legge_la_bomba's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
cpalmerpatel's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
misterintensity's review against another edition
2.0
Tom King's first Batman storyline has an intriguing premise, Batman expanding his reaching by training two Superman power level heroes to protect Gotham, but failed in the execution. Decompression reared its ugly head again. This was a six issue story but there was just enough to fill an Silver Age Batman or Superman 13 pager. In addition to this story being painfully slow, it seems like "I Am Gotham" was more a collection of cool moments than a cohesive story. Yeah Batman trying to save passengers on an airplane with no superpowers and whatever he has at hand is cool but that's something that should have taken a page or two at most not an entire issue. Plus some of these moments just strained suspension of disbelief. It is hard to get invested in what's going on plus Gotham and Gotham Girl have no real personality, which makes it hard to care what happens to them. Overall this is one big step down from Scott Snyder's run.
colin_cox's review against another edition
4.0
Batman, Volume 1: I Am Gotham is, well, not particularly good. To be fair, the narrative builds and evolves competently if a little predictably. Readers of past Batman comics will find several recycled tropes from the robust canon of Batman comics. For example, there is a sequence early in the trade when Batman, convinced of his imminent death, offers a clumsy meditation on the nature of death (yes, he references his parents because, well, Batman comics). Of course, Batman lives, saved at the last moment by two new superheroes.
However, the value of I Am Gotham arrives in the trade's coda. In it, Batman consoles one of the two new superheroes, Gotham Girl, whose brother, Gotham, dies earlier in the run after breaking bad and attempting to destroy Batman, The Justice League, and Gotham City. In the coda, she appears unstable. She speaks to her dead brother while teetering on the precipice of physical, emotional, and psychological ruin. Batman confronts her, but instead of institutionalizing her (which happens far too often to mentally unstable characters in Batman comics) or fighting her (which also happens far too often to mentally unstable characters in Batman comics), he consoles her. He reveals his secret identity, confesses that he too speaks to his dead mother, and hugs her.
This is an important development for the character because, too often, Batman's pathologies function as a synecdoche. Batman's multiple pathologies represent a classic liberal ethos that values the power and agency of the individual over the collective. While Batman may have a stable of heroes he works with, he is the quintessential loner hero. He does not work well with others, as characters like Alfred and Commissioner Gordon are inclined to say. But it is precisely Batman's ability to transcend or at least compartmentalize those pathologies that marks him as a hero of the highest order. This narrative choice has several lamentable consequences. It creates the conditions for characters like Batman to see their pathologies as weaknesses to defeat; therefore, a character like Batman cannot actually identify with his trauma or his pathologies. The situation is zero-sum, which drastically limits what any one writer can do with a character like Batman. He remains fiercely independent because doing so is a subtle rejection of the weaknesses he associates with his pathologies.
But Batman is a contradictory character in this respect because his very existence bears witness to his trauma. He is an existential manifestation of trauma. However, Batman engages with his trauma in terms that reinforce a particular liberal ethos, one, that again, prizes the power of the individual over the power of the collective. So why is this moment with Gotham Girl so revelatory? It is because Batman identifies with his trauma collectively, not individually. What Batman embraces when he embraces Gotham Girl is something closer to a universal trauma. When Gotham Girl speaks to her dead brother, she speaks to a representation of the lack that is foundational to existence in the symbolic order. At this moment, Batman realizes something similar about himself. Instead of retreating from it, punching it, or institutionalizing it, he embraces it. By affirming this collective gesture, he takes a step toward asserting real individuality because the only way to realize one's individuality is through the collective, not outside of it.
Something as simple as a hug represents growth for a character who seems so regrettably one-dimensional, so maybe I Am Gotham is better than I thought.
However, the value of I Am Gotham arrives in the trade's coda. In it, Batman consoles one of the two new superheroes, Gotham Girl, whose brother, Gotham, dies earlier in the run after breaking bad and attempting to destroy Batman, The Justice League, and Gotham City. In the coda, she appears unstable. She speaks to her dead brother while teetering on the precipice of physical, emotional, and psychological ruin. Batman confronts her, but instead of institutionalizing her (which happens far too often to mentally unstable characters in Batman comics) or fighting her (which also happens far too often to mentally unstable characters in Batman comics), he consoles her. He reveals his secret identity, confesses that he too speaks to his dead mother, and hugs her.
