- Written by James Tynion IV
- Pencils by Alvaro Martinez
- Inks by Raul Fernandez
- Cover by Raul Fernandez, Alvaro Martinez
Tomeu Morey
“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?
Pickup your copy of ‘Detective Comics’ #938 at Comixology now!
If you’ve read any of my reviews of the mainstream ‘Batman’ and ‘All-Star Batman’ series then you will know I’ve praised both for their lack of reliance on sidekicks. ‘Detective Comics’ is the antithesis of both those titles.
This series relies almost solely on its sidekicks to carry it with almost little input from Batman himself. Interestingly it really works. DC Comics made the right choice in putting James Tynion IV in charge of the series having proven himself worthy To handle ensemble casts on ‘Batman: Eternal’.
This opening arc has been heavily focussed on Batwoman. Her character hasn’t been heavily involved in mainstream comics. Often sidelined to her own series it’s great to see her being integrated with the Bat-family. In the absence of Batgirl the female Bat role is wide open. Often maligned as an outsider bringing her in to the team dynamic brings a new flare to the series.
Bringing Spoiler and the newly christened Orphan in to the series was also another great choice. Both bring some of the legacy of pre-New 52 DC Comics with them. That much missed air of family and of years of character development that was lost. Whilst I can’t help hoping that at some point Cassie will suit up as Batgirl it’s still great to see her back. I have never been a fan of Stephanie Brown but her fan base can rejoice at seeing her once again mixing with familiar characters.
Clayface is very much the odd-man-out in the crowd. I can’t peg why Tynion would choose to include him but presumably he will have more to do as the story develops. Visually he is an interesting addition but at present he isn’t adding to the story.
The Batmen that the team are dealing with are very reminiscent of the army in ‘Arkham Knight’. There’s an organisation to their offensive which is very intriguing. The history behind the army and how it ties to both Batman and Batwoman are really compelling. I hope that coming out of this story there is a new status quo to the Bat-family as it could easily usher in a new golden-age for the team.
The artwork is provided by Alvaro Martinez and Raul Fernandez in this issue. Flashbacks take on a washed out quality which adds to the aesthetic perfectly. The scenes in the graveyard with young Kate and her father are some of the highlights of this series to date.
Action sequences are, as expected, as balanced as the script. Character models are consistent and the heroes costumes look to be at their best for some time. The ‘Justice League’ series could take a cue from Martinez and Fernandez. It balances character and action whilst beginning to push the envelope for the style of art. Individual character titles so often experiment with aesethic style where group series do not.
The nature of the story with its flashbacks and present day story allows for different styles. ‘Detective Comics’ succeeds is that it grabs the opportunity directly and makes a go of it where other series do not.
Verdict
‘Detective Comics’ #938 is the culmination of five issues of great storytelling. Rarely have we seen a group dynamic series with such a balance of character and action. Other series take note: ‘Detective Comics’ knows what it’s doing and it will take you by surprise!
4 stars
