Special thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I'm new to the world of comics but slowly getting my bearings. That being said, I thought this issue was pretty excellent. Batman and the Flash made intriguing partners, and the heart behind their stories was touching. The overall storyline also worked well, moving smoothly from issue to issue and creating its own sort of conclusion (even with a cliffhanger). It was a satisfying read that left me wanting more!

I have to admit that Batman has long been one of my top 5 super heroes. Probably top 3 but I don't like to rate them that closely. I'm glad I got a chance to read this before its release. In this, the reverse Flash attacks Batman and then dies right in front of him. Batman and the Flash then have to travel through time to find out what happened and to try to correct the timeline as it is not how it's supposed to be. With a surprise visit in the middle, the action and drama never stop in this graphic novel, making it impossible to put down. I easily read it in one sitting. I can't wait to read more of this series and find out more about the button.

The Batman/Flash crossover is a tease and, like most teases, the end result could have been presented in half of the time, and honestly, with more of a kicker to the ending that, anyone familiar with the origins of Comedian’s button, would have surmised from the beginning.

Looking at that beginning, Batman/Flash: The Button collection excludes the issue/s where the blood-splattered button from the Watchmen series first arrives in the DCU proper. Having the button residing in the Batcave is gospel and has as much needed backstory as that huge T-Rex statue Alfred is constantly dusting. Instead, this crossover provides a fun fight between the Batman and the Reverse Flash that any fan of the Flash’s CW TV show will enjoy, includes an unnecessary visit to the Flashpoint universe that no one really asked for, and is packed with tons of foreshadowing and set up for DC’s upcoming Geoff Johns’ project that is supposed to unite the Watchmen characters with the mainstays from the DCU. Most assuredly, Alan Moore is already spinning in his self-dug grave.

This edition collects two issues apiece from the current runs of both Batman and The Flash. Tom King writes Batman and is paired with artist Jason Fabok, whose art is really what elevates the book. Like the DCEU movie Batman, Fabok’s character is all scruffy and gray, silent and righteous. Fabok borrows the nine-grid panel layout that the Watchmen made famous, and does justice to the homage. The Flash issues are written by Joshua Williamson, who is both contemporary and safe. Veteran artist Howard Porter provides visuals that are punchy at times, sketchy most others. The work of John Dell, his finisher from their long-time-ago JLA series, is sorely missed.

Throughout the issues, Batman and Flash fight Reverse Flash, run through time, and question the existence of the button without coming to a meaningful conclusion. A Watchmen character makes a kinda-sorta cameo. A tease of the incorporation of a long-standing DC icon fills the epilogue, concluding a tale that is over almost as fast as, well, you-know-who.

This collection is successful from the standpoint that the creators brought forth a product they were commissioned to make: an interesting lead-up for November’s Doomsday Clock. Another Countdown in the DCU, albeit tighter and contained. Another Doomsday, albeit less Kryptonian in origin. Consider me teased.

At least Blue Beetle didn’t die in this one.

A big Bat-thank you to my Flash-friends at NetGalley and DC Comics for the preview ARC.

I received a copy of Batman/The Flash: The Button Deluxe Edition from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Fans of crossovers rejoice! There’s a Batman and The Flash crossover! It appears that two issues will be on The Flash’s side, and two on Batman’s. All four can be found in this volume (which makes it nice and easy). The writing doesn’t suffer despite this little split. Tom King and Joshua Willamson clearly communicated effectively to obtain the results they did. The artwork is stunning and vibrant, courtesy of Jason Fabok (Justice League) and Howard Porter (Superman).
The Button is DC’s way of introducing the Watchmen into Rebirth. Needless to say I am simultaneously curios, concerned, and excited. It’s an amazing time to be alive! This volume bridges the gap between the current continuity and all the shenanigans the Watchmen got up to during New 52. Where that’ll lead us to in the long run? Well your guess is as good as mine.

