It's a perfectly nice collection, but there wasn't anything amazing about any of the stories. The art is lovely, and I enjoyed them all, though. Obviously Batman and Catwoman both play important roles in all of the stories, but it didn't read like there was that much thematic similarity other than that.

The authors understanding of each other is both stunning and chilling. How Tom King develops their relationship is beyond my understanding. This book is not only iconic, but also as authentic as it could ever be

Thank you to netgalley I received this as an ARC. I enjoyed it very much was good solid read. Solid 3 Stars for me!

Thank you to by Tom King, DC Entertainment, DC Comics, and NetGalley for allowing me the extreme pleasure of access to an advanced reader copy of “Batman Vol. 6: Bride or Burglar” for an honest review.

I found this book to be a little unbalanced. I neither found my expected amount of brooding, and bloody, Batman, nor as much focus on the impending nuptials as I expected. There were more pieces that were entirely off subject than I thought should be in the book at all, given the title and the time period.

ARC From Netgalley.
3.5 Stars.
A very odd and weird Volume of Batman that was much less focused on the wedding preparation than I thought it would be. Stories contained:
- A very creepy one-shot about a kid who is so obsessed with Bruce Wayne that he commits crimes (including murder) to get Bruce to assist him financially, yet ultimately ending up in Arkham, with Thomas and Martha's names carved on his cheeks
- A two part story where Batman and Wonder Woman go to an alternate dimension to battle demons and beasts to allow the defender who normally guards that portal to have a break. Only snag? He forgot to mention that time flows differently... one night of freedom for him equaled 37 years of defending for Bruce and Diana.
- A three part story where Ivy uses her plants to take over the entire world, with the exception of Bruce and Selina. She does achieve a type of world peace, though she must control every person on Earth to do it. Unfortunately, she based her decision to do so on a lie told to her by the Riddler during the War of Jokes and Riddles. With the help of Harley, they are able to stop her.
- The last story, a fun story, has Selina reflecting back on the history of Batman vs. Catwoman, while she steals a very expensive wedding dress, after using all night to try on dresses in a bridal shop.

This whole Volume had a weird pacing and seemed very like filler. Overall, fine, but not the best. Recommend.

This story was interesting. It includes stories with some of the women of Batman's life. Is a funny reading and I wasn´t expecting less of the art that was great.
The story with Wonder Woman was interesting because it puts on evidence Bruce feelings for Selina and how happy she makes him.

Women Rule Batman’s World in ‘Batman 6: Bride or Burglar’
Posted on September 23, 2018 by Beth Bartlett • 0 Comments
Reading Time: 3 minutes


Batman Vol 6/DC Comics
DC Comics
I’ve been out of the Batman readerverse for a while, but I jumped back in with Batman Vol. 6 to see what the Tom King buzz was all about. This graphic novel includes many women from Batman’s life: Wonder Woman, Poison Ivy, and Catwoman, of course. Although this collection from DC Comics didn’t give Selina Kyle much to do, it was still fun.

This volume covers issues 38-44 of Batman, but the stories were easy to pick up midstream. First off was a twisty tale about an orphaned boy who wants to be Bruce Wayne. At first, it seems that Batman relates to him too. After all other adults in his life are gone, Batman figures out what’s truly disturbing about this child, and denies him the path he wants. Bye, kid.


Now for the good stuff! Next, we have “The Gentle Man,” where Batman and Wonder Woman follow up on a promise to give a warrior a well-earned night off from fighting demonic hordes for thousands of years. Turns out, time works differently in his realm because he’s only been gone for a year in Earth time, and he wants to see his girlfriend. But while he’s doing that, Batman and Wonder Woman are trapped in the other realm, and time passes. Catwoman figures out what could happen between the superheroes, and wonders if Bat will be faithful to her. After all, when you spend twenty years fighting demons together and there’s no one else around, how long will you keep those promises to your fiancé? It was more of a love story than I was expecting in Batman, but King did an amazing job, and I laughed out loud at some of Wonder Woman’s remarks about Batman’s tiny pointy ears and how odd any man looks holding a weapon from an Amazon’s point of view.

In the multi-part “Everyone Loves Ivy,” Poison Ivy returns and takes over the minds of everyone in the world, except for Batman, who administers the antidote to himself and Catwoman. She listens, watches, and talks to them through different people, from Alfred to Superman, but she promises to leave them alone if they stay at Wayne Manor.

