Batman #157: A Satisfying (Yet Bumpy) Ride

When in the trenches of an ongoing comic, it can sometimes be difficult to see the journey’s scope. Each issue is like a stop in the road trip or flight, offering a snippet of the bigger whole waiting to be revealed. Oftentimes, the handling of the destination, whether it be bumpy landing on the tarmac or quick lane change to reach the exit, tells a lot about that bigger picture. It’s a fact to keep in mind as the creative team of the current Batman era brings it in for a closing, wrapping up both The Dying City and the larger run. 

Batman #157 – written by Chip Zdarsky with art by Jorge Jiménez and Tony S. Daniel, colors by Tomeu Morey, and lettering by Clayton Cowles – brings the current run to a close as Batman and his allies settle the score with a multitude of villains, including the Court of Owls leader/Russian agent Leonid, Commander Star, and the Riddler. Batman chases down a plane with Leonid, who’s stolen an encryption code from Nygma. At the same time, Jim Gordon is left behind to bring in the Riddler, who’s responsible for brainwashing the former police commissioner. Meanwhile, Commander Star is still causing chaos in the city, leading riots outside of Wayne Enterprises as a distraction. 

Batman secures the code before having to land a plane in a tense sequence that leads him to Commander Star, launching them into a brutal fight. Batman defeats the foe, quelling the worst impulses of Gotham. Gordon can take down Nygma with the help of the Mad Hatter, paying back a favor owed to Batman. The first postscript to the action is with Bruce’s possible brother, who is revealed to not be a blood relative, but still makes an impact on Bruce going forward. The issue ends with Batman and Gordon sharing a cup of coffee and discussing their paths forward, echoing the opening of this arc. 

Zdarsky’s task for this issue (and the larger arc) feels a lot like Batman’s task of landing a runaway plane with little traction. The ride’s a little bumpy, the landing is less than ideal, but the damage is minimal. For a story arc that came about as an extension due to scheduling and shifting creative teams, Zdarsky does an excellent job of telling a story that wraps up and offers a bit more to say. While the action sequences and plot mechanics are a bit rough to get the audience to the final sequence with Jim and Batman, that scene alone is worth the admission. 

Zdarsky grounds the dynamic between the duo in a real sense of friendship and battle-tested comradery that isn’t perfect. Bruce acknowledged in his inner monologue that he almost let outside forces tear the two apart, showcasing that even as the vigilante has let people in and learned, he still has a way to go. For Gordon, Zdarsky dropped a thorny, fascinating character beat of desperation into Gordon that strikes true to the figure. This is the first time in a long time that Gordon has felt like a realized character with a clear direction and sense of interiority, even without a foundation or resolve to stand on. (In an ideal world, DC would greenlight a new Gotham Central with Zdarsky at the helm starring, picking up the pieces left on the final pages.)

Outside of that really strong Batman and Gordon plot, the other aspects of this arc feel the most constrained by the behind-the-scenes. The simmering tensions with Commissioner Vandal Savage, the Leonid/Riddler/Russia plot, and the social upheaval in Gotham feel like slapdash stories intended for future writers. It’s understandable why that is, and Zdarsky does the best he can, but by the end, this arc feels like two separate stories brought together like a makeshift wedding. 

The seams of the issue show through the juxtaposition of art styles as well, as Daniel and Jiménez share penciling duties. While both have a blockbuster, action-heavy style, the two are similar enough that the gap in intensity and storytelling intent show. Jiménez since the start of this run has felt like the perfect fit for the story being told, elevating the Failsafe arc into high-concept action while still managing to deliver atmospheric noir beats, like in the Mindbomb arc. Daniel’s linework lacks the propulsive action of that main style but is also missing the gritty approach from the Gordon-centric issue (that is stunningly illustrated by Jorge Fornés).  

As a result, Daniel’s art feels like an echo of Jiménez’s massive swings, both on a technical and storytelling level. The confrontation between Gordon and Nygma should be impactful and scream of the rage found in the Batman/Commander Star fight but instead is a struggling gasp. Bringing back Fornés or another artist who could strike that specific style would have made for a stronger final product. Again, that would occur in an ideal world and Daniel’s art is no slouch. It just boils down to a case of the style not matching the subject material. 

Morey’s coloring has the difficult job of once again bringing cohesion to an issue struggling at its seems, and time after time, does excellent work. The alchemy of his colors, which really pop in the Jiménez sequences, add a stylistic flourish that resembles strong action movies of the decade. Batman is out of the shadows and takes the fight directly to Commander Star, contrasting the gaudy tones of the villain’s costume against Batman’s streamlined simplicity. Putting Batman in the light while flattening the color for the Gordon fight creates a sharp contrast. It speaks to the two tones the book is trying to strike, indicating the high octane for Batman while implying the more noir-driven approach to Gordon.