The fourth issue in the Gotham War storyline slaps readers over the head with an overly melodramatic family feud. A father rages against his son, a student challenges his mentor, and an ancient puppet master pulls the strings on a family of crime fighters. While the melodrama might make some laugh, the action is solid and the plot stimulates interest as readers wonder what kind of betrayal could cause the Bat-family to erupt into such a brawl.
Chip Zdarsky and Jorge Jimenez put together a strong chapter that will make it difficult for fans to forget. The art is incredible and the dialogue accentuates each character’s personality and the way they interact with others. The core cast is stellar as readers witness the emotional breakdown of the Bat-family as they battle each other. The final visual will leave readers counting down the days until the next chapter.
During the heist at the planetarium, a masked man named Kadar claims to be able to predict Batman’s every move, but this is clearly not true as the heist is a complete failure. The Tiger Gang then steals a projector that could disable the city’s entire defense system. While Batman and Robin are busy thwarting this plan, Simple Simon tries a new crime spree on the docks. His attempts to rob a bank and a winter resort are foiled by the dynamic duo, but the crook’s third attempt proves successful.
After intercepting a call between the henchmen and the savant who helped the heist, Batman138 decoys Kadar into wasting his rocket-ram weapon on a robot that precedes him into the savant’s hideout. Afterward, the police arrests the villain and the criminals. Batman and Robin then patrol Gotham Bay, where they are attacked by what appears to be a dinosauric sea monster. The heroes don scuba gear and subdue the Sea Beast, but its tail lashes Robin, who becomes tangled in a brace of seaweed. The henchmen escape on the Sea Beast’s submarine, but Batman tracks them using a signal in his utility belt radio.
The final scene in the comic takes the Bat-family’s fight to a whole new level. The squabbling between the members of the team reveals just how much the recent events have impacted them. This is a dark turn for the team as the actions of some members cross lines that even Batman finds questionable. Seeing Dick Grayson challenge his mentor in this fashion makes for an explosive finale that will make the next chapter impossible to ignore. It’s not often that a comic can take the concept of family feuds to such a dark level, but batman138 does just that.
Thursday, October 12, 2023