Of course, they can’t, and they interrupt her in her plans to dominate and heal the world. She retaliates by having Superman punch Batman, and then brings Bat back to life through plant magic. Eventually, Bat and Cat figure out what she’s really doing, trying to heal the world because she can’t reconcile the deaths she caused while working with the Riddler. Instead of simply punching his way through a problem, though, Batman seems to have grown during his time with Catwoman, and realizes Ivy needs to heal herself. The best way to do that is with love, and he manages to break her worldwide spell long enough to get the one person to her that can help: Harley Quinn.

I truly loved this story because it showed nuances of these characters and a self-awareness of their own world that we usually don’t see. Also, Mikel Janin and Joelle Jones did an amazing job on the art, depicting Poison Ivy in an almost photorealistic way, out of step with everyone else until the very end.

The volume wraps up with “Bride or Burglar,” a sentimental and very meta tale exploring Batman and Catwoman’s relationship throughout the comics.

Selina Kyle slips out of Wayne Manor in the middle of the night and breaks into a bridal shop to do a little shopping. As she does this, we see the relationship of Bat and Cat, back and forth, sweet and sour, in snippets from their past. They trap and release each other, or give the other the slip, numerous times in costumes from every decade, as their relationship builds. It’s a very nostalgic piece, and I was totally there for it, especially this bit of dialogue:

“What if we change again? What if this doesn’t work?”

“Oh Bat. It just seems like we’re changing, because we’re always looking. But if we’re always looking then we’re not at all changing.”

A lovely note to end this volume on, especially if you’ve already read the issues after it and know what comes next. Batman and Catwoman are both dark and light, in an eternal dance.

Disclaimer: This writer received an ARC for review purposes.

Batman and Catwoman are engaged, but they have plenty of obstacles to overcome before they walk down the aisle. The first is Batman and Wonder Woman taking the place of The Gentle Man facing the Endless Horde in a different realm. Next is Ivy taking over the world to make everything right. As if that would ever turn out well. Then there is the question of the dress. That quest continues.

This volume contains a couple shorter arcs on the road to the wedding. The title comes from a single story in which Catwoman sneaks out of bed to go dress "shopping," which means the actual bulk of the book isn't really about what you think it will be about. A bit of misleading advertising there. One of the other arcs sees Poison Ivy take over the world, and another has a Batman and Wonder Woman team-up. There is a guy called the Gentle Man who fights a never-ending battle against a horde of demons in a different dimension. The thing is, time moves differently there. He has fought for thousands of years while much less time has passed on Earth. Batman and Wonder Woman offered to give him a break so the Gentle Man can visit his wife. While he's taking his sweet time, 37 years pass for Bruce and Diana, and of course there's a moment between them. I don't recall what issues it's from, but there's a very similar story that predates this one, except it's Superman and Wonder Woman who get caught in another dimension where thousands of years pass while they fight together with no realistic expectation that they will get home and no one to take comfort in but each other. Superman of course doesn't do anything with Wonder Woman because he's in love with Lois. My question: why repeat this story for Batman? I doubt Tom King wrote the original Superman story, so it's unlikely that he's cribbing himself. Just a curious choice from the editorial team to let that slide.

Overall, entertaining enough, but not Tom King's best work.

So, I haven't read a comic book this year until I was given a copy of this to review. It was an interesting look at Batman and Catwoman's relationship. I truly enjoyed the art in this comic. I thought the attention to detail in the drawings really added to the story. The comic had four different stories in it. The first deals with a young man losing his parents in a way similar to Bruce Wayne's loss. The second story is about Batman and Wonder Woman fighting the Horde. The third story is the Bat and Cat against Poison Ivy, with visits from many other comic book characters. The last story is about Batman and Catwoman's relationship through the years and their potential marriage. A lot of ground is covered in this short comic, but if you are at all a fan of Batman, it is a good one to pick up!

*Review copy provided by NetGalley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for a chance to review this comic trade! As always, this doesn't influence my opinion of the book.

You can't read this trade without having read the others. That's one of the small downfalls of this run is that it doesn't have any extra jumping on points....until maybe after issue 50?

This trade covers multiple small arcs that are really good, though the cohesiveness is a bit off. Batman and Wonderwoman give The Gentle Man a break, which is only a few hours but feels like decades. Poison Ivy is dealing with the repercussions of The War on Jokes and Riddles. It's all GOOD, just...short and a bit confusing. What's the point of this trade? Particularly the last issue — Catwoman is trying on dresses (gorgeous dresses!) but everything else going on...I don't quite understand.

I think this is a section that actually works better in issues than as a trade, and is still good. Onto finding out what happens as we get closer to the wedding!

