by , The Batman Universe
1
In Batman #155, Batman investigates the murder of Mayor Nakano at the hands of Jim Gordon.
Batman #155
“The Dying City” Part Three
Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Artist: Jorge Fornes
Colors: Tomeu Morey
Letters: Clayton Cowles
Cover: Jorge Jimenez & Tomeu Morey
Variant Covers: Tony Harris, Jeremy Clark, Jonboy Meyers, Bjorn Barends & Nimit Malavia
Release Date: December 4, 2024
This comic book review may contain spoilers
Batman #155 opens thirteen weeks prior to the ending of Batman #154, which saw the reveal of Jim Gordon as a homewrecker who seemingly had an affair with the mayor’s wife, Koyuki Nakano. Gordon shuffles into the office of his private detective firm with Harvey Bullock, dripping with sweat. Gordon is tired, defeated, and feeling the burn of too much work with little payoff. Bullock tells him he has a new case, someone who asked specifically for him.
We transition to a diner booth where Koyuki Nakano is going over what Gordon found on her husband. Though she suspected cheating, it’s the opposite. Mayor Christopher Nakano is working too hard, and that cold, lifeless husk that Koyuki is living with is the result of being burnt out. Gordon knows from personal experience, as he expresses to her, taking her hand as she sobs.
For those who read the Arkham Tower saga in Detective Comics way back, Koyuki mentions her deep depression, wherein she was institutionalized for a while in the new Arkham that found itself under the grip of Psycho-Pirate.
Jorge Fornes takes over art duties in this issue, and for this opening, it’s a perfect transition point. It’s slow, moody, and drenched with that detective atmosphere that Batman fans crave. The Gordon we see here, as well as the style and tone cascaded by Fornes and colorist Tomeu Morey, is reminiscent of Batman: Year One.
