Batman punches a member of the Bat-Family in Batman No. 71

Bane looks to have taken the upper hand in the battle for Gotham, as Bruce is showing signs of cracking as he physically attacks a member of the Bat-family.

Things have started to boil over for Bruce in Batman No. 71, as it seems Bane has gotten the best of Bruce and has gained upper hand, forcing Batman into a situation that he often doesn’t find himself in: lost and in too deep.

“The Fall and the Fallen, Part 2” is split into two different stories in which writer Tom King effectively shows the moment Batman realizes he had been beaten by Bane and Thomas Wayne, while simultaneously showing how Bane’s mind games have affected his personal relationship with the Bat-Family. These two stories culminate at the end of the issue, with Alfred telling Batman that, “Bane has broken you,” and the Dark Knight getting physical with Tim Drake for bringing up Catwoman and offering help

Credit to DC Comics and artists MIkel Janin and Jorge Fornes

Bruce still seems to still be feeling the effects of being kidnapped and drugged, as he is convinced Bane is the mastermind behind everything and has released all of the Arkham Asylum inmates. but Batman does not have any proof of this happening. Not a single soul believes Batman, giving us an intriguing plot point moving forward, which will no doubt be unveiled in Batman No. 75.

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King not only has Batman in a disoriented state, but the readers as well, keeping everyone on their heels and having us double take on what is true, what is a dream and how this will end. Very few stories in comics now-a-days truly give us uncertainty as to what is happening and how the story will end. King has done a good job at keeping us guessing at every turn in his run, and his unconventional Batman stories have been polarizing. Yet even those who aren’t necessarily sold on King’s Batman can admit these store is have been anything but bland.

Violence and physical aggression is a surefire sign of frustration, as King continues to bring up a conversation about mental health and its effects on even the toughest of people. While keeping that in mind, Batman is still a sympathetic character, even while Batman seems to be doing a heel-turn.

It will be interesting to see how King redeems Batman at this point because, after punching Commissioner Gordon in Batman No. 59 (where this issue picks up), he now added Tim Drake to his punch list. It will be interesting to see how the creative Batman team deals with.

The two usual suspects, Mikel Janin and Jorge Fornes, split the work in Batman No. 71. Janin draws for the Wayne Manor scenes while Fornes is in charge of the Bat-family scenes. It was a great idea to have the two artists on the book to bring their own style to the book and make it seem as though you’re getting two stories in one.

8/10

The initial shock value of Batman punching Tim Drake is rather shallow, as Batman’s continued fall into the pits of depression and trying to deal with his mental health is the more interesting and fulfilling story arc.