And the Failsafe saga has finally started. Zdarsky brings us another dark chapter of Batman’s ordeals. After “The Joker War” Bruce Wayne lost all of his money. Some hopes were regained when Batman Inc became stronger and we had a long lost ally join the Batfamily along with a reformed Clownkiller. We then were thrown into the abyss as we faced the death of Deathstroke, Deathstroke's son and Ra's al Ghul himself. An epic “Shadow Wars” storyline with, in my belief, a very disappointing ending. I just couldn’t buy into this new villain. However, the aftermath settled things for the whole Batfamily. But how long can Batman really enjoy peace?
Failsafe starts as a promising and intriguing story. What starts as a usual Batman story escalates really ugly and really fast. Another emblematic and iconic villain along with a Batfamily member are…. dead? Zdarsky again brings us to the edge as almost every page of this new saga is faced with an unexpected twist. And knowing Zdarsky, we might need to accept the fact these beloved characters might actually stay dead.
There is not much to comment about the art. After all, it is done by Jorge Jimemez. His perfect use of panels to emotionally drive us through the storyline, all the way to a detailed use of black and white spaces in between. The motion of the characters is perfectly portrayed. Visually speaking, it feels like you are watching a TV episode. This is enhanced with a skillful use of colors by Morey with a dedicated palette through every scene. Even the letters by Cowles dance in perfect tune.
An expected release that doesn’t disappoint. A new era has started, reflected even with the new Batman logo. The Failsafe saga promises an amazing storyline and is a great starting point for those willing to jump into the Batman series as well as those returning after a hiatus. For those of us who have been reading Batman for a while, we can’t wait for the next issue.
🎭 🖍 🎨 ✒️ 📝 💻 🖌 🖼
Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Artist: Jorge Jimenez
Colorist: Tomeu Morey
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Cover Artist: Jim Lee & Scott Williams.