REVIEW: ‘Batman,’ Issue #105

Batman #105 is published by DC Comics, written by James Tynion IV, art by Carlos Pagulayan, Danny Miki, Alvaro Martinez and Christian Duce, colors by David Baron, and letters by Clayton Cowles. With Clownhunter about to separate Harley’s head from her shoulders time is running out for Batman to save both of them from tragic endings.

The sins of the past are the pains of the present and our fears for the future. By this, I mean we are most acutely aware of the dangers we have already experienced. As they hurt us today, we have an active understanding of the pain they can cause and will take the greatest lengths possible to avoid their repeating themselves. What makes some of the best people so good is that this avoidance isn’t just limited to them. They will extend it to those around them. Trying to use what they have learned, oftentimes through great pain, and shield others from its touch.

If there is one thing that Tynion’s run on Batman has taught me, it’s that he really needs to write Harley Quinn. For the second storyline in a row, the entire finale issue is stolen by Harley as she gives a dramatic speech, not so much to save her own life but to save Clownhunter’s. Harley’s acknowledgment of what she was and what she strives to be is gripping and heartfelt. Easily the high point of Batman #105. I wish Batman’s final confrontation with Ghost-Maker could’ve hit so hard.

Rather than something that feels like a resolution to a decades-old rivalry, we get a cookie-cutter feel-good ending that wraps everything up nicely and conveniently. Why Ghost-Maker comes to the conclusion that he does feels baffling to me. After decades set on a particular path and way of viewing things, he makes the decisions that he does just come across as jarring. With no apparent logic in the final moments, it feels like the conclusion is simply a convenient way to move the plot along.

The art in Batman #105 delivers a good presentation of its story. From the opening flashback sequence where we see Bruce and Ghost-Maker part ways all those years ago to the closing panels, everything is shown clearly and dramatically. There is also a cohesiveness to the book that I am happy to see. It would be easy for the book’s visuals to become a bit disjointed with such a sizable art staff. Happily, this is not the case.

The colors further aid the book’s visual presentation. Baron’s colors bring the tension and mood of the story out that extra bit. Couple this with Cowles lettering the story in a clear and easy to follow manner, and you have a solid round up to the visual presentation.

When all is said and done, Batman #105 delivers an end to its storyline. While it has a great high point through Harley, it doesn’t quite manage to stick to the final landing. We’ll have to wait till after Future State to see if the following stories can help strengthen this narrative’s ending.

Batman #105 is available now wherever comics are sold.