The Gotham War is over in Batman / Catwoman: The Gotham War – Scorched Earth #1 from DC Comics, written by Chip Zdarsky and Tini Howard, with art by Mike Hawthorne and Nikola Čižmešija.
We reviewed the book on the Stack podcast. But in the interest of highlighting more about the title, here’s a summary of the conversation with our thoughts. And if you prefer the longer audio version, that’s below as well!
Powered by RedCircle
Batman / Catwoman: The Gotham War – Scorched Earth #1 Review:
It’s the end of the Gotham War storyline, but just the beginning of some new troubles for Batman and Catwoman. In the issue, the two put aside their differences to stop Vandal Savage from bringing a meteor down from space which will destroy Gotham. They manage to stop it, but not without some big changes for Catwoman, the city, and Batman.
Host Pete LePage called out the part of the story where Batman and Catwoman ar finally working together, only to have it all ripped out of their grasp as “a lot… This was a lot to have in one issue.” Elaborating further, LePage noted, “It kind of felt like the Gotham War got thrown out the window because of all the madness that got ramped up here.”
LePage continued that he was disappointed that the storyline we’d invested in, whether you’re on Batman’s side (all crime bad) or Catwoman’s side (some crime good), “doesn’t matter… It took a swerve… Which I was a little bummed about.” That said, he did think it was a “crazy issue, jam-packed.”
Justin Tyler agreed, calling the event “a little messy… The Batman take is inconsistent.” Tyler in particular felt the treatment of amping up Jason Todd’s fear response was brushed over far too quickly.
Alex Zalben speculated that perhaps since there was no way to logically continue the philosophical argument between Batman and Catwoman long-term in the comics, the writers threw the serve of Vandal Savage in there to “take the decision out of their hands.” Looking at it more positively, he did like the idea that because Batman and Catwoman “took their eye of the ball,” the villains of Gotham City and Vandal Savage are free to run amok. “Ultimately both essentially lose… Batman loses a chunk of Gotham City, Catwoman loses herself… [But] as nonsensical as some of those arguments were, I wanted to see them focus on that, on Batman and Catwoman, [versus] pulling that rug out from under them. It was a choice.”
Added LePage, “It seems like after this, they’re still going to have to go back to that debate… Gotha is still going to need defending, and whose side are people going to be [on]?”
Batman / Catwoman: The Gotham War – Scorched Earth #1 Official Synopsis:
THE GOTHAM WAR ENDS HERE! The final chapter of this epic crossover is here, and Batman and his family must find a way to overcome the endgame of an ancient enemy! Can the Bat and the Cat set their differences aside? Is this the end of the Bat-Family? Lives change forever in this action-packed conclusion!