I'm loving these stories where it's just the Bat and the Cat together, seeing their relationship deepen while they battle bad guys. There's no larger narrative, just some very well told shorter stories with fantastic art by Joelle Jones and Mikel Janin. These two, even though they have very different styles, are at the top of their game.

A collection of Batman stories focusing on different villains and cohorts. We get a glimpse of a young man with delusion being a master criminal, a picture of Batman and Wonder Woman falling in love w hile fighting a never-ending hoard of evil, Poison Ivy trying to control a broken world through love, and a continued look at the romance between Batman and Sabrina (nee Catwoman).



For this reader who grew up during the Silver age of Batman, the stories are a bit hard to follow, but not completely off the wall either. I enjoy the modern, almost 3D, artwork coming from the current class of artists.



Though the 2018 Batman may seem a bit darker than I remember from the late 50’s through the early 70’s, in some ways he better represents a truly broken character with real problems and hurts. We baby boomers need to learn to appreciate the new image of Batman, not as a super superhero, but as an ordinary man with super skills.

______________

This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions are mine alone.

A series of individual and connected stories leading to the wedding that may or may not happen. Tom King is just so good at the Dark Knight story arc and the art throughout is absolutely stunning. My favorite of these stories was the last, showing the instinctual nature and independence of the Catwoman we know. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The clear star of Tom King's Batman Vol. 6: Bride or Burglar? is the Ivy story. Lushly illustrated by Mikel Janin, it is itself a wonderful puzzle. First, King creates some amazing stakes, putting Batman and Catwoman against literally the entire Poison Ivy-controlled world The second issue, where seemingly innocuous acts like Batman and Catwoman getting a meal or taunting Ivy's Superman all tie into a grand plan, was cleverly executed, and that continues into Batman and Catwoman's timed-to-the-second recruitment of Harley Quinn against Ivy. The final pages are both a nice Gotham City Sirens reunion and, I thought, a rather caring take on trauma and recovery (King can write this Harley any day). The books' final chapter where Selina is picking out (read: stealing) her wedding dress reminds of King and Tim Seeley's excellent Grayson #12, with its call-outs to these characters' long histories.

This volume of Batman is sort of stuck in an oddly transitional period. It’s between two relatively major events; what unfolded in the last volume and the upcoming plot (which most people will know to be the Wedding by this point). That’s a tough place to be in, yet they managed to find a way to make this one worth reading.
While I’ve been really enjoying the art for Batman recently, I have to say that the cover they chose for this volume is absolutely striking. Honestly, it’s probably my favorite Batman cover to come out in a while, which is funny considering the fact that Batman isn’t even on the cover of this one.
Being that it’s between a few major plots, this volume didn’t bother trying to establish any longer term plots for itself. This was actually probably a smart move, all things considered. Instead it’s split into three distinct parts.
The first is the Super Friends plot, continuing from the last volume. Admittedly I feel like these two should probably have been put under a different plot title? Super Friends just sounds so…happy and the first part of this one (part three, if you want to get technical) is actually kind of heavy. It’s a fantastic plot, don’t get me wrong, but it isn’t what I’d call light reading by any stretch of the imagination.
Long story short, Bruce and Diana get stuck in a space between dimensions. Sure, they volunteered for it; but they were not made fully aware of the sacrifice at the time. In the end its Selena’s job to get things back to normal and get them out of there.
This plot was a little concerning for many when it came out. I remember the controversy of the conclusion to one of the issues. People were concerned that Bruce and Diana were going to become a thing. This obviously upset people for a couple of different reasons. The first; Bruce and Selena are engaged, and that engagement shouldn’t change based on circumstances, right? Second, Diana is more than a minor character to be thrown around like that. Thankfully though, our fears were unfounded for the most part, and Selena did what she does best.
The second Super Friends plot is also kind of heavy, which again makes me wish they had named it something else. On the bright side it’s a Poison Ivy focused plot, and being that she’s one of my favorites I was pretty thrilled about it. The big revelation was perfect, as were the character interactions and the appearance of Harley Quinn. I couldn’t have asked for more.
The second part of this volume is a bit of a weird one. It’s titled the Origin of Bruce Wayne, but it isn’t anything that you could expect just based off that title. It actually has very little to do with Bruce Wayne, other than the idealization of his persona and circumstances. Beyond that it’s entirely about a young both who at first glance seems very much like Bruce. It isn’t until the whole truth comes out that we learn just how wrong quick assessments like that can be.
The last part is the source for the amazing cover of this volume, and it’s also probably one of my favorite issues. Well, that may be a bit of a stretch, but I still loved it. It’s all about Selena trying to find a middle ground for herself. Some sort of compromise of what she wants to be for herself, and what Bruce wants her to be. It’s a shockingly introspective piece, put into sharp contrast by the fact that Selena is gleefully ‘shopping’ (read: stealing) a wedding dress for herself. Still, it suits her character perfectly and helped to show that there will be sacrifices made to make this relationship work; just like there always have been.
This was a pretty solid volume on the whole. I still don’t know how I feel about this whole wedding business, but DC is not shying away from it and I have to give them credit for that. I do feel like they did a better job of hitting the darker tones they’ve been searching for, especially in the Super Friends parts. I wouldn’t mind seeing more of those sorts of plots, truth be told.

Volume 6 in the run up to the wedding that may or may not take place is a four parter with some parts better than others. Chapter one was a mirror image of the Bat's origin story and showed how Bruce Wayne could have turned out for the worse. Bruce encounters a young boy with a butler whose parents were, surprise, brutally murdered. Only this boy has vowed revenge in gruesome fashion and takes it early and often and neither Bruce not Batman can stop him. Chapter 2 saw Wonder Woman get Batman to join her in fulfilling a vow the two made to the Gentle Man to give him time off from his eternal battle against monsters who threaten the world. The problem: time works differently in the Gentle Man's realm than in our world and Batman and Wonder Woman spend 37 years battling monsters and Batman attempting to stay true to Catwoman. Meanwhile, back in our world Catwoman is trying to speed Gentle Man up in his visit with his wife so he will return to his duties and allow Batman and Wonder Woman to return home. A good read with a few inconsistencies, like Batman never aging during those 37 years.

Chapter 3 is a bit less successful as Poison Ivy takes control of the world and Batman and Catwoman have to break the spell. it's apparently a call back to the War of Jokes and Riddles, which I haven't read so it was perhaps my fault that it was less successful with me. Nevertheless, I thought it was one of the weaker pieces. Chapter 4 finds Catwoman waking up in the. middle of the night, slipping out of the bed she shares with Bruce/Bat and goes wedding dress shopping/stealing in the only way Cat knows how to shop. This is actually my favorite story for its character reflection of Cat, for its art and ultimately for its intimation of the second and third thoughts Cat is having about going through with the wedding.

Ultimately, Volume 6 is a hit or miss volume leadup to the wedding that may or may not take place (no spoiler if you haven't already read about it). It's not crucial to the wedding storyline although the wedding dress shopping story is fun.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in return for an honest review (less)

From the publisher: A young admirer of Bruce Wayne's, Mattie, wants nothing more than to grow up to be like his millionaire idol. But what would happen if Mattie was forced to relive the worst tragedy of Bruce Wayne's life and his parents were murdered? Batman's hunt for the killer brings him face to face with a strange mirror image of his own painful past.

This stunning series continues as Batman and Wonder Woman's storied friendship--one that has stood at the heart of the DC Universe since the beginning--unravels while the universe itself begins to crumble around them.

The superstar creative team of Tom King (GRAYSON, The Vision) and Mikel Janín (JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK) unite to tell another epic tale in the Dark Knight's mythology. Collects BATMAN #38-44.

Batman Vol. 6: Bride or Burglar by Tom King continues the story leading up to the wedding of Bruce Wayne/Batman and Selina Kyle/Catwoman. This particular volume contains four stories that highlight different aspects of Bruce and Selina's personalities and character, both together and alone.

The first story shows Bruce providing comfort and help to a young boy who's parents were killed, much like Bruce experienced himself. As Bruce digs deeper, however, something much darker begins to emerge. This story bordered on horror, and King might have set the stage for a new villain.

The second story splits the Bat and the Cat up. Batman travels to another dimension along with Wonder Woman, where they will be filling in for The Gentle Man in his endless battle against a demonic horde trying to reach our dimension. Meanwhile, Catwoman chaperones The Gentle Man himself as he gets a chance to check in on his wife. Both Bruce and Selina realize some things about love, marriage, and commitment. There were some tender moments and some near-heartbreaking moments as the two fought to return to each other.

The feature story was a three-part tale starring Poison Ivy and dealing with some of the fallout from the War of Jokes and Riddles storyline. After killing some men, Ivy struggles to come to terms with her actions. She decides she needs to make the world a better place, something she accomplishes by taking over every person on Earth except Bruce and Selina. This was a fascinating examination of the trauma of violence and trying to process and deal with your own awful actions. King is very careful to not pass judgement on Ivy, but presents her actions as those of someone who has been broken and doesn't know how to pick up the pieces and move on. It is a moving and well-written tale.

