3.49 AVERAGE

adventurous challenging dark tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

inversesquare's review

5.0

The Dark Knight returns. No, not that one. Bruce Wayne retrains his battered body in preparation to reclaim the mantle of the Bat from the increasingly unstable Jean Paul Valley. The story reaches its climax with art by some greats.
adventurous challenging dark medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
adventurous dark tense fast-paced
adventurous dark relaxing tense fast-paced
adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Easily an improvement over the second volume that concludes the Knightfall “event” admirably, with some great character work and fantastic art throughout. 
adventurous reflective fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
adventurous emotional fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

oddmara's review

5.0

They made one good Kinghtfall story and it's this one. For once, we can feel a bit of empathy for Jean-Paul now that we only get to see glimpses of him and his descent into madness. He doesn't understand what's going on, there's so many voices in his head telling him contradicting things and ultimately trying to put him down, and him /saying/ that he's not becoming what they're saying, but in reality falling exactly within the box that the original guy (can't remember his name) wanted him to be: a cold-blooded avenger.
Bruce is hanging out with Shiva. I love her so much, so I'm already happy. She trains him just like she's trained Tim, and it's amazing to see the parallels going on (as well as seeing Tim praying for Bruce, knowing exactly what he's going through), especially at the end where Tim /does/ become exactly what Shiva wants him to be (a tool) but Bruce manages to fool her. She's a woman with no moral compass, all she wants is a challenge. Prove she's best. In a sense, she did. It was also such a breath of fresh air to get back in Bruce's head, see all of his doubts, and seeing him always going back to the ledge off of which he should jump to prove something to himself??? Amazing. The fact that Dick noticed that? Heartbreaking. THE FACT THE TWO OF THEM (and me) thought he'd killed a man? All the trust gone in a blink?? I was going to pass out, that is exactly how you write tension and conflict.
Tim and Dick. My beloveds. They were just hanging out, I am so happy to see them working together, and I really missed Dick /in general/. The different ways they react to Bruce. The different ways they believe in Bruce. The fact that they both care so much about him and about each-other, despite the fact that they don't even really know each-other all that much. When they thought Bruce died and Dick went on a rampage? I was going to cry. Even if he hates him for what he's done, and being a terrible father figure (DESPITE THE FACT HE TRIED HIS BEST) he reacted the most strongly to Bruce dying. And he also has the same mentality of having failed him even though he almost died. Him.
Catwoman is also here! Again! I am so happy she is, she's become a bit of a charity association and I love that for her. In one word, all of my faves are here and I am happy. Even Jean-Paul is bearable. And god I've missed seeing the normal Batman costume so much.