This is an important development for the character because, too often, Batman's pathologies function as a synecdoche. Batman's multiple pathologies represent a classic liberal ethos that values the power and agency of the individual over the collective. While Batman may have a stable of heroes he works with, he is the quintessential loner hero. He does not work well with others, as characters like Alfred and Commissioner Gordon are inclined to say. But it is precisely Batman's ability to transcend or at least compartmentalize those pathologies that marks him as a hero of the highest order. This narrative choice has several lamentable consequences. It creates the conditions for characters like Batman to see their pathologies as weaknesses to defeat; therefore, a character like Batman cannot actually identify with his trauma or his pathologies. The situation is zero-sum, which drastically limits what any one writer can do with a character like Batman. He remains fiercely independent because doing so is a subtle rejection of the weaknesses he associates with his pathologies.
But Batman is a contradictory character in this respect because his very existence bears witness to his trauma. He is an existential manifestation of trauma. However, Batman engages with his trauma in terms that reinforce a particular liberal ethos, one, that again, prizes the power of the individual over the power of the collective. So why is this moment with Gotham Girl so revelatory? It is because Batman identifies with his trauma collectively, not individually. What Batman embraces when he embraces Gotham Girl is something closer to a universal trauma. When Gotham Girl speaks to her dead brother, she speaks to a representation of the lack that is foundational to existence in the symbolic order. At this moment, Batman realizes something similar about himself. Instead of retreating from it, punching it, or institutionalizing it, he embraces it. By affirming this collective gesture, he takes a step toward asserting real individuality because the only way to realize one's individuality is through the collective, not outside of it.
Something as simple as a hug represents growth for a character who seems so regrettably one-dimensional, so maybe I Am Gotham is better than I thought.
frasersimons's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A fun, solid start to King’s run. It’s a bit out there, with two new heroes that turn into a more complicated arc. It’s bombastic and tried to expand on the origin story a bit. I think it’s overall shaky at best though. And because it is Batman, mental health is just not a thing of course. Everyone’s “psycho” and “crazy”. In a long standing series that tries to make things gritty because of those things, the lack of nuance undermines it at every turn.
joshgauthier's review against another edition
4.0
King is an immensely talented writer, and with "I am Gotham" he sets the pieces in motion for his run with Gotham's protector. What he delivers is a complex story enmeshed in the dark struggles that define Batman's character.
In disclosure, I'm jumping into DC's Batman comics here, so I have only a basic familiarity with what has come before. It feels clear that this is setting up a longer arc, and there are admittedly some weak points as King settles into the story. However, the art is excellent, there are some great moments of dialogue, and King weaves larger themes into the action of a super hero story.
It's a solid read, and I look forward to seeing how King's run with the character develops over the subsequent issues.
In disclosure, I'm jumping into DC's Batman comics here, so I have only a basic familiarity with what has come before. It feels clear that this is setting up a longer arc, and there are admittedly some weak points as King settles into the story. However, the art is excellent, there are some great moments of dialogue, and King weaves larger themes into the action of a super hero story.
It's a solid read, and I look forward to seeing how King's run with the character develops over the subsequent issues.
ugmug's review against another edition
2.0
Just not good. Batman lacks his confidence and whines about his parents. 2 generic superheroes are introduced. Batman employs some stupid gadgets that make some of James Bond's sillier toys look downright genius. Rough start for Tom King on DC's money maker.
georgezakka's review against another edition
3.0
this wasn't as good as the other volumes in this series but I still think its pretty good.
basically, these 2 siblings are influenced at a young age by Batman and when they're older decide to use powers to help Gotham and even save batmans life at the start of the book. the art is pretty good by David Finch and that's really all I have to say about this book
overall good book
basically, these 2 siblings are influenced at a young age by Batman and when they're older decide to use powers to help Gotham and even save batmans life at the start of the book. the art is pretty good by David Finch and that's really all I have to say about this book
overall good book
some_okie_dude27's review against another edition
(EDITED REVIEW)
I've always had an affinity for the heroes at DC Comics, even more than Marvel Comics, though I do have an affinity for characters from that company as well. There's also the fact that Batman is my favorite superhero to have walked the pages of comics, though I still debate with myself on if Batman's actually a 'superhero' but that doesn't matter much. I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but the fun thing about a shared superhero universe is that you can play with different styles, genres, and themes, which is something that the Big Two have struggled with, but have steadily gotten better with as time as gone on. Then there's superhero universes like Valiant that completely embrace the notion that it's a diverse universe and that you can play with different genres, styles, themes, etc and I do wish that DC and Marvel would catch up with them, but like I said, they've been getting better with it as the years have gone on.
Tom King is a writer who is capable of brilliance, having taken the Vertigo method and revamping some underused characters in the Big Two such as The Vision and Mister Miracle, but with those moments of brilliance comes moments of stagnation, such as with his Batman run. This isn't a bad book by any means and I did enjoy what I read of it, but with that comes the nagging problems of his writing, such as him throwing anything that he has to see what sticks, his repetition, and his rather shameless attempts to try and emulate creators who've come before, such as Alan Moore.
