[ Editor’s note: This review may contain spoilers!]
Writer: Tom King
Pencils: David Finch
Summary
Bane runs the gauntlet–inside of Arkham Asylum! Breaking into the Asylum with his bare hands Bane has brought the Asylum to its knees in search of Batman! Who does Bane encounter in the Asylum? And as he goes in search of Batman, will he be able to maintain his sanity?
Positives
Tom King really shines in this issue! This entire book is nothing but showcasing Bane doing what he does best! Each page is nothing but action, as we see Bane encountering and defeating each of Batman’s foes. Two-Face, Solomon Grundy, Amygdala, Mr. Freeze and more! Bane does this, it seems, for two reasons–one, he’s testing himself against Batman’s enemies, and two, he’s simply enjoying it. The narration through Bane is also well done, as it actually seemed lIke I was seeing each encounter through his eyes. King did a great job of getting Bane’s point across of his sheer hatred of Batman.
Negatives
I gotta laugh out loud on this one! I’m laughing because I couldn’t find anything negative about this issue at all. The story was great and David Finch was awesome with his art and attention to detail. Each battle Bane fights with an inmate is so detailed, down to every punch, kick, and claw!
Verdict
You would definitely need to read #18 first before immediately reading this issue, as this is nothing but pure action throughout. Here we have Bane unleashing all of his anger and hate towards the inmates and it was something to definitely see. King even leaves us on a cliffhanger where Bane does finally find Batman– fully suited up and ready for a fight! Great cliffhanger and I can’t wait to see how this ends!
