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Batman #128

80
Comicscore Index
Generally favorable ratings

Based on 21 critic ratings.

The blockbuster arc continues!

Failsafe has taken his family, his allies, and now his city… Broken and beaten, Batman retreats to the last place on Earth he can hide… but nothing can truly hide from Failsafe!

In the backup… Batman has prepared his mind for anything, or so he thought.

We go back to his early days and a chilling case that led to… Failsafe!

Publication Date
October 4, 2022
Publisher
DC Comics
Format
Kindle Edition
Print Lenght
34 pages
Language
English
Price
$4.99
Amazon ASIN
B0BCXGZ6CV
Reprinted in

5%
10%
86%
21 Critic Ratings & Reviews from:
  • 100

    ComicBook.com

    Chip Zdarsky continues to prove that he is absolutely the best writer for Batman right now, period and Batman #128 is another knock-it-out-of-the-park moment. What makes this issue work so well is that the story simultaneously understands exactly who and what Batman is while also letting those elements lead to catastrophic failure with horrific consequences for everyone in his orbit. It's that orbit aspect of things that is especially successful when dealing with the other characters who come to Batman's aid. Zdarsky writes them with a sharp understanding of who they are even though their appearance is limited. On top of that, the art and color in this issue is just fantastic, continuing to drive home the action elements in a way that feels explosive in scale while also deeply personal. It's tight visual storytelling and it's spot on. This is start to stop a fantastic issue and another chapter in a truly excellent run.
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  • 100

    But Why Tho?

    Batman #128 is a win-win. You can't go wrong; even if you hate Batman, the stories within are too good to miss if you love comics. Throw on your costume and go get this issue.
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  • 100

    Lyles Movie Files

    Batman is in excellent hands with this creative team, who continue to surpass expectations with each installment. This title is clearly operating on a can't miss status and that doesn't look to change anytime soon.
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  • 100

    Henchman-4-Hire

    Great character moments and an escalating threat that gets bigger and more exciting than I realized all make for a truly amazing Batman comic book.
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  • 100

    Fortress of Solitude

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  • 96

    The Comicbook Dispatch

    If you're interested in a Batman story that's jumpin' right from page one, Batman #128 is it! From its special guests to its emotional moments, this high-octane rollercoaster doesn't stop until the end. Additionally, the action is top-notch and the play-by-play narration from Batman, while Superman is taking on Failsafe, was some incredibly impressive writing. Combine all of the above with some wildly powerful illustrations from this creative crew and fans will find one of the most entertaining issues in the past 128.
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  • 96

    Women Write About Comics - WWAC

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  • 95

    Weird Science DC Comics

    Batman #128 pits Failsafe against the entire Justice League for an updated (possibly better) version of Tower of Babel for a knockdown, drag-out fight that truly puts the JL on the defensive. The writing is clean, rapid-fire, and impactful, and Jimenez's art packs a punch.
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  • 94

    The Super Powered Fancast

    The Story: Zdarsky delivers an action packed, thrilling adventure in this issue. The story is filled with tension and awesome surprises that engaged me as a reader. I loved all of the action in the issue and how Failsafe utilizes Gotham as a trap for the Justice League. A move that perfectly illustrates the darkness within Batman. A great story that ends on a brilliantly executed cliffhanger that makes me excited to see what comes next. The Art: Jimenez delivers some beautifully detailed and visually thrilling art throughout the issue. The action is perfectly executed and I love the fast, frenetic style of the imagery.
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  • 90

    AIPT

    If you're looking for high stakes, action, and a sense that Batman's goose is cooked, there's nothing else like Batman #128. The creators have thoroughly put him in a corner, and it's exciting to know you can still feel surprised by yourself, after countless times, Batman has had no chance of escape, to honestly believe there's no way he can escape death. Zdarsky and Jimenez's Batman is a magic trick you'll be on the edge of your seat reading every page of the way.
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  • 90

    Geek Dad

    It doesn't quite have the emotional punch of the previous few issues, but when it hits on all cylinders, it's as good as the best of the run. But I'm a bit surprised by the sudden dovetail into event-style storytelling at the end.
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  • 90

    Dark Knight News

    Batman #128 is a great bridge between highlighting what Failsafe can do to all enemies and how it has set the stage for a new world order in Gotham. Expertly paced and thoroughly entertaining, this is great stuff indeed!
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  • 90

    The Batman Universe

    Batman #128 is an incredible, thrilling issue firing on all cylinders, perfectly balancing an intense momentum with deep moments of heart.
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  • 90

    Comic Book Revolution

    Batman #128 is an excellent read. Chip Zdarsky and Jorge Jimenez have paced this storyline to natural escalate with every issue. The fight between Failsafe and the Justice League and the end result create great concern as we don't know how things will turn out in the end. The back-up story does a great job modernizing the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh origin story with fantastic artwork by Leonardo Romero. This is really a can't miss reading experience for Batman fans.
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  • 90

    First Comics News

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  • 89

    Comic Watch

    While boasting excellent execution and beautiful visuals, Failsafe continues to feel a bit like a Batmans Greatest Hits style story and Im a little ambivalent about that. That said, it does mix things up with a different focus and approach than similar plots, and the potential exists for the story to establish an identity of its own. Recommended to those returning to Batman after a while away, fans of Chip Zdarsky, or people who don't mind the familiarity of the premise.
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  • 85