The final story is a look at Selina Kyle, and presents how a cat-burglar like Catwoman might go wedding dress shopping. It is a simple story, full of heart, with an eye to both the past and future. It is plain to see just how much Selina cares about Bruce and wants this relationship to work.

King hits another one out of the park with Batman Vol. 6: Bride or Burglar. It is a wonderful collection of stories of all sorts of tones and moods. Through it all, the focus remains on Bruce and Selina. King's characterization is terrific, and their engagement and inevitable wedding are making for some excellent stories. I highly recommend this book, particularly to Batman fans. However, it will have an appeal for new readers, as well.

I received a preview copy of this book from DC Comics and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I willingly confess that it has been years since I have seen a Batman movie, and decades since the television show, and I've never fully read a graphic novel, but when the opportunity to review this title came up, I gladly jumped at it. How exciting to read about Batman and Catwoman, whose altar ego is Selina Kyle, being engaged! The two were archenemies in years gone past, but now they are about to become a married couple. While the nuptials are approaching, chaos continues to abound, bringing both Batman and Catwoman to the brink of danger.

The story begins with a young idol of Batman's and of the terrible tragedy he has just experienced, that of the murder of his parents. This hits just a little too close to home to Bruce Wayne's own younger life. As Batman hunt's for the killer, there are things about his very life that he is brought face-to-face with, a past that he would've preferred to remain there, in the past. The drama continues to unfold as Batman and Wonder Woman are forced together during some strenuous situations, making their very futures look rather bleak. The villains abound, with a perfect level of action and continuity. One night, in the midst of all of the chaos, Catwoman sneaks off to try and find the perfect wedding dress. I just had to smile, because I almost cannot imagine Catwoman picking out her dress for the impending nuptials.

I am very glad that I picked up this graphic novel, and for several reasons. The art itself is outstanding, as is the storyline itself. The fact that there were shorter stories within made this an engaging read as well. As briefly mentioned, I loved the continuity of friends and foes. So much so that I immediately went over to NetGalley to request more titles. Also, I will be seeking out the advice of my future son-in-law, because he is a true aficionado if these types of novels.

I confess to being a newbie so I do hope that I did this review justice. Should I get to read another book of this nature, I now know more of what to expect, like the connected stories, flashbacks, and to expect a very quick read. By the way, now I see why people spend so much money on these novels, because they are enticing and people do want a lot of substance and the thinner ones end almost all too quickly. What is good about that, however, is that the reader is definitely left wanting more.

Many thanks to DC Entertainment and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

BATMAN VOL. 6: BRIDE OR BURGLAR is written by Tom King and includes several vignettes about Batman and Catwoman and various friends and foes, as they wander down the road to their wedding. More intriguing than the interplay between Batman and Catwoman is the dynamic between their everyday alter egos Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle. Cameos by assorted villains, Superman, and Harley Quinn add an extra dose of pizzazz.

The first story in this collection starts with murdered parents, a boy looking for comfort from Bruce Wayne, and the obvious suspect Zsasz. In this tale, Tom King present readers with a perversion of Bruce Wayne's narrative. I enjoy stories like this because they showcase Batman as a detective. A young boy's parents are murdered and, strangely enough, Zsasz's parents are also killed. This crime resonates with Batman because of his past, but he's still able to hunt down leads and follow clues toward the unsettling conclusion.

For the second vignette, Batman and Wonder Woman team up to battle the Hordes of Gehenna in place of The Gentle Man. While they are off in another realm taking care of business, The Gentle Man enjoys his break from constant battle by visiting his soulmate in this world. Catwoman tags along to keep watch over him, and she contemplates the nature of marriage and the strength of love. Batman and Wonder Woman make an exciting fighting team. Both of these super heroes are known for their stoicism, but in this story, they show rare moments of weakness while still maintaining the essence of who they are.

I love Poison Ivy stories, and this last story has a ton of DC Universe guest stars, while still revealing a fascinating side of Poison Ivy and the two heroes trying to stop her cataclysmic plans. Poison Ivy's is probably my favorite story in this collection because it shows how well Batman and Catwoman can work together. I like how Catwoman tries to appeal to Poison Ivy as one woman and antihero to another. Batman recognizes the friendship between Ivy and Harley Quinn, and Tom King writes a relationship that meshes with how Ivy and Quinn are in the HARLEY QUINN series. This story shows a more vulnerable and somewhat sympathetic Poison Ivy than she has been in some previous books.