katieb94's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
quetzelish's review
4.0
Here ends the final large arc of Scott Snyder's run on Batman. From the Gates of Gotham to The Court of Owls to Superheavy, it's been a wild ride and one I do not regret one bit. Scott has come up with some of the most imaginative villains and situations in Batman history and Bloom was no exception. He was scary, faceless and . This volume also contains my favorite Alfred issue where we truly see how much he cares for Bruce and how much he wishes he had a happy life. The emotional impact that Snyder was able to bring out was truly amazing.
This isn't a perfect run by any means though. It has its problems. The pacing (continuing from vol 8) is really off. Some issues are perfect (the Alfred issue) and others are way too slow or (like issue 50) way too fast. This arc should have definitely been shorter, with elements of it spilling over. Expanding the final issue and contracting others would have made the feel more impactful. Also, we could have gotten a better characterization for Julie Madison and a better explanation for . That's one issue that Snyder has, he likes keeping his arcs segmented and only really referencing what happened before instead of having plot points come in and out. The art though is always beautiful and the coloring is phenomenal. The only part that is lacking here is the pacing.
Now that we've reached the end, I had a conversion with my friend (another Batman fan) who absolutely loved Grant Morrison's run (from Batman and Son to Batman Incorporated) on which was better. And what we figured out was that Morrison played the long game. Everything he did had meaning and the interactions and growth of Damian was the focus while Snyder's run was focused on creating a more complicated Gotham and building up Batman's rouges gallery. Snyder played with the silliness (see Zero Year) and attempted to redefine who Batman is and what are his relationships with his city and its villains. Morrison on the other hand embraced the silliness, treated it with all seriousness and tried to figure out what is the best way to be Batman. Damian, Dick and Bruce all try to figure that out and the drama comes from their relations instead of villains.
All this is to say is, I get why people may not like Snyder's run. It is ridiculous, strange and big in scope and effect, tackling large, lengthy stories instead of shorter, more character driven ones. It has its weaknesses and isn't structured as much as other runs. But it gave us some of the most creative villains and studies of who Bruce Wayne is (not batman, Bruce) and what Batman means to Gotham and it's people. While this isn't technically the final volume, it is the end of an act. All that is left is the denouement and then the end of an era is here.
Spoiler
ultimately unknown in his identityThis isn't a perfect run by any means though. It has its problems. The pacing (continuing from vol 8) is really off. Some issues are perfect (the Alfred issue) and others are way too slow or (like issue 50) way too fast. This arc should have definitely been shorter, with elements of it spilling over. Expanding the final issue and contracting others would have made the
Spoiler
fight at the endSpoiler
her total acceptance of turning Bruce back into Batman, that was the weakest part of the Alfred issueNow that we've reached the end, I had a conversion with my friend (another Batman fan) who absolutely loved Grant Morrison's run (from Batman and Son to Batman Incorporated) on which was better. And what we figured out was that Morrison played the long game. Everything he did had meaning and the interactions and growth of Damian was the focus while Snyder's run was focused on creating a more complicated Gotham and building up Batman's rouges gallery. Snyder played with the silliness (see Zero Year) and attempted to redefine who Batman is and what are his relationships with his city and its villains. Morrison on the other hand embraced the silliness, treated it with all seriousness and tried to figure out what is the best way to be Batman. Damian, Dick and Bruce all try to figure that out and the drama comes from their relations instead of villains.
All this is to say is, I get why people may not like Snyder's run. It is ridiculous, strange and big in scope and effect, tackling large, lengthy stories instead of shorter, more character driven ones. It has its weaknesses and isn't structured as much as other runs. But it gave us some of the most creative villains and studies of who Bruce Wayne is (not batman, Bruce) and what Batman means to Gotham and it's people. While this isn't technically the final volume, it is the end of an act. All that is left is the denouement and then the end of an era is here.
shri_ace13's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
mummybear_reads's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
groblinthegoblin624's review against another edition
3.5
That scene from the beginning between Bruce and not-Joker is one of my favorite Joker scenes I’ve read
vlpfeiffer's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
tamnhauser's review
4.0
It's far from perfect, but it's certainly an improvement on the previous volume! Or, is it just that all of what felt weird in the previous volume is now paying off?! Who knows?!
sodope's review
4.0
This comic is the direct sequel to "Super heavy" Bloom attacks Gotham and Jim Gordon is not a very good Batman.
But Bruce Wayne sits on a bench as he always do and talks with a man... The Joker? After this, he decides that he is Batman.
But if Batman exists, Bruce Wayne needs to die, here comes a weird scene where Bruce attaches to a machine to remember how to be Batman, after this he confronts Mr. Bloom.
But Bruce Wayne sits on a bench as he always do and talks with a man... The Joker? After this, he decides that he is Batman.
But if Batman exists, Bruce Wayne needs to die, here comes a weird scene where Bruce attaches to a machine to remember how to be Batman, after this he confronts Mr. Bloom.