Review: 11 Reasons ‘Batman’ #20 Brings An Intense Conclusion To A Brutal Story

As Batman engages in one of the most intense and brutal fights he has ever had with the villain Bane, he finds himself relying on the one weapon and asset that has always brought him back from the edge. It’s not a gadget, nor a physical skill or a martial art. It’s something deep within the vigilante’s mind and soul. Something that has driven him since the beginning. The memory of his parents.

Batman #20
“I Am Bane Part 5”
Publisher: DC Comics
Written by Tom King
Penciled by: David Finch
Inked by: Danny Miki &Trevor Scott
Colored by: Jordie Bellaire

Batman #20 brutally concludes the epic tale Tom King, David Finch, Danny Miki, Trevor Scott and Jordie Bellaire have been telling for five chapters now. And while on the surface it appears to be just another violent, intense round of fisticuffs, the REAL battle is going on inside Bruce’s mind and soul. This issue is all about Batman’s most powerful weapon – his relentless drive. Read on for 11 reasons why Batman #20 is a physically and emotionally powerful piece of comics storytelling.

1. How this arc completely works as an endpoint to one longer, multi-part tale.
2. The way the art team imagines the fight, bringing out the brutality and violence with even the smallest detail (blood drops, sweat, teeth).
3. Page layouts that completely convey the claustrophobic nature of this close-up fight.
4. Finch’s ability to capture emotion in faces (especially rage in this issue).
5. The frightening image of the Joker on page 7.
6. King’s emotional and revealing interior monologue that works as the issue’s narrative.
7. Batman’s vulnerability.
8. The sheer imposing SIZE of Bane.
9. “As Gotham burns, I will stand on one of your gargoyles”.
10. The amazing splash image on page 18.
11. The quiet and powerful way the story ends. “Yes, mother. I know.”

Without a doubt, this was one emotional ending to an intense Batman story. King has been showing us the many facets of Batman and what makes him one of the most complex characters in comics. And now, he has done the same for Bane as well.

You can pick up Batman #20 at your local comic book shop.