Emulation isn't always a bad thing, but with emulation, one can easily fall into the trap of imitation, and as I've said in the past, the problem with imitators is that many of them don't understand what made the things that they're imitating so special, so they make a product that's less skilled and pandering. Fortunately, Tom King seems to have his own voice, but he still hasn't fully embraced it yet and is still emulating too much, in fact there's scenes in here that directly mirror scenes from other, more famous works such as All Star Superman. I suppose that the main complaint that I have of this run is that King emulates too much and is not fully embracing his own voice.
But with the bad, comes the good. I'm always impressed with King's ability to empathize the humanity in these characters that we've known for so long, as well as the new ones that he's invented. He understands that Batman is a normal man who's living amongst gods and, instead of showing the legend, he shows the man under the cape and cowl. Now, I'll concur that there's others who have done it before him, and have even done it well. In fact, the previous writer before him, Scott Snyder, did a brilliant job in exploring Batman's humanity before he went a little off the walls, which makes me see some similarities in King and Snyder. Both are good writers who have their own voices, yet sometimes get carried away, and they also don't mind challenges. There's also David Finch's stunning artwork, with brooding colors and characters who feel alive on the page, and his complimenting King's skill for pathos, which is also something I forgot to mention. King is also extremely good with playing with your emotions as the reader, he gives you characters that you grow to care about and then he takes him or her away from you, like I said, King is capable of brilliance.
In the end, we get a strong beginning to a run that goes all over the place in sense of style and themes, it's a heavily flawed, yet acceptable beginning book from a writer who's not yet found his voice, yet is still looking for it.
(If you're wanting a video explaining my issues with Tom King, here's a helpful video on the subject, no it's not me, but he's someone I do respect and I feel deserves a little more love.)
I've always had an affinity for the heroes at DC Comics, even more than Marvel Comics, though I do have an affinity for characters from that company as well. There's also the fact that Batman is my favorite superhero to have walked the pages of comics, though I still debate with myself on if Batman's actually a 'superhero' but that doesn't matter much. I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but the fun thing about a shared superhero universe is that you can play with different styles, genres, and themes, which is something that the Big Two have struggled with, but have steadily gotten better with as time as gone on. Then there's superhero universes like Valiant that completely embrace the notion that it's a diverse universe and that you can play with different genres, styles, themes, etc and I do wish that DC and Marvel would catch up with them, but like I said, they've been getting better with it as the years have gone on.
Tom King is a writer who is capable of brilliance, having taken the Vertigo method and revamping some underused characters in the Big Two such as The Vision and Mister Miracle, but with those moments of brilliance comes moments of stagnation, such as with his Batman run. This isn't a bad book by any means and I did enjoy what I read of it, but with that comes the nagging problems of his writing, such as him throwing anything that he has to see what sticks, his repetition, and his rather shameless attempts to try and emulate creators who've come before, such as Alan Moore.
Emulation isn't always a bad thing, but with emulation, one can easily fall into the trap of imitation, and as I've said in the past, the problem with imitators is that many of them don't understand what made the things that they're imitating so special, so they make a product that's less skilled and pandering. Fortunately, Tom King seems to have his own voice, but he still hasn't fully embraced it yet and is still emulating too much, in fact there's scenes in here that directly mirror scenes from other, more famous works such as All Star Superman. I suppose that the main complaint that I have of this run is that King emulates too much and is not fully embracing his own voice.
But with the bad, comes the good. I'm always impressed with King's ability to empathize the humanity in these characters that we've known for so long, as well as the new ones that he's invented. He understands that Batman is a normal man who's living amongst gods and, instead of showing the legend, he shows the man under the cape and cowl. Now, I'll concur that there's others who have done it before him, and have even done it well. In fact, the previous writer before him, Scott Snyder, did a brilliant job in exploring Batman's humanity before he went a little off the walls, which makes me see some similarities in King and Snyder. Both are good writers who have their own voices, yet sometimes get carried away, and they also don't mind challenges. There's also David Finch's stunning artwork, with brooding colors and characters who feel alive on the page, and his complimenting King's skill for pathos, which is also something I forgot to mention. King is also extremely good with playing with your emotions as the reader, he gives you characters that you grow to care about and then he takes him or her away from you, like I said, King is capable of brilliance.
In the end, we get a strong beginning to a run that goes all over the place in sense of style and themes, it's a heavily flawed, yet acceptable beginning book from a writer who's not yet found his voice, yet is still looking for it.
(If you're wanting a video explaining my issues with Tom King, here's a helpful video on the subject, no it's not me, but he's someone I do respect and I feel deserves a little more love.)