Tom King wraps up “Knightmares,” his self-proclaimed “arc of one-shots” with this issue. Based on that description alone, I’d hoped that we would get some type of zinger or reveal that would make this feel like an actual arc, even if that arc is just a bridge. I mean, if it’s being touted as an arc, there should be some type of actual story arc, right? Well, there isn’t. This is an “arc” because DC needed six issues to fill a trade. In reality, “Knightmares” is nothing more than a bunch of one-and-dones.

Now, I’m not opposed to one-and-done stories. I’ve read many one-and-done issues that are a ton of fun or completely moving. King has even written a few of those! But the six issues that make up the “Knightmares” arc? Nope. They just haven’t done it for me. And despite being unsatisfied with the issues themselves, it’s a little irritating that it would be pushed as an arc rather than a collection of six, individual issues. Be honest with what it is, and you would avoid some headaches.

I will give DC some credit though. There have been a few wonderful moments or lines within these issues, but a few nice moments or lines isn’t going to cut it for a trades-worth of pages. In all, the entire thing feels like a waste that could have – and more importantly, should have – been conveyed within a single issue – at least as it is. We gained nothing from this arc that we didn’t already know. There was no progression. No revelation. No big “Aha!” moment to give any of these stories a point… They’ve just been filler. And its filler that’s coming in at the most inopportune time of the King’s run. We should be rising to the climax of his long game, not pausing to play with various artists – which, by the way, has been the only positive takeaway from “Knightmares.”

This could have been different though. This could have easily been an actual arc, that moved from completely absurd to completely profound. Each issue could have ultimate symbolized Batman fighting his way out of layers of psychosis and dream state to ultimately wake up by the end… But the story didn’t do that. The story ended the same way it began… Batman is dreaming. The last issue of this story is a splash page of Batman asleep. There’s nothing exciting about that. He’s tied up to a machine, but we suspected this all along, so… what’s the point? Had there been a single panel or two of Batman’s eyes opening, we’d at least close this book going, “Oh!!! $#!& about to get real!” But this isn’t what happens. And this isn’t the feeling we got from the end of the issue.

This could have been different though. This could have easily been an actual arc, that moved from completely absurd to completely profound. Each issue could have ultimate symbolized Batman fighting his way out of layers of psychosis and dream state to ultimately wake up by the end… But the story didn’t do that. The story ended the same way it began… Batman is dreaming. The last issue of this story is a splash page of Batman asleep. There’s nothing exciting about that. He’s tied up to a machine, but we suspected this all along, so… what’s the point? Had there been a single panel or two of Batman’s eyes opening, we’d at least close this book going, “Oh!!! $#!& about to get real!” But this isn’t what happens. And this isn’t the feeling we got from the end of the issue.

Anyway, this story, in particular, came about because Tom King told Amanda Conner that she needed to do Batman, and she said she would have loved to have done the Bachelorette party (from the Prelude to the Wedding tie ins). King said, “Done,” and here we are… Batman #68 is a reimagining of the Bachelorette party, but less entertaining, and even more irrelevant than the previous issues of ”Knightmares.” In fact, this is nothing more than the Selina and Lois show, because that’s who we follow for three-fourths of this issue.