Detective Comics #979 Review

Writer: James Tynion IV

Artist: Philippe Briones

Colourist: John Kalisz

Letterer: Sal Cipriano

James Tynion's final series etches ever so slowly to its conclusion with this issue. I've come to realise that I'm not exactly on board with this story and I just walked away from this issue unimpressed and bored.

The very set-up of this issue confused me. At the end of the last issue, Tim was transforming into some sort of OMAC creature. Not only is that one of the dumbest things I've ever read, Tynion begins this issue with Tim inside his own mind while Ulysses Jones tries to convince him to join him… for some reason. Jones, or The General as he likes to call himself now, lacks the proper motivation to really feel like a villainous presence. So when this entire plan hinges on this character with poor character development, the entire thing comes across as contrived and boring which is how I felt about it.

At this point whatever artistic identity this series had is now out the window. Philippe Briones provides some good work in this issue and it's one of the better-looking issue he's had in a while since John Kalisz coloured it; I can't help but feel fatigued and distant from the story since almost every other issue has either a poor artist on it, or just doesn't match up with what came before. I'm artist first and if I wasn't reviewing this series, I would have stopped reading it a very long time ago.

This issue is just a bore. The art isn't bad at all but the story feels so completely unearned and rushed. I'm sure there are fans of this book but whatever identity it once had is now out the window. A creative team change is exactly what I need to get excited about Batman again.