I love it when I get proven wrong! I was very worried about Detective Comics being a team book. After all, there should be mysteries in a book called “Detective,” right?
Well, Mr. Tynion and his group have really got this long-running series flying high, if you’ll forgive the pun!
Here’s the description of DETECTIVE COMICS: “Rise of the Batmen” part five! Batman, Batwoman, and the entire team take the fight to the deadly Colony! Those highly trained operatives took the Bat-team apart on their own turf…so how will they fare when the Colony is in its element, with all their weapons trained on our heroes?
CONFLICT AND RESOLUTION
Mr. Tynion has written a lot of Bat-stories, and he’s really blossomed as a Bat-writer. He keeps the action/adventure quotient high with just the right amount of characterization sprinkled in so it’s not too close to a video game.
One of the characters who has really begun to shine is the former Batgirl, now called Orphan. Cassandra Cain has become a powerhouse in her own right. There’s a wonderful sequence where she’s blocking the way of a number of soldiers. “Hey,” one says, “They sent YOU to fight ALL of us?” Her response: “Yes.” Loved that.
Batman, who prefers the shadows and working alone, is slow to accept having a team around him like this one. The interesting blend of younger heroes like Red Robin and Spoiler along with Orphan and Batwoman is an interesting mix. Lots of things to play off of, seems to me.
The one character I was TRULY worried about was Clayface. I mean, he’s been quite the nasty in the past. Having him refer to Batman as “Sir” is quite the change, but a good one. He’s the team’s “Hulk,” being the heavy lifter who can take on the big baddies.
It’s also interesting to see Batwoman’s father as an opponent. At some point, somebody’s got to go, I feel, and Batwoman may end up being another orphan on this team.
PERFECT ART FOR THIS STORY!
Giving the great assist when it comes to art is Martinez, Fernandez and Anderson. I’ll always love Capullo’s Bat-art, but these folks are visually knocking my socks off!
I always know who is who, and what each person is experiencing based on their facial expressions. Action sequences are amazing to look at, many of them poster-worthy, I think.
The use of color is also perfect Batman. Darker shades and great use of shadows really helps us get into the Bat-mood!
Batman is the biggest property DC Comics has, and this book just keeps the Dark Knight flying higher and higher – as far as comics go, at least!
If you haven’t been buying this bi-weekly Bat-book, shame on you! Get to your local store and get back issues if you can! They’re just that good! Keep it up, guys! (And just $2.99, too!)
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