Batman #77 Review

Writer: Tom King

Artist: Mikel Janin

Rating: 7 out of 8

Batman #77

As a writer, Tom King has shown a lot of bravery. Writing Batman, he's shown the Dark Knight's strength; like when he faced Bane in Arkham Asylum, or almost certain death, to save both Gotham and a plane full of people. But he's also shown a more fragile side to the Crusader, like when he was trying to save that plane.

There, he asked Alfred ''Is this a good death?'', fearing he wouldn't die in a way that'd make his parents proud. One of the focal points of King's run has been Bruce's relationship with Selina Kyle. They've worked together, been together and many issues ago, they nearly got married.

Her decision to leave Bruce was perhaps more of a selfless one than you might think, fearing he couldn't be Batman without pain and that Gotham needed him. It's not a decision that I fully understand or agree with, but it's definitely an important one, which set the stage for the rest of King's run.

For a long time, Gotham's been under Bane's control, the one man to break Batman, in body and spirit. It's been a city ruled by villains, with anyone unwilling to work for Bane being captured by the super-powered Gotham Girl - and a strikingly different Batman. Heroes aren't allowed, with only one having entered so far and for that, they paid a really steep price.

That didn't deter the ever confident - some might say arrogant - Damian Wayne AKA Robin. Honestly, he's one of the best parts of the issue and King writes him really well. He's undeterred by Gotham Girl, despite her flight and super-strength and his confidence isn't unearned. 

His fight with his 'grandfather' is really thrilling and you really find yourself rooting for the Boy Wonder. It's a little later we get one of the bravest choices by King and also one of the most tragic moments of his run. It's handled brilliantly, in writing and art and I'm still shocked it actually happened. I applaud him for it.

Because of this, as well as where we leave Bruce and Damian, I'm really looking forward to the next issue and I'm excited to see where King takes us on the rest of his run on the Dark Knight. It's been one of the more divisive, but also one of the boldest. Well worth checking out. 

Powers of X #1 Review

Writer: Jonathan Hickman

Artist: R.B. Silva

Rating: 7 of 8

Powers of X #1

When it comes to storytelling, there can be many varations on a theme. Regarding time travel, you could have a something more serious, like 12 Monkeys, or a bit more off the wall, like Rick & Morty. With action, you could have something violent, mixed with one liners, like Commando or Die Hard, or something that's more action focused, with less humour, like The Raid.

Then when it comes to discrimination, you could focus on slavery, shootings on unarmed men, or differing reactions to immigration. Whether it's comics, films or animation, the X-Men often represent those who feel different to others. In some stories, a cure for the X-gene is created, which could resonate with Autistic people, with some looking for a cure for the disability.

In a lot of stories, Mutants are struggling to survive, like in the dystopian Days of Future Past; or they're fighting for freedom, as in Age of Apocalypse. In Year 100 of Powers of X, it's a mixture of both. There, Mutants like Rasputin and Cardinal are fighting for their species against an alliance of Mutants, humans and machines.

We get the feeling Rasputin and Cardinal have a tempestuous relationship, which isn't helped by the war, or their conflicting personalities. We get some exciting, visually striking sequences when Rasputin's fighting for a comrade and, surprisingly, some humourous moments from human-machine Nimrod the Lesser. When he's trying to get his compatriot Omega to let him try getting information out of a prisoner, his animated demeanour reminds me of an anime character and I really found him funny at times like this.

There's only a few criticisms I'd have of the issue, mainly two moments around Rasputin's fight, where I didn't understand where one character got from where they were to where we next see them and I also had this problem with Rasputin shortly after this. Other than that, a very good issue and a promising start to the series. I'm intrigued to see what's going on with Xavier and Mystique in Year 10, who the Librarian is in Year 1000, or a whole host of other questions I hope're answered over House of X or Powers. If you like the sound of this, be sure to check it out - you might just be glad you did.