Bookended by Cats was named after Milo and Otis. They are the short, orange, and furry brothers who, upon entering our lives in 2003, often bookended us on our couch. And who are we? We're a geek couple living in PA. We love music, movies, TV, comics, books, and comic cons. And, from time to time, we'll share our thoughts on these nerdy things.

Sunday, April 9, 2017

The Heart of Batman (Batman, Vol. 3 #20)

Yeah, Batman is still here. Respect!

The finale of "I am Bane," the fourth arc of writer Tom King's run on Batman, comes to a close in Batman, Vol. 3 #20. Tom King (Omega Men, The Vision, The Sheriff of Babylon) might not have been everyone's pick to follow Scott Snyder, but I know I was psyched about it (I mean, I love, love LOVED his run on Omega Men). And now, after having lit a proverbial fuse about 10 issues ago, this story has paid off in spades. Or batarangs. OK, maybe not batarangs. I don't think a single batarang was thrown in this throwdown between Bane and Batman.

Anyway, if I'm being honest, I'm worried any time Bane is front and center. Not because I'm worried about what will happen to Batman. No, it's because I'm one of maybe a dozen Bat-fans out there who don't really care for this villain who looks, acts, and talks like a professional wrestling trope on steroids. Was that redundant? Maybe. But in the hands of King and the art team, Bane has been almost interesting. And I've been on the edge of my seat with each issue.

So, if you don't care about following a full story and just want a great fight where Batman shows his major gravitas, pick up this single issue. But, if you're interested in a carefully crafted yarn that shows the heart and soul of Batman, read through this entire run from the beginning of Batman Rebirth.


Batman, Vol. 3 #20
April 5, 2017
Tom King (writer)
David Finch and Danny Miki (art)



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