Batman #137 Full Spoiler Recap DC Comic Review

Batman #137 Spoilers Inside!

Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Artist: Jorge Jiménez
Colourist: Tomeu Morey
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Editor: Ben Abernathy
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: September 5th, 2023

Order: Batman #137

Previously On Batman

Batman has been going through a lot recently from dealing with a failsafe to jumping across the multiverse, losing a hand to dealing with his nightmares.

It has been Batman’s most brutal ride yet and on top of all that Zur-En-Arrh wants to come out and play.

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When Selina starts breaking criminals out of prison to help ‘rehabilitate’ them into stealing from the rich instead of just everyone, it starts to get the attention of Batman who doesn’t agree with any of it.

Selina confronts Batman and the Bat Family about her plan but it only splits them up as some of them agree with Selina and others don’t.

The Gods Jiménez And Morey

This might be one of my favourite issues when it comes to Jorge Jiménez’s artwork in this. He’s always able to make the characters stand out so well with his art and draws the fight scenes fantastically.

He’s one of the few artists where I take longer to read an issue because I’m just so mesmerised by what he’s done. I personally love him on Batman primarily when he draws Cassandra Cain or Barbara Gordon.

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Another thing that stands out about Jorge Jiménez’s artwork is Tomeu Morey’s colours. I appreciate the use of shades of grey in the cityscape of Gotham – it creates the perfect aesthetic.

Upon reviewing the issue again, I noticed that Morey expertly utilizes a wide range of greys, blues, and purples on almost every page. These colours effectively represent Batman and are seamlessly integrated into the background of each scene.

Jorge Jiménez and Tomeu Morey were for sure the highlights of this issue and are my only saving grace when it comes to reading the rest of this event.

Not My Batfam

There’s a lot not to like in this issue and about this Gotham War event overall but the main thing is how the Batfam is being treated.

I’m not a fan of it and it has come absolutely out of nowhere. From the last issue, we got glimpses of who might side with Selina and her outrageous way of keeping crime down but this issue surprised me with who was actually on her side.

I find it quite unexpected that the majority of the Batfam seems to be backing Selina since this goes against their typical conduct.

While they have encountered numerous obstacles in their crime-fighting endeavours, turning a blind eye to offences that primarily impact the wealthy hardly seems like a noble pursuit.

While everyone seemed out of character, the one that was the most obvious change was with Tim Drake. He spent the entirety of the last two story arcs by Batman’s side, we witnessed him go against people just to find Batman again.

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All of that for him to oppose Batman and side with Selina seems like a ridiculous decision in itself.

Batman is still dealing with trying not to have a breakdown and letting Zur-En-Arrh out which is still a very interesting side of the story and I do love what they’re doing with the Wayne Manor.

Seeing Vandal Savage buy the manor could play out interestingly in this storyline but it isn’t enough to save this mess.

Batman just immediately fighting his family instead of talking it out with them doesn’t seem like the Batman thing to do and that’s where the bad writing shows.

If there’s one character that makes sense for them to act out of character, it’s Batman, due to the Zur-En-Arrh dilemma he’s going through right now.

Villains On The Rise

One thing that I questioned while reading the first Gotham War issue and the beginning of this was, where are all the other villains?

I can get what Selina is trying to do even though I don’t agree with it being the right method but how are the villains not putting their henchmen or goons in place?

They keep mentioning Riddler and Joker but they aren’t the only two villains in Gotham who had goons.

There’s something about this event that slightly confuses me, especially as in this issue we do get a look at where the villains of Gotham are and it does seem like they’re planning on doing something major together instead of using henchmen for the job.

This could play out in a very interesting way or just fall flat like the rest of the event.

In the last issue, Riddler made an appearance, but this issue does not provide any updates on his intentions or if they are related to the other villains.

However, given his statement about losing friends, it seems unlikely. Although Riddler did not make an appearance, Vandal Savage unexpectedly appeared at the end, which I believe will add some intrigue to the event.

There are many unanswered questions about why he purchased Wayne Manor and what his ultimate goal is. These are the aspects that will keep me engaged and reading this event.

Conclusion

Batman #137 by Zdarsky is not his best work on this run. The writing is poor and lazy, which is disappointing to see.

The Gotham War event may be difficult to continue with, but there are a few interesting aspects that make me curious to see how it will unfold.

Unfortunately, it seems that this Batman event is being forced without any clear intention, and I fear that it may lead to negative outcomes.

While this issue may not be Zdarsky’s strongest, I have confidence that he will be able to restore the series after the event, provided that the damage isn’t too severe.

Rating: 2 out of 5