Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Art: Jorge Jimenez, Tomeu Morey, and Clayton Cowles
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $4.99
Release Date: December 5th, 2023
It’s Batman versus The Joker in their most brutal fight of all time as Batman #140 by Chip Zdarsky continues. But wait…Batman is also battling a legion of himself! What has Zur done? And who will walk away? The brutal “Mindbomb” continues!
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THE DISPATCH
Batman #140 opens up with a bit of a far fetch angle implying that Bruce somehow has the Zur’s from the Multiverses he’s been to stuck in his head. Now, how that all transpired is beyond me. Nevertheless, I think it’s just something that readers are going to have to overlook in order to navigate this issue. Surprisingly enough, it takes center stage over the fight against the Joker, which is going on around these mental gymnastics. Overall, it’s not that the premise is bad it’s just that readers get to this point by using too much imagination in order to connect all the pieces.
However, the best aspect of Batman #140 is how pertinent Zdarsky’s Batman: The Knight run comes into play. Not only do key players come into the mix from that series but so do key ideas such as his memory palace and a bit more. Now, I know… I know… it should be easy for Zdarsky to write about that run because he wrote it. Nevertheless, the shock was that I never saw it coming. So, I would highly recommend giving that series a shot to fully understand some of the “inside” remarks that are made throughout.
Yet as amazing as it was to see the throwback to Batman: The Knight, the cliffhanger was pretty outstanding. Sure, I kind of saw some version of this coming but Zdarsky was still impressive with the design and clever fascinations involved with the cliffhanger. Moreover, we leave Batman #140 without fully knowing what happened to the Joker. But let me tell you, it doesn’t look good.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Batman #140 is just wild! It’s jam-packed with action from start to finish. But not in the way you’d expect nor with the people you’d anticipate. Furthermore, the issue also had some interesting moments that involved some mental gymnastics but also some clever twists that will certainly keep readers on their toes. Plus, to the fans who loved Zdarsky’s Batman: The Knight run, you’ll also get a ton of cameo moments that will definitely pay off.
Overall, there is very little to be disappointed about within this issue AND it’s only the second installment in the arc. This puppy could go in any direction at any time and I have no doubt readers will be pleased. I’d pick this bad boy up ASAP and snag the Batman: The Knight trade while you’re at it especially with it being Christmas and all! You can thank me later! Let me know what you think, have a great week, and God Bless!