Review of Batman: Contagion

***Contains Spoilers***

Contagion is Batman and the Bat Family doing what they do best. Centered around a thrilling mystery, the team needs to investigate different avenues to find a cure for the Apocalypse Virus. There are interesting team-ups, fierce battles, and the fate of Gotham at stake.

I read Contagion post-COVID pandemic, so I think this story had some extra intrigue. Many of the scenes that focused on the spread of disease really stood out as powerful imagery and added to the suspense of the story. It would be interesting to know how it was originally received in the ’90s.

Tim Drake as Robin was the highlight for me. He continues to develop confidence. He has proven a capable detective and has many of the strengths that Dick Grayson showed as Robin, but without the chip on his shoulder. I liked the different Robin team-ups — Catwoman, Nightwing, and Huntress. Robin and Catwoman had exciting chemistry as they tried to hunt down virus survivors. And once again, the Robin/Nightwing team-up was a highlight. This story builds on the relationship developed in Knightfall, and it just keeps improving.

Unfortunately, while the majority of the story is fast-paced and thrilling, like so many other Batman stories it came to an abrupt and anti-climatic finish. Rather than any of the existing pursuits of the cure working out, out of nowhere John Paul Valley discovers the cure in some unrelated text that was not mentioned previously. And then when the cure is discovered, we go right from Tim on his deathbed to being cured. I feel like there was a missed opportunity for added suspense between the time the cure was found and the time it was mass delivered.

The Batman Contagion story arc was a really entertaining read. It kept me engaged throughout the entire story. It is something I give 3-stars and will probably visit again in a few years.

Feature Image Batman #529 Cover art by Kelley Jones & John Beatty