“The Dying City” – Finale
Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Artists: Tony S. Daniel & Jorge Jimenez
Color Artist: Tomeu Morey
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Review by Max Byrne
Batman #157 brings the curtain down on the Chip Zdarsky era, which overall has been an excellent run indeed. Whilst the recent headlines have been dominated by the upcoming return of Loeb/Lee and a sequel to Hush… It is fair to say that this run has been more than worthy of the name.
He signs off in incendiary style, with an action packed issue that wraps all of the current events in a nice bow, clearing the decks for what is to come next. But it does establish a new status quo moving forward for our titular hero moving forward, along with that of his long term ally Jim Gordon. With their relationship now on shaky ground following on from Gordon’s recent indiscretions, Batman’s ability to let go of grudges is going to be tested like never before.
The sense of stakes here is truly palpable. As Batman has to put paid to the Russian plot that threatens not just Gotham City, but the whole world via a potential for World War 3. This is the cue for some of the most far fetched Batman antics that Zdarsky has ever written involving a spot of plane-wrangling. Although, when previous issues have depicted the Dark Knight surviving a fall from outer space back to Earth, perhaps this chain of events is more grounded than it seems!
One small gripe I have with this issue is the length of the final fight between Batman and KGBeast. For a confrontation that has been months in the making with a huge amount riding on it on a global scale. It does seem to be over fairly quickly. I would have preferred a more even contest than the squash match on offer here, but it does showcase Batman’s almost peerless hand to hand skills, enhanced by his inner rage that almost takes him to the edge and beyond against his Russian foe.
The lingering plot thread of the potential stepbrother for Bruce is dealt with fairly efficiently too. No spoilers here, but the outcome of the DNA test is the correct one in my opinion.
Conclusion
Batman #157 is a fitting epitaph for the Zdarsky tenure. His run has captured this reader’s imagination and has been one of the strongest in recent years. An extremely vivid and eventful run, he has certainly provided several memorable moments that will live long in the memory. Now, it is time for Mr Loeb and Mr Lee to revisit one of the greatest Bat-stories of all time. Altogether now…..Hush!……
Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment