Detective Comics #938

Script: James Tynion IV
Pencils: Álvaro Martínez
Inks: Raúl Fernández
Colors: Brad Anderson
Letters: Marylin Patrizio
Artist (Pg. 1-4): Al Barrionuevo
Colors (Pg. 1-4): Adriano Lucas
Publisher: DC

Detective Comics has been an outstanding book, it is action-packed, it has a team with interesting dynamics and great characters, . In this issue, we see the Batmen (i'll just go ahead and call them that) storm the Belfry, the base of operations Tim Drake built after it was taken by the Colony. The Colony are an organization built by Jacob Kane (Batwoman's father) to fight back against The League of Shadows.

The teasing of The League of Shadows is a bit over-the-top but overall, Tynion's story-telling is fantastic. It's stunning that he can have great beats for every single character on the team while also introducing a compelling antagonist. And I'm very careful to not call him a villain because Tynion doesn't portray him that way until the very last page of this issue. The issue starts with a prologue flashing back to Kate Kane's childhood and it gives the colonel a plausible drive for his actions.

Al Barrionuevo and Adriano Lucas' art on that prologue is incredible, as far as I can tell it isn't handpainted but Lucas' coloring gives it that feel. It also sets the pace for some fantastic work from the art team on the main story. I had kind of accepted that the art might be kind of spotty but Martínez's lines are great and Fernández's inks a really involving atmosphere. The art seems cleaner and less convoluted. Detective Comics had had some really bizarre paneling but here the layouts are cleaner, allowing the action scenes to breathe and the character's acting seems more nuanced.

The General (or th3 g3n3r4l) seems to be drawn younger and thinner but the rest of the art is consistent with previous issues, but as all of the creative team gets more used to their cast, they are able to highlight them more effectively. Even if Clayface is mostly in the background of this issue, Martínez and Fernández highlight his abilites by involving him in more complex action sequences. Meanwhile, Marylin Patrizio helps create one of the best Cassandra Cain moments with the elevator doors opening up and that big, yellow “DING” before she leaps out and fights a group of Colony soldiers. She beats them up (spoiler).

The whole issue is a thrill from beginning to end. The art feels like a step-up from previous weeks and Tynion's story is very gripping, while making compelling, three-dimensional characters out of every single character. Always looking forward to more of this series.