The final fight is here, and Batman must take down his father to save Gotham City, Selina, and himself. Spoilers for Batman #85 follow.
And with that, Tom King’s run on Batman has come to an end. A story over three and a half years in the making, King’s run has been a roller coaster of plot twists and emotion combined expertly into a brilliant saga. So much of this story is unlike anything else in mainstream comics, especially Batman comics, because it’s a love story. Sure, there are incredible machinations by villains and large stakes involved, but every focuses on the emotional connection between Batman and Catwoman. And that’s what this final issue also focuses on, leading to an emotional and satisfying finale.
One of the most phenomenal things about King’s run has been his ability to craft an investing love story. Batman and Catwoman have been in on-and-off relationships for decades at this point, but King managed to do something different. Rather than having the two simply viewing each other in a simple, sexual manner, he goes further into the relationship. He allows the love between the two to truly grow into something that matters. You truly believe that they are in love each other and that’s what this final issue does incredibly well. It manages to show how much they truly love each other and it finally has them get married, without the ceremony though. It’s a beautiful cap to this story. Will they stay together forever? No, probably not, this is comics that we’re talking about, but it doesn’t take away from the impact of this story.
The other thing about this issue, and the “City of Bane” arc in general, is how generally small in scale it has been. There are a couple of issues that attempt to go larger in scale that aren’t as good, but generally, the arc has been focused on character rather than plot. For some, this may be frustrating, but for me, it’s exceptional. Nearly all of the issues for the past eleven issues have been character studies and that makes you care so much for each character. That allows for the impact in this issue to matter more. The happiness that Batman and Catwoman feel matters more. The defeat of Thomas Wayne has more impact. It’s not a perfectly told issue, but the emotional impact outweighs some odd ways the story is told.
Mikel Janin once again shines in this issue. His art is absolutely breathtaking and a perfect encapsulation of the love between Batman and Catwoman. His art wonderfully frames the two in such great ways. He captures the emotion of every page so well that each page enhances the previous. Most comic art often feels isolated from page to page, but Janin’s art doesn’t feel that way. The emotion flows naturally from panel to panel and then from page to page which creates an intensely emotional read.
