BATMAN #133 Review

Batman #133 is published by DC Comics and written by Chip Zdarsky. The main story features artwork by Mike Hawthorne with inks by Adriano Di Benedetto and colours by Tomeu Morey. The backup story artwork is by Miguel Mendonca and Roman Stevens. Letters for both stories are by Clayton Cowles. Main cover art (left) is by Jorge Jimenez.

Batman #133 is available now in print and on digital where all good comics book are sold.

Synopsis

Everyone goes insane eventually. And then they belong to the terrifying Red Mask! But Gotham City has a new saviour. He strikes from the shadows, exhumes the dead, and is known only as…the Batman. 

And in our backup story, Tim Drake’s search for Batman continues as he and Superman, Jon Kent, team up to stop the terror of the Toyman!

Review

It’s all beginning to come together in Batman #133 this month. With both the main and backup stories heading towards a crossover point it’s starting to fell like something big is coming.

Zdarsky has, so far, done a great job of keeping the two stories separate. Whilst the main story finds Bruce searching for both a way home and a way to help the citizens of this alternate Gotham. Tim has been relentless in his search for a way to bring Bruce home. I’ve talked about this already during the “Bat-Man of Gotham” arc but both men ultimately have the same goal but with very different approaches.

Issue #133 picks up both stories exactly where they left off. On the alternate Earth, Bruce is donning his Bat-suit once again as he refuses not to get involved with the rife corruption in the city. I picked up on this point last month, but what Zdarsky is really telling us with this story is two-fold. Firstly, Gotham needs a Batman. Second, Bruce needs to be Batman. Zdarsky is proving month-by-month how deep his understanding of the character runs.

There’s no question as to whether Bruce is going to fight for the people of alt-Gotham. He doesn’t falter for even a second. I really commend that strength of character which Zdarsky is sticking to as it feels intrinsic to the character at the deepest level.

It also makes sense to see alternate versions of several major players from Gotham. So far the focus has been on Harvey, Riddler and Selina, each of whom has the prerequisite similarities and differences to the prime Earth. Arguably there’s a point to having Bruce learn to appreciate everything he has waiting for him at home. So I’m surprised that we haven’t seen more Robins. There is also an argument to be had about why he hasn’t sought any of the Justice League members who may also exist on this Earth.

That same strength of character underpins Tim’s actions in the book’s backup story. With both men now experiencing life on a different Earth, the parallels between them run even deeper. Zdarsky injects Tim’s story with more of a sense of urgency than Bruce’s. There’s a palpable sense of the clock ticking in order to find Bruce as if he may end up lost forever. Aside from the differing visuals, this sense of urgency really helps Tim’s story to stand in contrast to Bruce’s.

Verdict

“The Bat-Man of Gotham” arc begins to coalesce this month. With all the pieces on the board, Zdarsky is shifting the story to bring in more action whilst keeping the focus on Bruce’s emotional journey. Once again the backup story is used to bring some great context. We’re beginning to see both stories racing towards an epic conclusion.

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