BATMAN #24 Review

Tom King's Batman run hasn't been exactly the follow-up I had desired from Scott Snyder's arc during the New 52, but he's had some great moments interspersed with some heavily divisive ones. Batman #24 might just be the most divisive of them all; as an epilogue to King's arc The Button, it doesn't do much to wrap up that storyline, but as teaser for Bruce Wayne's relationship status with Catwoman/Selina Kyle, it's certainly a thrilling one-shot.

Here's the thing, though: Batman #24 takes a long time to get to its twisty conclusion. It's an issue full of dialogue, and in fact the entirety of the story is a conversation between Batman and Gotham Girl high up on a skyscraper. Their conversation is all about choices, about the direction that superheroes take when they're not sure whether they want to continue a life fighting crime or settle down to try to be as happy as they can be. Gotham Girl has an even bigger decision - her powers actually kill her, so deciding to stop evil could have potentially fatal consequences.

This moment is a solid decision, since Gotham Girl has been a big part of Batman's life since the start of the Rebirth material. But it also feels like we've seen this conversation play out over and over in King's run. While Batman consults with Gotham Girl to help her figure out what she wants to do with her life, she's ultimately counseling Batman as well. Batman's never truly happy, and perhaps he never can be; he's always putting others first, even when it's possible that's psychologically damaging to him. Gotham Girl recognizes this, and it does seem like it's one reason why she's reticent to continue being Gotham Girl. But more than that, she wants to help Batman find happiness wherever that may be. This is an issue that Batman has suffered throughout King's run, and many issues have been devoted to this type of introspective worrying. But Batman #24's dialogue seems to go in circles, constantly reiterating the same ideas over the course of the entire issue. It feels a lot like filler rather than some philosophical understanding of the Bat.

King splices this conversation between day and night, with the night panels involving a chase between Batman and Catwoman through the rooftops of Gotham. There's good juxtaposition here, and it all leads the reader to the inevitable confrontation between them. Batman has - over the course of the franchise and not just King's work - constantly flirted with a romance with Selina Kyle, and finally King gives readers what they want - a potential for Batman to finally settle with her. It's a surprising reveal, and one that makes sense canonically.

But will it stick? It's hard to say, since a new arc is starting that will presumably take King away from this epilogue. Many are praising Batman #24 for its ultimate reveal, but it's a very uneven issue, with overwrought dialogue and a potential to cop out on its surprise proposal. It's going to divide fans of Batman, but it will also be a historically important issue for the franchise and for King's legacy.