Review: Batman #68

Tom King is not making it easy to be a fan of Batman proper. The current arc does little to aid this dilemma and this issue does more harm than good. King seems to have written the nonsensical narrative for the sole purpose of collaborating with Amanda Conner. The tone feels more suited for a Harley Quinn story than Batman, the dialog is goofy, the characterizations are unrecognizable and the humor is flat, unfunny and overall awkward.

The story is the sixth part in King’s painfully slow Knightmares arc which for some reason now focuses on Selina and Lois. The pair is apparently on some sort of ridiculously grandiose girls’ night out at the Fortress of Solitude complete with wines from all over the galaxy, an euphoric swimming pool and a Full Monty style male stripper revue featuring robotic replicas of Superman. King misses the mark on Lois by a Kryptonian mile and while his Selina Kyle is closer to the character as we know her, his character work is thin and without the slightest bit of depth. The girls’ male counterparts busy themselves trying to spend a relaxing night at stately Wayne Manor, however neither Bruce nor Clark appear to have much luck even enjoying a friendly game of chess. Both seem preoccupied wondering what their respective significant other is up to. The issue continues in this vein as Lois and Selina now intoxicated on “space wine” entertain one another with an impromptu fashion show, trying on several Super costumes.

There isn’t much meat on the narrative bones in this issue, but what passes for a plot is disappointingly shallow and does nothing to progress the already hobbled Knightmares arc. King does little more than provide a showcase for fan favorite Amanda Conner’s artwork. There are scenes of a skinny dipping Selina and Lois whimsically rendered by Conner as well as a seemingly limitless string of cutesy sight gags that likewise play to the artist’s impressive strengths. Visually the issue is very solid, if completely inconsistent with the tone of King’s previous chapters of this arc. Conner and company provide some exciting visual storytelling made all the more satisfying by the intense coloring ofÂ Paul Mounts, John Timms and colorist extraordinaire Jordie Bellaire The final pages that call for a darker, more serious tone are provided by the brilliant Dan Panosian, John Timms and Mikel Janin.

I haven’t exactly been quiet about my displeasure with Tom King’s Batman run especially since the wedding debacle. I was a huge fan of his early work on the title, but he seems to have lost his way. Slow pacing, ponderous plots and needlessly complicated dialog have all plagued his run, very often all these elements have appeared in a single issue to hamper any potential plot progression. While this issue is visually strong the artwork is not enough to salvage an overtly silly story. The comparatively light subject matter and rom-com like tone stand out for all the wrong reasons in King’s Batman run. Of course there is room for lighter narratives in the Batman universe, however this issue is jarring to say the least coming as it does from out of nowhere. If you are not invested in this arc I certainly don’t see this issue as a reason to jump in at this point. I hope that after King finally resolves his laborious Knightmares arc that there are better stories ahead for the Dark Knight while the writer remains at the helm. 2.5/5

Writer- Tom King
Artists- Amanda Conner, Dan Panosian, John Timms, Mikel Janin
Colors- Paul Mounts, John Timms, Jordie Bellaire
Letterer- Clayton Cowles