By Scott Waldyn, The Batman Universe
39
In Batman #152, Batman and Catwoman fight Amanda Waller’s Suicide Squad on Czarnia.
Batman #152 main cover by Salvador Larroca & Matt Herms. Image: DC Comics
Title: Batman #152 / Absolute Power Tie-in — “Happy Endings
Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Artist: Mike Hawthorne
Colors: Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Letters: Clayton Cowles
Cover: Salvador Larroca & Matt Herms
Variant Covers: Guillem March, Dave Johnson, Nicola Scott, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, Gabriele Dell’Otto, Belen Ortega, Joelle Jones & Joe Quinones
Release Date: September 4, 2024
This comic book review may contain spoilers
Picking up on the cliffhanger ending of Batman #151, the first issue of these Batman-centric Absolute Power tie-ins, Batman #152 starts on the dead world of Czarnia. It’s the homeworld to Lobo and the other Czarnians, who were recently seen in the “House of Brainiac” storyline in Superman.
Batman and Catwoman find themselves surrounded by Amanda Waller’s Suicide Squad as a countdown timer keeps ticking down. The two split up, dodging blasts and explosions. Batman isolates Gunsmith, taking him down. Catwoman finds herself going toe-to-toe with Black Alice, whom she distracts to break concentration. It works, and Catwoman takes her out, running to defuse the timer — but it’s too late! A tomb starts “unfolding” as Batman battles Deadeye.
Deadeye is tough and can hold his own against Batman, but Batman has a secret weapon; he knows Deadeye’s identity. Deadeye, also known as Archie, is Amanda Waller’s nephew. Batman uses this intel to point out that Czarnia has a bunch of relocated graves of Waller’s family members, including Archie’s mother.
Bizarro enters the fight, and as Gunsmith is collecting himself after being taken down, Batman uses that to his advantage by coaxing Gunsmith to fire — and hit Bizarro. Bizzaro, with his childlike mind, doesn’t take that kindly and starts rushing Gunsmith.
