Batman #127
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Batman #127 brings together part three of ‘Failsafe’, and the finale of ‘Two Birds, One Throne’.
Failsafe Part 3 picks up with a flashback to JLA: Tower Of Babel, before jumping smoothly into the shadows of the Batcave. We join The Batman of Zur-En-Arrh and Robin as they are hunted with ruthless efficiency by Batman’s deadliest creation – Failsafe.
Determined to make a last stand, will Batman be able to survive the assault long enough to unveil the ace up his sleeve?
Two Birds, One Throne – Catwoman gets her claws into another birdie! That’s right – she is in Metropolis and has Oswald Cobblepot in her sights. But what she discovers leads her to postpone her plans for Oswald, and set her sights on Aidan & Addison Cobblepot.
So let’s get to the nitty gritty!
Chip Zdarsky strives to continue the story of Failsafe, and wrap up the saga of Two Birds, One Throne – and this is achieved spectacularly. The pace of Failsafe makes you feel like Batman is actually running for his life, and you feel the pain and desperation he is going through. The turmoil within Batman’s consciousness is presented well, and the reveal at the end actually had me giving a silent internal cheer!
The interaction between Catwoman and Oswald felt tentative and on edge, but for all the right reasons. Two enemies, circling each other, whilst talking about life, leading into Catwoman questioning her own choices, feels like a perfect end to this storyline.
When it comes to the artwork of this book, firstly, the cover looks amazing. Batman, blood on his face, scowling, for me this just demonstrates the level of pain and anger he is feeling right now! It really got my attention and I just knew I had to read this straight away.
Then when we get to the panels, it’s like a an adrenaline filled ride! The lettering used for thr sound effects, the colouring of the surroundings, and the use of shadows all portray that Batman is running and fighting for his life. I loved the impending doom that was demonstrated throughout. And then when we get to the first physical confronts, and you just see the strike dedicated to the whole page… I got literal chills. You actually feel like Batman and Robin are giving it their all.
I think Jorge Jiminez did a terrific job portraying the violence and desperation in this story, and his art really supports and ties in with Chip Zdarsky’s story.
Verdict – This has got me hooked on the Failsafe storyline. I am genuinely disappointed in myself for not picking up this story beforehand, but I will be scouring my LCS in the hopes I can still get a few back issues!
Review by Ryan Pritchard 16/09/2022
