Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Dan Mora
Colours: Triona Farrell
Release Date: 7th January 2026

Considering that, at the very start of this comic, all‑star creator Joshua Williamson plainly spells out what this spin‑off mini‑series is about – having Batman categorically state that the Heart of Apokolips has arranged for him to fight his former Robins to the death – it’s still a safe bet that many readers were left utterly bemused by the events that follow. True, Bruce Wayne’s decision to team up with his past protégés rather than fight them certainly seems to interfere with the entity’s plan to punish him “for attempting to cheat” in the infernal machine’s fighting tournament. But the comic never makes it clear what will actually happen to the hero if he does kill the bogus Dick Grayson, Tim Drake, or Jason Todd.

As a result, the issue’s rather choppy script ends up feeling like a series of truncated Elseworlds tales, each one abruptly cut short the moment the Dark Knight convinces his fictitious successor that they should work together. The repetition becomes genuinely frustrating, leaving so many unanswered questions that, by the time the cowled crime‑fighter is shown facing his little grandson Alfred, the reader’s head is spinning with exhaustion and uncertainty: “You’re just mad that I beat your test my way.”

Equally perplexing is the logic of the Heart of Apokolips itself, which inexplicably performs a complete U‑turn midway through the narrative and irrationally offers Batman a chance to return to its tournament if he can “beat my [next] challenge.” Having already bested two of the sentient machine’s fake scenarios with relative ease – and having clearly figured out what he needs to do to keep winning – it seems highly unlikely that the Dark Knight would lose such a ridiculous bet. Indeed, in the very next contrived situation, the Caped Crusader emerges victorious almost immediately.

Sadly, Dan Mora’s artwork also appears to lose some of its spark as the script progresses. It’s clear that the illustrator intentionally shifts his style to match the different trials thrown at Wayne’s masked alter ego. However, these adaptations mostly rely on simplifying the linework, so by the time an aged Bruce encounters Damian’s aforementioned child, the figures feel like a faint echo of the dynamic visuals seen earlier – particularly during Clayface’s extraordinary rescue of a plummeting Red Hood in the opening sequence.

The writer of this piece was: Simon Moore
Simon Tweets from @Blaxkleric ‏
You can read more of his reviews at The Brown Bag