eleana's review
4.0
This literally had nothing to do with the first volume but it was better so I'm not complaining
jmanchester0's review
3.0
When did Batman's comics get so violent? Like horror-movie blood and surgery violent. Another interesting story, delving into the origins of the Scarecrow. But did he really need to sew his own lips together? Grossssss.
alexauthorshay's review
4.0
Almost able to read this as a standalone. I have the context from TDK V1 and Detective V1, but you almost don't need it. This volume is entirely about the Scarecrow creating a new super toxin. Last couple comics stretch the realm of believability even for super heroes, given that Bruce is human, but the ending is cutesy and kind of silly yet rewarding. I've never known Scarecrow as a villain that well in the DC Universe, and this comic gave some of his backstory and added a lot more sympathy than I would expect for a comic book villain. I find it odd that I liked it as much as I did, given that I've read some of Hurwitz's original material and found much lacking in it.
mistled's review
4.0
This is so much better than volume 1. Scarecrow is super creepy, the plot and origin story are really dark, and it's all tied together well by the art, as it should be.
The way they solve the mass fear gas attack that must be in every single Scarecrow arc is laugh out loud stupid though. Seriously, if you can manage it, just skip those few pages and pretend everyone being cured was a Christmas miracle. "Santa did it" is better than that idiocy. I really enjoyed the rest though and the "mass fear" solution is always stupid, so I'm not knocking off much for it.
The way they solve the mass fear gas attack that must be in every single Scarecrow arc is laugh out loud stupid though. Seriously, if you can manage it, just skip those few pages and pretend everyone being cured was a Christmas miracle. "Santa did it" is better than that idiocy. I really enjoyed the rest though and the "mass fear" solution is always stupid, so I'm not knocking off much for it.
birdmanseven's review
2.0
Dull, violent and done to death. Can we just forget about Thomas &Martha Wayne already?
captwinghead's review
4.0
I... would not recommend reading this if you like Damian Wayne.
This was incredibly frustrating for me. I love Damian. I've spent the past week and a half reading anything and everything I could find on this character. One thing becomes abundantly clear in everything I've read: Bruce Wayne has, at best, been a distant father. That's putting it kindly. He's not physically abusive and he has enough contingency plans put in place to make sure Damian is never left alone but he doesn't spend time with his son. Even when reading Batman and Robin, the moments where he embraces Damian or offers a kind word are extremely rare.
There's a moment early in this book where Damian (who's dialogue sounds as if Hurwitz thought he was writing for young Jason Todd, not Damian) tells Bruce that he's "try'n" to be mellower and less angry. He comes to Bruce and says this and that's a huge deal for someone like Damian. He wanted to make it clear that he was "listening" to his father and trying to be better. And Bruce's response is "huh?". You know, because he wasn't listening to Damian.
Then, Batman is dosed with fear toxin and is missing for several days. Damian finds him, brings him home and says he's glad Damian's there... then he proceeds to try a crazy plan that is certain to kill him and force Damian to remotely pilot the plane. He expressly orders his son not to fly him to safety until the job is done. Damian then watches Alfred desperately try to save his father's life. All of this a few months after Damian thought his father was dead.
The worst part of this is that the book ends with Bruce fulfilling a promise to his then girlfriend and spending New Years with her. Not his son.
This whole book is Damian, once again, reaching out to his father and getting nothing substantial in return. It makes me question, like that Rebirth Teen Titans book, why writers don't want Bruce to be a great father to Damian. He's absent, downright ignorant of how to communicate with his son. Which would be fine if we saw that he was really trying. This book makes it seem like he doesn't really care. And worst of all, there was no series at the time to really show the aftermath of these scenes where Damian tried to talk this out or deal with it in silence. It's just a POV we never get.
So, it's frustrating. As much as I think Finch did a brilliantly creepy job drawing Scarecrow and the fight scenes and all the blood, as much as the Crane stuff was well done, this was a frustrating book to read because I just felt like strangling Batman.
This was incredibly frustrating for me. I love Damian. I've spent the past week and a half reading anything and everything I could find on this character. One thing becomes abundantly clear in everything I've read: Bruce Wayne has, at best, been a distant father. That's putting it kindly. He's not physically abusive and he has enough contingency plans put in place to make sure Damian is never left alone but he doesn't spend time with his son. Even when reading Batman and Robin, the moments where he embraces Damian or offers a kind word are extremely rare.
There's a moment early in this book where Damian (who's dialogue sounds as if Hurwitz thought he was writing for young Jason Todd, not Damian) tells Bruce that he's "try'n" to be mellower and less angry. He comes to Bruce and says this and that's a huge deal for someone like Damian. He wanted to make it clear that he was "listening" to his father and trying to be better. And Bruce's response is "huh?". You know, because he wasn't listening to Damian.
Then, Batman is dosed with fear toxin and is missing for several days. Damian finds him, brings him home and says he's glad Damian's there... then he proceeds to try a crazy plan that is certain to kill him and force Damian to remotely pilot the plane. He expressly orders his son not to fly him to safety until the job is done. Damian then watches Alfred desperately try to save his father's life. All of this a few months after Damian thought his father was dead.
The worst part of this is that the book ends with Bruce fulfilling a promise to his then girlfriend and spending New Years with her. Not his son.
This whole book is Damian, once again, reaching out to his father and getting nothing substantial in return. It makes me question, like that Rebirth Teen Titans book, why writers don't want Bruce to be a great father to Damian. He's absent, downright ignorant of how to communicate with his son. Which would be fine if we saw that he was really trying. This book makes it seem like he doesn't really care. And worst of all, there was no series at the time to really show the aftermath of these scenes where Damian tried to talk this out or deal with it in silence. It's just a POV we never get.
So, it's frustrating. As much as I think Finch did a brilliantly creepy job drawing Scarecrow and the fight scenes and all the blood, as much as the Crane stuff was well done, this was a frustrating book to read because I just felt like strangling Batman.
tungstenmouse's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
It’s really sad for me to give this a just a 3.5 star rating when Scarecrow is my all-time favorite character. It’s a deep look at the characters but also shows major weaknesses of this time period in DC’s New 52. It felt maybe too fast for the story itself. Also, this is one of the weakest Scarecrow designs ever. I did appreciate the look into Batman’s more soft side but I felt the resolution was rushed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Self harm, Stalking, Torture, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Violence
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