***Contains Spoilers***
This collection of Batman issues, spanning from #575 to #605, covers stories by Larry Hama, Ed Brubaker, and Brian K. Vaughn. Across these tales, Batman investigates gritty mysteries, takes on street-level villains, and dons his Matches Malone persona. The arc is grounded in Gotham’s underbelly, focusing less on supervillains and more on crime and corruption. While it has its moments, the stories never quite rise above “solid,” leaving the overall run feeling unremarkable.
What stood out to me was the Matches Malone storyline, which added a surprising twist. For years, we’ve seen Batman adopt the Matches persona to infiltrate Gotham’s criminal world, but learning that Matches was a real criminal whose identity Bruce stole gave the narrative a new, grounded edge. It’s an idea that humanizes the criminal underworld and gives Batman’s methods a darker moral ambiguity. I also appreciated the effort to highlight Batman’s detective skills throughout the stories—there’s a clear focus on street-level crime, rather than the fantastical elements of his rogues’ gallery, which adds some realism to the run.
However, there’s a lot I didn’t love here. While the stories are competent, they never feel memorable. They’re the kind of tales that are perfectly serviceable while you’re reading them but leave no lasting impression afterward. They aren’t bad by any means, but they’re not exciting either. Add to that the art, and my overall experience was lukewarm at best. Scott McDaniel’s style, which carries over from his Nightwing run, didn’t work for me in this context. His angular, kinetic visuals felt out of place in the grim, noir tone these stories were aiming for. The overly stylized action sequences clashed with the grounded themes, making it harder to immerse myself in the world.
Overall, this run is fun, but feels transitory. There are some intriguing ideas, and the Matches storyline is the standout, but most of the rest felt like filler. With art that doesn’t suit my taste and stories that are just “okay,” I can’t see myself revisiting this run. I’d give it 2 stars—I liked it enough to finish, but it’s not something I’d pick up again.
Feature Image Batman #577 cover art by Karl Story, Patrick Martin, and Scott McDaniel