuff at this point.
It's a shame his run ended this way instead of going out on a relative high last volume.
May 8, 2025
I was beginning to get a bit bored with Zdarsky's Batman, and wasn't sure where they would go after the Failsafe/Zur-en-arrh storyline. But I was surprised to find myself enjoying the exploration of a more complicated Batman/Wayne. I liked the idea of Bruce Wayne trying to help Gotham in a different way, and the challenge of discontent people. I loved the portrayal of brokenness of man, even the shortcomings of ones we idolize as "good men". The failure of those we look up to, and place our hope in, and wrestling with that.
Batman 157 (Be Better) however, was heading back to the boring -- a filler side story that pulls this collection down a bit.
Batman 157 (Be Better) however, was heading back to the boring -- a filler side story that pulls this collection down a bit.
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