Good at the beginning... and it kinda takes a fall and goes to mediocre in the middle all the way down pretty fast until Mr. Bloom. I didn't mind Jim being Batman, nice change, a bit of a fresh change, of course I have complains cuz Gordon, an old dude suddenly being with a damn mohawk and muscles and abs is a bit of a stretch--but hey, we're reading fantasy here so, yeah. My problem was the end of Mr. Bloom which I just finished and can't get that sorry ass story out of my head. It was like watching the cringiest power ranger episode ever. And this is NOT a simile. It was EXACTLY THAT. Oh well. I'd recommend this volume to anyone who likes Jim Gordon (I guess? Maybe cuz on this one he's Batman that'd make you angry? Lotsa angry nerds out there) and to Batman fans who already read the previous volumes and want to finish this series. If someone wants to pick up this volume to read some Batman, don't. Sadness.

This was an interesting story. Bruce Wayne is no longer Batman and instead Jim Gordon is. While he's alright as a Batman the fact is the cowl would go to Dick. Duh. The fact that it didn't was straight up lame to me. This whole idea doesn't really fit the Bat universe in either Modern or New 52. Then again, 52 has switched things up so much that I am one of hundreds pissed at their stupid timeline and other choices they've made. That said, it is well done. It's well stupidity which automatically knocked it down to 2 stars from the get go. But the story was solid within it's stupid rules, and it was rather interesting. I'm not certain if this was the end of 52 or if there's one more graphic novel but I'm rather interested to see Jim take down Bloom. However if this is all there is I won't be too upset. What earned back a full star is the story about Bruce when he's a young Batman. If you check out my notes you'll see me praise it. I want to own that story, of Batman so disgusted with the way cops are shooting unarmed Black kids, how everyone's ignored the Corner as it's a Black "hood" and therefore doesn't need help from the city. It was powerful and beautiful and tragic. It didn't shy from what goes down there when there is no support, or that the lack of support came from the color of the skin of the majority of the people who live there. For that alone I want this novel, and badly. Solid 3 stars, with most of it being 2-2.5 and that one story being 5.