If you haven’t already been spoiled about Batman #50, watch out! We’re talking about them, specifically about the New York Times spoiling the big day.
So Batman and Catwoman aren’t getting married. The wedding we’ve been waiting for since Rooftops is called off – and most of us didn’t even get to read it in the comic. It’s easy to be upset, and for lots of different reasons, but I promise, this comic is absolutely worth the read and worth the buy.
Batman #50 is full of homages to the Bat/Cat relationship in a way that’s comparable to Action Comics #1000. Almost every other page is a spread of the two during an important moment in their history, laced together by letters the two wrote for each other. It’s a walk through the characters’ history, lead by artists’ individual interpretations of them. Just about every costume for Batman and Catwoman is represented here at some point in a fresh page. King’s narrative string that ties all these flashbacks together is pretty revelatory as well. We take a deep dive into Selina and Bruce’s feelings, and even their concerns about getting married. Yes, even this was spoiled by The Times’ article, but rest assured, the tone of all this is well worth the read, even for readers who are let down by the outcome of the wedding.
Seemingly spinning out of Snyder’s themes from his final arc on the mainline series, King has taken the idea of whether or not Batman believes he should be happy, and absolutely blown it up to encompass his entire tenure. Stylistically in the narrative, it’s far from what fans would expect from one of DC’s best-selling, most well-known books. Batman is exploring something new, and so are the fans. Tom King is very clearly not interested in telling a story we’ve seen before-and you know what? He‘s doing a hell of a job.
Of course there’s also the matter of what the Times’ didn’t spoil, and let me tell you that this singular, final panel laces together every last inch of Tom King’s run on Batman Rebirth. It’s a really jaw-dropping moment that, for many fans, will look like a return to form and serve as a launching point for Batman #51.
Maybe you feel lied to about Batman and Catwoman’s marriage. Maybe you feel The New York Times ruined something you’ve been waiting years for. Maybe you hate that Batman proposed in the first place. Maybe you hated the fact that Selina Kyle was a killer. I’ve felt these things – and I’ve read Batman #50, and Catwoman #1. I don’t have these feelings anymore. Tom King is a writer who plays the long game. He plants seeds and harvests from years later, and the fans truly truly reap the bounty. If that’s something you’re interested in—if you love the feeling of a payoff—Batman #50 is your book.
Batman 50 is not the end. This is a 100 issue story documenting and celebrating the love of Batman and Catwoman. Whatever happens, whatever anyone says, nothing’s going to spoil that. pic.twitter.com/Crm5t0CKcI
— Tom King (@TomKingTK) July 2, 2018
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