Batman/The Flash: The Button Deluxe Edition

by Tom King

[Quirky Cat]

Three and a half stars.

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.


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