Batman #68 Is A Bittersweet What-Could-Have-Been
by Tony Thornley
About a year and a half ago, Batman gave us one of the most unexpectedly great partnerships in comics – Lois Lane and Selina Kyle. Unfortunately, the end of Bruce Wayne and Selina’s relationship seemed to mean we wouldn’t see any more of it, but luckily for readers, that’s not the case thanks to Batman #68.
Tom King, Amanda Conner, Dan Panosian, John Timms, Mikel Janin, Paul Mounts, Jordie Bellaire, and Clayton Cowles tell an incredibly funny story of what could have been.
While Clark and Bruce share an incredibly dry and awkward dinner, Selina and Lois break into the Fortress of Solitude. Naturally hijinks ensue, as the duo take advantage of the Man of Steel’s variety of wonders. How is this one of Batman’s nightmares though?
King has built a reputation for darker, more psychological stories, but he puts his talent for comedy on display in this issue. Lois and Selina’s connection feels deeper than characters on a page, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not funny. He plays with the real connections between them and their male counterparts, and uses that to build a story.
The story is complemented by great art through the issue. Conner and Mounts use expressive character work and bright colors to draw readers into the funniest moments of the story. Panosian, Timms and Janin each only do a few pages, and they’re all solid, but the shift is so sudden that it creates a jarring last few pages.
This is a welcome return to the one of the best issues of this run, and even with the jarring art changes, it’s a very fun issue.
Batman #68 is available now from DC Comics.
