Batman #54

Reviewed by: Robbie Rowe

Rating: 7 out of 8

Writer: Tom King

Artist: Matt Wagner

The people you love can often be the ones you need most and who understand

you best, even if you don’t always want to admit that, or have them around. This feels like the centre of the issue to me, between going back into the past to focus on how much Bruce was able to help Dick when he first brought him in, despite how difficult it was.

Then, in the present, it focuses more on Dick doing his best as an adult to help lift Bruce’s spirits after his fiancée, Selina Kyle, didn’t show up for their wedding. There’s an array of colorful foes fought by Batman and Nightwing in this issue, from Quilt Man, even to Condiment King, ones I never really expected to see in modern Batman, especially not with how dark and tormented Batman’s become recently.

There’s a lot more light heartedness injected not only thanks to the villains, but

also because of Nightwing, a more humorous, light hearted superhero compared to Batman. The issue ends with a touch more hope and is a fairly heart warming ending, one that I haven’t seen from Batman in a while. It’s a welcome, encouraging change. I’m curious to see just what’ll await in the next arc and if Bruce’s life can maintain an upward trajectory from here. I’ll definitely be there, no matter what happens with the Caped Crusader.