There’s a lot that happens during the Button. There’s so many Easter eggs, references, and such that I hardly know where to begin. And frankly, I’m sure I missed a whole bunch too, just to give you an idea of what we’re looking at here.
It all starts with a button, because why wouldn’t it? You’ll recognize this button as being the one Batman picked up back in issue #1 of Batman Rebirth. Clearly this plot has been getting set up for a while. Things get exceptionally hectic in a flash (no fun intended) from here on out. While poking the button Batman accidentally does something to it (thanks to its proximity to Psycho-Pirates’ mask) that activates it. The Flash promises to be there in a minute (likely literally) to check it out. Next thing we know, Reverse Flash is there. I wonder who was more surprised by this, me (or any other reader) or Batman?
I really loved the countdown from a minute that happens during the fight. The idea that Batman doesn’t have to win the fight, he just has to survive a minute. I’ll admit that I was a bit disappointed that Flash didn’t show up exactly at the minute mark, but then again, he didn’t know the danger Batman was in. I wonder if he could have done anything to prevent what followed.
With the Reverse Flash dead, yet no button in sight, we’re left to assume that he went somewhere before he died. Where and for how long we can’t really say, thanks to his speed and time abilities. From here Flash and Batman start hopping through time (and accidentally into the alternate history Flash had made) thanks to Flash’s treadmill. Which I’ve seen a dozen times and still think is hilarious. Admittedly this made it a bit harder for me to take some of the events that occur seriously.
I’m not sure how I feel about the scene that occurs between Batman and his father…who’s also Batman. Like I said, they hopped into a different timeline (in this one Bruce is dead but his father became Batman). It was sweet and almost implied that their inability to let go may have been part of the reason the Flashpoint hadn’t collapsed yet. Or perhaps I’m reading into that too much. Hard to say.
In the end our heroes don’t get to see where the Reverse Flash went before he died, but thanks to comic magic, we did. I’m not really sure where this is going to lead us next, but I certainly am curious. It’s definitely the beginning to something bigger.

I spent half this book making a high-pitched screaming noise. Which meant I really liked it, and it was blowing my mind with the things it was doing.
The story went from very intriguing to downright insane, and looks like it's setting something up that will be even more insane. Considering the well-known origin of the titular button, it won't be too surprising who that may involve. But I'm very excited. This very seamlessly tied together the main universe, aspects of the Flashpoint universe, and something relative to the Watchmen universe all together, and that is really something exciting to read.
There was also some really strong emotional beats in this story relative to Batman/Flashpoint Batman. I got a little choked up, and that doesn't happen often when I'm reading Batman comics.
So, a very good story, especially if you're familiar with Watchmen and Flashpoint. The art was good, too!

Batman/The Flash: The Button follows on from the end of last year’s DC Universe Rebirth #1 when Batman picked up The Comedian’s smiley-face badge in the Batcave. Here, Batman and Flash continue to investigate what the button means though it’s obvious that it’s teasing the Watchmen’s imminent appearance in the DC Universe.

The thinking behind all this is that some of the Watchmen got up to shenanigans that haven’t been revealed yet and Flashpoint/The New 52 was the result. Rebirth is a separate universe more in line with classic DC continuity (but keeping some elements of The New 52) whose characters will explore this mystery as well as introduce the Watchmen into the DC Universe proper.

So The Button reminds us of that overarching storyline by touching on it all once again. Flash dusts off the Cosmic Treadmill and he and Batman revisit the Flashpoint Universe for a scene with Thomas Wayne, the Flashpoint Batman, Reverse Flash “sees God” and the Watchmen are teased - much more concretely now - again. That’s it? That’s it! One big nothing.

The predictable ending reveals who “God” is and it’s who you’d expect - there’s only one Watchman with this kind of power. What surprised me though was who else is involved - and it’s not one of the Watchmen!

The Button is a wafer-thin non-story that’s readable but completely pointless. The opening Tom King/Jason Fabok issue was decent with sharp writing and great art but it’s a bit shallow with just Batman and Reverse Flash fighting. The rest of this short four-issue book is poorly written by Joshua Williamson who can’t write as concisely or skilfully as King, with fugly art by Howard Porter. It doesn’t help that the focus is mostly on Flash, a boring, outdated character I’ve never liked much.

