In a year that's been stacked with impressive Batman stories, Batman Beyond: Neo-Gothic has shown it not only stands beside those stories, but may even surpass them. Even the swerves connect, and I'm hoping Kyle sticks around whenever this arc decides to wrap things up. The moments at the center of the gorgeous visuals deliver as well, and writers Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing doin't disappoint with the Court of Owls, creating a sense of dread and creepiness around them that they've lacked for a while. Artist Max Dunbar, colorist Sebastian Cheng, and letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou manage to outdo themselves with every issue, and that trend continues in Neo-Gothic #3, carving up the shadows of underground Gotham with luminous purples, vivid greens, and neon reds. In what has been a stellar year for DC's Dark Knight, Batman Beyond: Neo-Gothic is making a case for best looking Batman book of 2023. Rating: 1 out of 5 BATMAN BEYOND: NEO-GOTHIC #3 This is all just extremely disappointing. Story wise, the plot makes no real sense either, and there's a very juvenile quality to the writing that, when paired with Cizmesija's art, feels so rough you'd guess this was a poorly done draft if you didn't know it was a fully finished piece. The issue is that it feels like Rosenberg has no idea who these characters are or, at best, skimmed a Wikipedia article and called it good. First, there is no continuity of characterization between this title and Batman, so it's like being dropped into an alternate reality within a crossover event but that's not really the worst of it. There are some big misses with this issue. "The Gotham War" event has been disappointing and nonsensical and unfortunately, Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War: Red Hood #1 is just as bad if not worse. Rating: 4.5 out of 5 BATMAN/CATWOMAN: THE GOTHAM WAR – RED HOOD #1 Jurgens' "Lois & Clark 2" concludes with strange pacing (though the story itself isn't bad) while Visaggo's "Super is as Super Does" just feels stuck. The backup stories, however, are kind of a mixed bag. Johnson does an incredible job of showing exactly how that sort of insidious ideology can take hold, but also offers solid counterpoints, as well as a gut wrenching twist that sets this story up to be one of the greats. In the main story, "Revenge of the Demon, Part One," Johnson does a phenomenal job of not only showcasing Superman's character but also building Blue Earth as a genuine threat for the Superfamily – and to a greater extent, everyone, as they are the kind of xenophobic bigots that breed harm to all. Action Comics #1057 is interesting in that the main story is phenomenal-if not dark-while the two backup stories leave a bit to be desired.
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