    Sequential Planet

    Despite all the fun and tension of Batman #128, Zdarsky's story might be becoming too big for its own good, unless the writer is under a 12 issue contract or something similarly short.
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  • 85

    CBAMR.COM

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  • 80

    COMICON

    The run takes a turn with this issue, pointing towards a fascinating future for this run for the Dark Knight.
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  • 80

    Batman on Film

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  • 50

    Batman-News

    I'm not very impressed with this issue. The story doesn't really work for me; Failsafe is so overpowered that it's getting ridiculous; the JLA and the Bat Family are written like mindless brawlers; and the time skip takes away all of the tension because it presents a scenario that we've already seen over and over again. I had fun reading the previous Batman issues, but I was bored reading this one. As for a recommendation, why not check out Ram V's Detective Comics instead?
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Batman (2016) #128
Series

More From Batman (2016)

About the Author: Chip Zdarsky

Steve Murray (born December 21, 1975), known by the pen-name Chip Zdarsky, is a Canadian comic book artist and writer, journalist, illustrator and designer. He has also used the pseudonym Todd Diamonte. He worked for National Post for over a decade, until 2014, as an illustrator and humorist (as Steve Murray) and wrote and illustrated a column called “Extremely Bad Advice” for the paper as well as The Ampersand, the newspaper’s pop culture section’s online edition.

He uses the Zdarsky pseudonym for comics-related work, using it to create Prison Funnies and Monster Cops and as artist and co-creator of Sex Criminals with writer Matt Fraction. Comics attributed to him include Howard the Duck, Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man, Daredevil and Spider-Man: Life Story for Marvel Comics, Batman for DC Comics and Jughead for Archie Comics.

Early life

Steve Murray was born in Edmonton, Alberta and raised in Barrie, Ontario.

Career

Murray has illustrated for such clients as The Globe and Mail, New York magazine, CBC and Canadian Business.

In 2000, Murray created Chip Zdarsky as a pseudonym and alter ego for his persona as a comic book writer and illustrator, developing his own independent projects, such as Prison Funnies and Monster Cops (which can be read online or in print) as well as collaborating on a variety of projects, including Dark Horse Comics titles Fierce and Rumble Royale. About his alter ego, Murray said “I wanted to have a sad-sack cartoonist persona that lives in his mom’s basement, paints figurines for money, has restraining orders against him. And that became a character.” He describes the character as “an idiot who doesn’t know what I’m doing. I’ve had no success in my life. No matter what, I’m going to mess things up.” Murray initially attempted to keep the identities separate and secret.

From 2008 to 2014, Murray penned and illustrated a weekly advice column for the National Post called “Extremely Bad Advice”. He also wrote another column in that paper, Tear Jerk, in which he reviewed films to see if they could actually make him “weep like a baby”.

Along with Kagan McLeod, Ben Shannon, and Cameron Stewart, he is a co-founder of the studio The Royal Academy of Illustration and Design, which produced Rumble Royale.

In 2010, he also launched a mock campaign for mayor of Toronto. He was not an officially registered candidate, launching his satirical “campaign” through social networking platforms after the deadline had passed to register as a candidate in the real campaign.

Chip Zdarsky and Matt Fraction
In June 2013, Image Comics announced that Chip Zdarsky had teamed up with Invincible Iron Man and Hawkeye writer, Matt Fraction, on a new creator-owned series titled Sex Criminals. The first issue was released on September 23, 2013. Sex Criminals was declared number 1 on Time magazine’s list of “Top 10 Comics and Graphic Novels” of 2013.

In 2014, Murray won a Will Eisner Award for Best New Series for Sex Criminals.

Zdarsky wrote the first series arc of the relaunched Jughead comic for the 2015 New Riverdale relaunch.

On February 15, 2017, it was announced that beginning that June, Zdarsky would be writing a brand new “back-to-basics” Spider-Man series Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man that would run alongside writer Dan Slott‘s run on The Amazing Spider-Man. Zdarsky later wrote the two Spider-Man miniseries Spider-Man: Life Story and Spider-Man: Spider’s Shadow.

In November 2018, it was announced that Zdarsky would serve as the writer on Daredevil, with Marco Checchetto serving as artist. The series began publication in February 2019 and lasted until November 2021 with issue 36. This leads into the event Devil’s Reign, also by Zdarsky and Checchetto. A new Daredevil #1 will launch in June 2022, with Zdarsky and Checchetto returning from the previous volume. The series will explore the fallout of Devil’s Reign and the effect it had on both Matt and Elektra, as both are operating as Daredevil.

In 2020, DC Comics announced that Zdarsky would be among the creators of a revived Batman: Black and White anthology series to debut on December 8, 2020.

In February 2022, it was announced that Zdarsky will serve as the new writer for the mainline Batman book, starting with issue 125 on July 5, with Jorge Jiménez serving as the artist.

[Latest Update: May 26, 2022]

Text from Wikipedia.org, shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0