I’m interested to read the forthcoming DC/Watchmen event, Doomsday Clock, but you really don’t need to read this entirely superfluous prelude as basically nothing of note happens.

The Mystery behind DC's REBIRTH continues....


....I just wish it would continue a little faster.


BATMAN/THE FLASH: THE BUTTON DELUXE EDITION collects BATMAN #'s 21-22 and THE FLASH #'s 21-22; I can't speak about how this crossover will appear in The Scarlet Speedster's collected edition, but this story is omitted entirely from the third volume of Tom King's BATMAN, much like the NIGHT OF THE MONSTER MEN crossover before it.


The collection starts strong, with the Tom King penned BATMAN #21, which basically happens in about 90 seconds of real time. Batman is checking out the smiley-face pin that he found embedded in the cave wall in REBIRTH, and accidentally lets the pin come into contact with the mask of The Psycho-Pirate. Things that belong to two (or more) different bad-guys should never be allowed to come into contact.....Batman should know this. But come into contact they do, which leads to The Reverse-Flash appearing, kicking Batman's ass, and disappearing. Then reappearing again, slightly the worse for wear. Enter The Flash....


....which is where things went downhill. The remainder of the crossover is written by Joshua Williamson, and didn't do much for me. I'm not sure if it was Williamson's writing that wasn't clicking with me, or the interminably long time that was spent hopping through the speed force, or the lengthy FLASHPOINT sequence....whatever it was, you could feel Williamson frantically trying to pad out the crossover. It could have been done in two issues, one BATMAN, one Flash. But no one would buy a collection of two issues, so DC editorial must have mandated four. Which was easily two too many. Plus, Barry Allen is an insufferably boring character. Sorry, but someone had to say it.


At this point, the fact that REBIRTH is connected to WATCHMEN has been beaten into our heads for what seems like five years, so no one should be surprised that this has something to do with the revered Alan Moore/Dave Gibbons mini-series.....but, what? At the end of the book, I have no more answers than I had at the beginning. I'm not reading every DC book being published and parsing through them for clues, so maybe I've missed something. Maybe I've missed a LOT of somethings. All I can say for sure is, as a standalone, this is a severely disappointing book, lacking any type of closure.


The art is a mixed bag...I enjoyed Jason Fabok's BATMAN issues, but Howard Porter's THE FLASH issues got sloppier-looking as the pages went by. I was a big fan of Porter in his JLA days, but his more recent style leaves me a little underwhelmed.


For a "Deluxe Edition", this collection is very sparse as far as extras are concerned: There's a small variant cover gallery, and that's it.


BATMAN/THE FLASH: THE BUTTON DELUXE EDITION earns a measly two out of ten Infinite Earths: 🌎🌎 I'll be back for DOOMSDAY CLOCK...hopefully we can get some answers there.


DC Comics provided a review copy.

I give it a 3.5 outta 5. I have to say I really liked the artwork, such as in the Hall of Lost and Found, it just seemed like there was a million and one stories that could have been taken from one small picture.
But storywise, I just didn’t see the point of the graphic novel. I don’t know if there was a previous story that led into this, but from what I could gather, a random button (I know it’s from Watchmen, but from the characters’ perspective) just appeared out of nowhere and everyone is real concerned with who it belongs to? I might be missing something. And from about 25 pages in I knew the answer to the mystery, so I don’t think it’s supposed to be a who-dunnit type story either.
I should point out, it’s not a bad read, for the most part it was a linear narrative and I could agree with characters decisions, but I just don’t understand why the story would happen at all. Who's doing this? Why are they doing this? It might explained somewhere else, but I don't think this graphic novel works as a standalone...

Great volume. I would like to see more crossovers like it instead of Team A vs. Team B that seems to be the status quo lately. It's a straightforward story, but includes lots of possibilities where it can go from here. I hope that the next volume in this general storyline will be hold up as much as this did.

Melding current and Flashpoint storylines makes for an epic story. Someone is desperate to find who Is behind the iconic bloody button. Batman and Flash must travel the time loop to stop him.

I left feeling underwhelmed by this novel. The art was fantastic, the first few issues were great but as the story progressed I felt less and less engaged.