Batman Vol. 2: I Am Suicide (Rebirth)

Bruce gathers his own little Suicide Squad to infiltrate Pena Dura prison and retrieve the Psycho Pirate from Bane, but that's not why this book is called "I Am Suicide".Story: Batman accepts Waller's proposal and goes to Arkham to retrieve a team of handpicked villains to help him get the Psycho Pirate from Bane, who views him as his "cure". It's mostly C list villains, and Catwoman. They come up with a very intricate plan to get in the prison. It's almost like Ocean's Eleven, but they're trying to get a person, not a thing. One of the main aspects of this book is that it's really a character study of Batman and Catwoman, told through letters they write each other. We learn a good bit about Selina's past and how she viewed Bruce while in the orphanage. We also get a great view into why they kiss, what it means to them, and how they feel about each other. Tom King gives us a great view into the souls of these two (almost) star crossed lovers that can never truly be together. All the while, they are running the gauntlet of Bane's prison trying to accomplish their goal. The ending to me was pretty satisfactory and I was surprised by how it ended. One thing that King did well in this book is completely throw off the reader. I thought certain things were going a specific direction, and by the time you see the conclusion and the plan come to fruition, you realize only then just how intricate and deep the plan was! I was shocked, though I shouldn't have been, to see the depth of Batman's plan to get to Bane. There's so much suspense here as one wonders how Batman and his team can outwit Bane when he is lord over this island prison. The last two issues of this book is a Catwoman story, taking place immediately after their prison escapade. Batman knows Selina didn't kill 237 people and is determined to clear her name so she won't be put to death. Catwoman knows Bats will take her in in the morning, but she wants to have the night to be with him. They go out and beat up some D list villains including the ever comical Condiment King! They recall their first meeting which makes a callback to the Golden Age of comics as well as Frank Miller's Year One. Bruce and Selina then get quite intimate on the rooftop. Bruce eventually finds out the truth about Selina and the 237 murders that occurred out of vengeance for the orphanage burning down. This book was exciting, suspenseful, and gave us a good look into the psyche of Bruce and Selina. It also sets up nicely for volume 3. I'm seriously looking forward to that!Art: Wow! Mikael Janin's art is just wonderful! I wasn't super impressed by his work on "Grayson". I only read the first volume. But, when I saw his work on the Rebirth #1 one shot for this title, I was SUPER impressed, and I knew he'd be a great rotating artist. His work here is some of the best work I've seen on any Rebirth title so far! I can't imagine how long it took him to draw a lot of the images he drew for this book. Two double page spreads in a row! Batman fighting a LOT of Bane minions. There was a lot of detail and a lot of action in some of these scenes. My hat's off to Janin for being able to deliver with the sheer scale of work he must've had to put in to bring us this masterful work of art. I loved so much about his art, like the spread of the bird's eye view of the prison with Batman scaling the outside of the prison. Janin's art was consistent, panel to panel, and didn't really diminish with even the small and numerous panels. Consistency is one of the things that I think make a great comic artist. When the quality of the art is vastly different from the splash pages and the small panels, I think that's a sign of a bad artist or one that has to rush. But, it's amazing that Janin could pull it all off, pretty much flawlessly. Due to his work on the Rebirth one shot, and this book, Janin might end up becoming one of my favorite artists. I loved the covers, especially how Janin draws Bane in full costume! I didn't care for Gerad's art on the final two issues. Just not a fan of that style.Overall: Tom King delivers a very different tale here from volume 1, and what we get is ultimately a character study of Bruce, Selina, and even Bane. It's wonderfully written, surprising as hell if you can't predict the ending, and King certainly tries to make sure you can't. It's beautifully drawn, inked, and colored! I am seriously looking forward to volume 3!

Tom King delivered a fantastic volume here, adding totally new dimensions to the Batman Cat Woman relationship, and bringing a much darker aspect of the dark knight. The repeating of dialogue is an excellent motif, and it helps the emotional journey of the characters making it a deeply impactful and symmetrical read. The two characters that King focused most on were Batman and Catwoman, and their inner monologues were fantastic and added a great contrast between the two, as well as connecting them. Not only was it a fantastic emotional journey but Mikel Janin drew some great action that perfectly matched the morbid tone of the story. Batman was just as smart and in control of the situation as I wanted him to be, a great representation of the Dark Knight . The fighting weaved seamlessly across the page which gave a great flow to the story. Bane was also phenomenal, totally bad ass and also a tragic story of addiction his final confrontation with Batman was chalk full of the awesome twists you expect from a Batman book. On top of all of this the Batman Catwoman was handled wonderfully, it was a heart breaking love story that left you wanting more. Overall this sets the tone for Batman in rebirth and I hope that King and Mikel keep this up. Definitely read this one.

In a sense, this is both a self-contained story, and one that feels incomplete at the same time. The quality, however, is still fantastic, and Tom King delivers some excellent Batman mythos that continues his volume 1 talent in bringing together both the familiar and something refreshingly new to the Dark Knight.One thing that this volume's storytelling contains, almost to the point of annoyance, is symmetry. Dialogue is repeated several times as a motif, and it usually works well to convey the dark, mysterious tone. However, it grows a little tiresome after a few chapters. It's difficult to describe without giving too much away, but anyone who reads this collection will immediately understand. King narrates certain chapters from different perspectives, which adds more depth and makes for a more interesting read. Each narration feels and sounds different, reflecting the character it belongs to. In a general sense, the story is genuinely interesting, though I feel like the story picked up in the middle, and not in one of those 'and here's how we got here' moments. There were a few story elements that must have been established in other titles that seemed rather sudden here. For example, Bane, the central antagonist, was in Gotham the last he was mentioned in a Batman title, so I was wondering how he not only abandoned venom, but became the ruler of his native country home. When Waller shows up (briefly) it's in a very off-putting matter that rather poorly reflects on Batman. Even in this new established continuity, I was a bit surprised at how she did what she did. This sounds a bit dumb phrased as it is, but it is a surprise I'd rather not spoil. As a final note on the writing, Catwoman was depicted very well, conveying both a sense of weakness and undeniable strength. The only thing slightly confusing was that, just as she was preceding the New 52, she is aware of Bruce Wayne's violent nocturnal escapades.The art is a departure from Finch's volume 1, and I must say, Janin crushes it here. The back cover makes Batman look a bit awkward, but this is the sole example. His work is shadowy and open, yet detailed and realistic. There are a few fight scenes which contain Batman in several positions, showing the progression of his fights. It looks great, though is a bit strange to behold, as it does look like there are a dozen Batmen attacking. The only thing I felt was a little off was the depiction of Bane. I'm not sure if this was Janin or King's choice, but the man that broke the Bat is nude virtually the entire time. I'm no prude, and rest assured this is nothing like the blue member in Watchmen, but it felt a little strange. I understand, I think, what they were going for, similar to the ancient Scottish warriors would do to inflict fear on the enemy. It's a power move and intimidation factor, but still took a bit of getting used to.Overall, Batman's Rebirth title continues to find success in King. Janin's work is superb, and made some of the less enjoyable dialogue easier to get through. Similar to volume 1, this is an easy recommendation for fans of the Dark Knight.