Batman 5: The Rules of Engagement

Now that Batman and Catwoman have decided to take their relationship to the next level, this volume and the next two are a tour of familiar friends and enemies before the Wedding, showing how the decision affects Batman's world, as well as deepening the Bat/Cat relationship. Normally, I'm not a fan of TPBs that are just a loose collection of stories, but this volume is worth it for the Superman/Lois and Bruce/Selina double date alone. It really is a wonderful, self-contained look at Superman and Batman's friendship that explores how much the two respect and admire one another. It's funny, heartwarming, and a great look at both characters. There is a story about Batman visiting his ex, Talia, in an attempt to clear Catwoman's name for crimes she did not commit, and this is fine, but probably one of the weaker stories in the volume. And finally, there are a couple of issues that further explore Batman and Catwoman's long history with one another, as well as an ambiguous tale about their future (maybe an elseworlds-type tale or an actual glimpse into the future, it's not yet clear). All in all, it's a fantastic volume, with some stories that are better than others, but the Superman double date is clearly the highlight of the whole thing.

Beautifully written and poetic, this Tom King authored run of Batman is simply incredible. I guess it is not a spoiler to say at this point that Batman and Catwoman appear to be getting hitched: this volume continues to explore their relationship, their history, their connections, developing the idea of two hyper-talented, painfully injured people who have found their match in each other. The section "Super Friends" and the final section are particularly powerful. There's not a lot of action here, but King is doing an amazing job exploring the mythos of Batman.The art is beautiful throughout, but is especially so in the Clay Mann drawn "Super Friends" story.

I’m a big fan of the rebirth books by Tom King, and what eventually led to the BATMAN/CATWOMAN comic run. He does a great job writing the relationship between the two, and in my mind is the definitive catwoman.This book has a decent story about the two traveling to another continent to find someone prior to their wedding. The story is decent and the art is good. It’s not my favorite art (I prefer the Michel Janin or Clay Mann style a lot more) but is in no way bad. I’d say it’s slightly more cartoony here. Tom King is almost the comic book Tarantino: because this book is driven by its dialogue and characters. It’s got some action but not a ton.What makes this more than worth the buy, or at least the read, is the secondary shorter story. It shows a romantic and playful game of cat and mouse (Selena the cat and Bruce the mouse) before they got together, and then how strong their bond is as Bruce nears the end of his life. If you enjoy the Batman and Catwoman love story, it’s actually really moving. I can only hope this story played a part in informing the roles in the (at this time upcoming) THE BATMAN movie.

The last page alone is worth the five star rating. The stories with Talia and Lois and Clark are very good, even if the dialogue is a little off sometimes.

Batman's on again off again romance with Catwoman has culminated with their engagement and the idea that Bats is trying to finally be happy. To start, however, the pair have jetted off to the desert to a forbidden city ruled by Talia al Ghul. At first, the opening arc seems a bit strange but the payoff is solid: Holly, Catwoman's lifetime friend who murdered two hundred men, has been in hiding with Talia's people since she disappeared back in Volume Two. For Catwoman and Batman to actually tie the knot, Holly has to come out of hiding and take the punishment that is coming to her (recall that in King's series, Cat took the fall to protect Holly and became an extremely wanted woman). After the pair confront Talia ("the ex") they have a double date with Superman and Lois Lane. Finally, the series jumps from the past to the start of Catwoman and Batman's relationship in the New 52 timeline to a possible future in which the two live a happy and long life together before Batman's passing. King's scripting remains an absolute triumph and his exploration not only of Batman and Catwoman's relationship, but also of Bat's friendship with Supes, Cat's new friendship with Lois, and the dynamic duo of Nightwing and Damien remains staggeringly good. The double date is an instant classic story arc and seeing the on going debate over whether or not Batman could hit a pitch thrown by Superman play out is hysterical. The art is also fantastic thanks to a bevy of guest artists including the fantastic Joelle Jones who was recently tapped to helm the new Catwoman solo series.

This is one of the best graphic novels I have read. This is why I enjoy DC's books so much. Tom King has written a great series of stories that everyone can enjoy. This was a story about people who happen to be heroes. I loved Bruce, Selena, Clark, and Lois at the fair.

I've really enjoyed Kings' run. While nowhere near the kind of storyteller that Snyder is, King's Special Ops career really bleeds through the pages here. The way Batman deals with "the war" and reacts, still like Batman, but like a young vet is great. The action is intricate, intense and always feels like its drawn by someone who has a clear understanding of the kinetic flow of a skirmish. Not saying that King draws just that it seems he can convey his vision to the artists very well. Overall, I love his run and am enjoying this lead up to the Big Day.

Just.... amazing. The rest of this sentence is just to fill up the minimum words required to post the review.

Es uno de los mejores comics de Batman y Catwoman, el arte de Jones y Weeks es fantástico y la doble cita es un encanto, Tom King logra escribir bien la relación de Bat y Cat en annual 2 y no te queda mas que enamorarte del arte de las tres historias

Mil estrelas só pelo Annual #2 (e por todo o resto).É meu volume favorito do run do King.

The Batman does what he always does, but he's also engaged and needs to prepare his wedding - and this includes introducing his chaotic neutral fianceé to his friends... starting with the lawful good Superman.

Wow a super book and one of the best batman story.