Batman #711: Daniel reveals here that the "teensy little job" that Gilda Dent asked the Riddler to perform was helping her fake Two-Face's death in front of Mario Falcone. Allegedly, according to the Riddler, Gilda is trapped in a relationship with Falcone and needed Two-Face's help in removing herself from it. Obviously we've got more happening here than anyone is revealing. Gilda needed Mario to believe Harvey was dead, for unclear reasons, though it seems like it has something to do with allowing her to have a freer hand in arranging something related to the mysterious Jade Society. I'm not entirely sure what game Riddler is playing at this point, but he appears to be back to his old tricks so it's anyone's guess. Daniel sets up a good story here, but Daniel always sets up a good story only usually to disappoint me in the end. So, I'm reserving judgment until we see where this arc goes. In the meantime, it's a treat to see two of Batman's iconic villains working together.
Batman: Gates of Gotham #2: One of the best parts about the Bat-books (and, paradoxically, one of the reasons why I didn't become a regular reader until recently) is that they have a mythos and a history you have to spend some time getting to know. Whereas the X-Men are pretty easy to get (to paraphrase Bill Murray, "humans and mutants, living together!"), the Bat-books require an understanding beyond just the basic origin story in order to fully enjoy them. Snyder and Higgins really get that, on a basic level, and it's why "Gates of Gotham" is as enjoyable as it is. They've woven together the Waynes, Cobblepots, and Elliots in a really intriguing way, tying their histories together in a way that makes their presents all the more complicated. I mean, having to save Tommy Elliot or Wayne Tower? Tough call. They've also given us a main villain who could be either Gates brother (or both) returned from the dead or a descendant of one of the brothers seeking revenge for a reason we don't quite yet understand. But, perhaps best of all, our protagonists in this story are four of Bruce Wayne's five children: Dick, Tim, Cassandra, and Damian. I'm also assuming Jason will appear at some point, just as I'm wondering under what circumstances will Bruce eventually appear. Snyder and Higgins have built the suspense, and I'm excited to see how it's all going to go.
Dungeons & Dragons #8: This issue may be the best yet. It is just non-stop. I really honestly marvel at how Rogers makes each of these characters unique. It's hard to write good banter, but it's even harder to write good banter that isn't just banter for banter's sake, but actually reflects the personality of the speaker and allows you some insight into the character. Rogers manages to accomplish this task and sustain it throughout this issue, and it's a marvel to behold. Moreover, the action is gripping. Fell's Five are stuck in the Feywild and fall victim to a traitorous (with good reason, but still traitorous) gnome. But, in typical Fell's Five fashion, things go from bad to worse when Juliana's evil father makes an appearance. I think it's probably time for Rogers to start connecting these dots, since I wound up being more, rather than less, confused about Juliana's origins than I was after the last arc. (We could also use a little bit more on Varic. He has implied a few times that he's Earth-born, but we saw him in the last arc already in the Feywild -- and attached to Juliana -- when Adric arrived.) But, I trust Rogers to get us what we need, so I'm not rushing him. In the meantime, I'm just enjoying the good, clean fun.
New Mutants #26: OK, so, first, I have to say, I love the new approach to the New Mutants, giving them the responsibility of being the team cleaning up the X-Men's loose ends. The X-Men definitely have some fascinating loose ends, so it should keep the book running for quite a while. Second, Abnett and Lanning really chose to begin with a great loose end. Sugar Man using Nate Grey to power his Omega Machine to find a way home? Awesome. It totally makes sense in the context of the characters, so it doesn't feel like they're forcing anything to create a loose end. Plus, the pared-down team helps a lot. The book was getting a little crowded, so removing Cannonball, Karma, and Magik (who've been the focus of the last 25 issues) really gives some of the other characters room to grow. The only note of caution I'd give them is not to go to the "X-kids" well too often. It worked a few years ago, but the New Mutants have really graduated from that role, so making them feel like they have something to prove really makes it feel like we're going backwards rather than forwards. Focusing on Dani learning how to handle a leadership role is fine and interesting, but having the New Mutants feel like they have to prove they're competent is a little 1980s. All in all, though, it's a great start to a new era.
X-Men Legacy #251: OK, to be honest, I can't say I'm overly intrigued by this arc. I'm a little Legion-ed out lately, and Carey seems to have forgotten rule #1 of team-book writing, which is to include some comic relief. Given that no one's used Iceman in, like, forever, I really feel like substituting Bobby for Frenzy would've made this book a little less maudlin. The story itself is fine, but, as I've felt about this series since I started reading it, I can't say it's enjoyable.
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