Batman #145: Stumbles of the Bat

Batman #145 – written by Chip Zdarsky with art by Jorge Jiménez, colors by Tomeu Morey, and lettering from Clayton Cowles – is a messy continuation of various elements to the larger Zdarsky run, weaving in elements from ‘Failsafe’ to ‘Gotham War’ and the various back-up issues. Resuming the ongoing story of Batman versus Zur-En-Arrh after a three-issue Joker told detour is a rough transition, and the issue never smooths from the start. Bruce and Joker are imprisoned in the bowels of Blackgate, and as Batman later learns, is joined by the likes of Vandal Savage. 

It’s a random, rapid revelation that feels anti-climactic for the plot Zdarsky was weaving in the previous backup story. The immortal caveman felt like he was being built as a secondary villain for the series alongside the Zur-controlled Failsafe, but any dramatic tension is slashed seeing him locked away. A few off-handed comments explain Vandal’s circumstances, but like many of the explanations in the book, they feel forced and shallow like a desperate bid to set the board. There’s no explanation as to how/why Jason Todd is back after his “death” in ‘Gotham War’ beyond the vaguest of footnotes for an ancillary Joker book. 

This issue highlights foundational problems in Zdarsky’s storytelling for this run thus far, which is the wide gaps in time. Does the book make radical shifts in days, weeks, or even months for any purpose other than plot convenience? Is there a reason why Batman needed to sleep for a month earlier in the run other than to try and add stakes post-Knight Terrors? The answer feels like a no in both cases, and it serves as a reminder of just how rushed this entire story feels. In the opening arc (and its excellent backup), the pacing felt like an extension of the bombastic, tense storytelling Zdarsky was interested in delving into. Now, it just comes off as a sloppy lack of confidence in the material. 

An aura of rush spreads beyond the scripting of the issue, as the art on display from Jiménez feels just as lackluster. The illustrator can elevate bland or lacking material, but in this issue, this seems to show. Faces feel lacking in detail and the action comes across as sluggish while the atmosphere that was drenched in shadow is lacking. Whether it be the realities of an ongoing title, the lack of lead in time for the arc, or the harsh switch in styles after the Joker arc, the art just buckles under the weight of aspirations. Action that should be dynamic and hyper-kinetic limps along, while the revelations from Joker, Red Hood, and Failsafe fall flat rather than thriving in rich emotional work. 

Morey’s colors remain the most consistent element of the book, but even those tones do little to save the issue. The book is missing the stark contrasts of the snow in the opening arc versus the inky, rain-soaked shadows of ‘Mindbomb.’ Instead, the coloring is a smorgasbord of the previous colorscapes, presenting Morey with no opportunities to play with the space and hues. It’s a byproduct of rushing through plot and reveals for expediency’s sake, and showcases just how much damage an overcorrection of momentum can do. 

In what reads like a possible companion to the original backup story of the run, Zdarsky is joined by artist Michele Bandini, colorist Alex Sinclair, and Cowles again on lettering for a deepening of the Joker’s history with Daniel Captio. Captio, the man responsible for Zur-En-Arrh by training Bruce to control his mind, was revealed to have also taught the Joker during the clown’s first year. The revelation unfolded within the last two issues but immediately returns, as Zdarsky speeds through connecting the dots of past and present. 

The backup story serves as an extended therapy session as Joker recounts his early encounters with Zur, swooning over the twisted personality of Batman. Bandini’s artwork in the story has a rubbery quality that plays well with Joker’s anatomy but comes as stiff for Captio. The big twist is a doubling down of what made the ‘Joker: Year One’ story such a bland story, specifically the compulsion of trying to square circle pegs created by the New 52. There seems to be an indication that Zdarsky has moved on from ‘Zero Year’ and is now working towards ‘Death in the Family’ as a basis for this back-up.