Bat Boot Camp is underway and just look at that training room.
Who needs holograms when you have Clayface plugged into what passes in Gotham for a PlayStation? After three hours this danger room really is endangering the players, and Red Robin Tim Drake has had enough. He wonders why he, Spoiler, Orphan and indeed, reforming villain Clayface, can't just get out in the streets as they have so many times before. Batwoman reminds Tim that an enemy is out there, targeting vigilantes for assassination - as drill sergeant in Batman's nascent Bat-Army she needs to see their individual skills in order to mould them into a unit.
Class dismissed.
And that's when this issue gets really good, with beautifully written and drawn scenes between Tim and Batman, Tim and Spoiler Stephanie Brown, and Batwoman Kate Kane and her military man father. Orphan Cassandra Caine and Clayface Basil Karlo get less page space, but lovely moments nonetheless. Basil, in particular, continues to touch my heart.
The cliffhanger goes to Batman but to be honest, he's the least interesting aspect of this issue. That's not to say he's uninteresting - the aforementioned encounter with Tim is a great bit of relationship and status rebuilding - but it's James Tynion IV's work with the other characters that really has me excited. As for the main plot, concerning a conspiracy involving 'The Colony', we've not seen enough yet to judge; I suspect I'd be happy were this book to be 'simply' a series of vignettes with the training squad, the dynamics are that much fun. A decent overarching plot would be the icing on the cake.
Bringing Tynion's well-wrought script to life is Eddy Barrows and his compositions are spectacular, leaps and bounds above the good-looking work he's been doing for DC for a decade or more. I think he likes Gotham, and I hope he stays there, working with inker Eber Ferreira and colourist Adriano Lucas. Every character, every setting, convinces, fascinates. Occasionally, usually at the end of a scene, the artists soften the image, to gorgeous effect.
Penciller, inker and colourist also supply the regular cover, while the poster-worthy variant is by Rafael Albuquerque on inspired form.
There's only one tiny, tiny thing I'd get rid of...
That's a moment from last issue, and one from this week's. I think it was Grant Morrison who came up with that Bat-noise. 'HH'... what the heck does it sound like? What does it mean? And will it show up again next time? I know I'll be here to find out.
Is it supposed to be a sigh? A hiss? I have no idea.
ReplyDeleteThe art and layouts are lovely, aren't they?
I've been making the noise in the office all week, to see how people interpret it. They just keep wandering off, afraid.
DeleteI love the belfry such sweet looking HQ right guys
ReplyDeleteAlso like how basil want's to act again eye just hoper he doesnt betray the team to the colony
Also i had to read Detective comics 934 2 times before realizing that the batmen organization is basing their name on Bat Colony, I'm so stupid.
No you're not! I never did notice that, so you can't be stupid or I'd be positively Neanderthal!
DeleteWell we'll just call this an oversight an call that a day also who do u think should join this boot camp me I would think maybe calvin rose the talon strix ragman or that devil rascal Etrigan the Demon and his Leash Jason Blood
DeleteOnly characters who aren't proper solo characters, so no Etrigan or Ragman! Mind, Batman trying to impose his will on The Demon would be a hoot.
Deletewhat or who would u define are not proper solo characters?
DeleteEveryone else mentioned - they've never had a solo strip and, frankly, I'm happy with that - Calvin Rose, Strix etc... I don't really care if we never see them again.
DeleteNo particular reason I'm making this comment to this issue instead of any other, other than it happens to be the one I just read, but DC has suddenly won me back with this Rebirth "event" or whatever it is. And your excellent reviews are part of helping them do that. As I wrote in my own increasingly sporadic blog a few weeks ago (well, not in exactly these words but they would have been had I thought of them then...), the New 52 had finally rendered DC essentially dead to me [ http://randomramblings-absentmindedprofessor.blogspot.com/2016/06/the-rebirth-of-my-love-for-dc-comics.html ]. Then, something about your reviews of the "Death of New 52 Superman" arc caught my attention and drew me in, followed by the one for the Rebirth Special issue that caused me to pick it up digitally, and here I am hooked again. Almost every issue I have read -- which is almost every Rebirth issue they've published, I have enjoyed and look forward to the continuation. Thank you, Martin.
ReplyDeleteAnd thank YOU Kent, you just made my day. I'm chuffed to bits you're enjoying the new DC books, it's great that DC are remembering what they traditionally do well. Hopefully less longtime fans are digging* them too.
Delete* This is how I speak after listening to several episodes of Teen Titans Wasteland.
I'm loving Detective. I haven't bought a 'Tec issue since Batwoman's first round, and I love it. Though Tim's not wanting to be a Robin was unfortunate, it felt like I was reading TIM again, and seeing him and Steph together was just awesome. I didn't think I'd like Clayface among the team, but it's working. It's odd though that Batman's latest sidekick is no where to be mentioned, but in any case, I'm loving this. The Belfry's location made me think of The Wayne Foundation. The snow confused me though, it makes me wonder when this is supposed to take place in relation to "Batman." This book makes me hope for a Superman Family type book in the not too distant future.
ReplyDeleteIt seems this is a Duke-free zone - he gets to play in the manor! Really, I'd ban Batman from having any more surrogate kids, he's a terrible father to Damian, never thinks of him from one year to the next in some comics.
DeleteHe really is a bad dad. I don't even know if it's in continuity anymore, but Bruce took until Dick was an adult to finalllly adopt him. Of course, with Damian, it could be that it's because (of Morrison) he's a product of rape and he has trouble connecting to him. Maybe he wants Duke all to himself. Maybe he is scared of making all his other sons jealous - is Tim even his son anymore in this universe? Well, actually, if you're including Orphan and Spoiler as his surrogate kids, he's now letting someone else look after them. Don't get me started how he's forgotten all about his own daughter, Helena. :P
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