Snyder's run was tough to follow but this is a pretty good start to King's run. ( )

I received an advance review of this comic book compilation from the publisher (thank you DC!) through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I must say that I was a bit daunted when I sat down to read the first installment of this new Batman series. I felt a bit old and out of the loop since I have not read any superhero comics since I was a kid. Weirdest thing though—I started into this one and found Batman fighting Solomon Grundy—my favorite super-villain from my childhood. I remember him fighting the entire Justice League single handedly and wiping the floor with them and he is just as much a bad ass now. While his appearance brought back memories, this is not the Batman of my youth and not even the Batman of recent films.

Through the introduction of the brother and sister Gotham superhero team we examine the genesis of Batman. At first they appear as figures from a positive and alternative past where disasters were averted and through sheer bravery the wounds of the past are healed. Not so. Several characters at different times claim to have the power to “fix” the past, “fix” the wounds, “fix” the situation and restore what is lost but it is ultimately futile. Batman and the Gothams writhe in angst and psychological pain and there is no end in sight--and that really appears to be the whole point of the story. In fact the concentration is so focused on the internal conflicts of these three characters that I found the heroic action elements of the plot to be circular, at times disjointed, and the supporting cast of superheroes and villains to be almost a stream of haphazard cameos. I did find the ending to be very interesting and I am looking forward to the second part of this story—the Monster Men.

Since this is a graphic novel the art must also be addressed and I have to say that with the exceptions of a few blue on blue font combinations that I found difficult to read on my tab, I was blown away by the amazing visual presentation. I almost moved this up another star for that alone.
( )

Well, a Batman title has made me cry (again). But this isn't Tynion and his sensitive portrayal of Clayface's struggles. No, this is King and I wasn't expecting tears from this title.

I really liked Gotham and I hated than Batman couldn't save him.

Great art, especially in the later issues (was there an artist change?).

Love a sassy Alfred too. ( )

I was initially going to give this four stars, but it's tough to think of something to knock here. King continues to wow me in a "where did this guy come from?!" way, and while I think I've been hard on Finch in the past, I think his art has a utilitarian quality that works well with King's writing here. Somehow, the plot is nothing all that new, the villains are nothing all that new, the dialogue is nothing all that new, but this is more than the sum of its parts. ( )

The overall story was pretty garbage, but it gained an additional star for Alfred being awesome and snarky at all times. ( )