Detective Comics #945
Writer: James Tynion IV
Artists: Al Barrionuevo and Carmen Carnero
Publisher: DC Comics
Detective Comics #945 slows down the pace a bit from the previous issue and starts to dig deep into the Batfamily’s increasingly tattered psychology. We revisit Batman, Spoiler, Clayface and Batwoman as they sit down and try to process all the terrible things that are happening to them all at once.
Stephanie, heartbroken and wracked with insecurity, is pushed even further to the edge by a surprise visit from the First Victim. Batman, dealing with Tim Drake’s death in his own way, is starting to show some big cracks in his usually formidable composure, and Clayface, having just met Mudface - the member of the Victim Syndicate which he helped to create – begins to question his humanity. All of this drama adds up to yet another emotionally riveting chapter in this arc. The Victim Syndicate is quickly becoming one of my favorite villains for the Batman family, and this is huge praise because they don’t even show up in this issue. It’s because of the Victim Syndicate that we’re getting the emotional fallout in this issue, and all of it leads back to the biggest question this arc is asking: Is Batman’s war on crime doing more harm than good to the people of Gotham? By the end of this issue, even Batman seems a little unsure of himself.
We also get some quality time with some of my other favorite Batfamily members: Harper Row and Jean-Paul Valley. Harper and Jean-Paul share a great moment when Harper opens up to Jean-Paul about how worried she is about Steph. Jean-Paul, being the awkward, bespectacled softie that he is, comforts Harper the best he can. This also leads into the only action scene of the entire comic, and holy crap is that one awesome splash page! Fans of 90’s style Azrael are not going to want to miss out on this!
Al Barrionuevo and Carmen Carnero take over art duty for series regulars Eddy Barrows and Eber Ferreira. Unfortunately, this is a step down from the amazing art that Barrows and Ferreira spoiled us with. The art is wildly inconsistent page after page, ranging from fantastic – such as the scene with Stephanie on the roof of the Belfry, or the aforementioned Azrael splash; to bad, like every scene involving Leslie’s clinic. When it’s at its worst, the art detracts from and takes me out of the story. Not to say that this isn’t unexpected, given the biweekly release schedule, but given that this is one of my top Rebirth books, it’ a big disappointment.
Detective Comics #945 takes a quick breather from the breakneck pace of the last issue to let us revisit and reground ourselves with the Batfamily. Every character gets their chance to show us how the repeated tragedies and events over the past couple months have taken their toll on them. All of this adds up to a powerful, emotionally resonant issue that once again places Detective Comics within the ranks of DC’s best current books. Fans of Batman, Batwoman, Azrael and the rest of the extended Batfamily should not miss out!
Artists: Al Barrionuevo and Carmen Carnero
Publisher: DC Comics
Detective Comics #945 slows down the pace a bit from the previous issue and starts to dig deep into the Batfamily’s increasingly tattered psychology. We revisit Batman, Spoiler, Clayface and Batwoman as they sit down and try to process all the terrible things that are happening to them all at once.
Stephanie, heartbroken and wracked with insecurity, is pushed even further to the edge by a surprise visit from the First Victim. Batman, dealing with Tim Drake’s death in his own way, is starting to show some big cracks in his usually formidable composure, and Clayface, having just met Mudface - the member of the Victim Syndicate which he helped to create – begins to question his humanity. All of this drama adds up to yet another emotionally riveting chapter in this arc. The Victim Syndicate is quickly becoming one of my favorite villains for the Batman family, and this is huge praise because they don’t even show up in this issue. It’s because of the Victim Syndicate that we’re getting the emotional fallout in this issue, and all of it leads back to the biggest question this arc is asking: Is Batman’s war on crime doing more harm than good to the people of Gotham? By the end of this issue, even Batman seems a little unsure of himself.
We also get some quality time with some of my other favorite Batfamily members: Harper Row and Jean-Paul Valley. Harper and Jean-Paul share a great moment when Harper opens up to Jean-Paul about how worried she is about Steph. Jean-Paul, being the awkward, bespectacled softie that he is, comforts Harper the best he can. This also leads into the only action scene of the entire comic, and holy crap is that one awesome splash page! Fans of 90’s style Azrael are not going to want to miss out on this!
Al Barrionuevo and Carmen Carnero take over art duty for series regulars Eddy Barrows and Eber Ferreira. Unfortunately, this is a step down from the amazing art that Barrows and Ferreira spoiled us with. The art is wildly inconsistent page after page, ranging from fantastic – such as the scene with Stephanie on the roof of the Belfry, or the aforementioned Azrael splash; to bad, like every scene involving Leslie’s clinic. When it’s at its worst, the art detracts from and takes me out of the story. Not to say that this isn’t unexpected, given the biweekly release schedule, but given that this is one of my top Rebirth books, it’ a big disappointment.
Detective Comics #945 takes a quick breather from the breakneck pace of the last issue to let us revisit and reground ourselves with the Batfamily. Every character gets their chance to show us how the repeated tragedies and events over the past couple months have taken their toll on them. All of this adds up to a powerful, emotionally resonant issue that once again places Detective Comics within the ranks of DC’s best current books. Fans of Batman, Batwoman, Azrael and the rest of the extended Batfamily should not miss out!
A Look Inside
