One of the problems of the DCnU, at this point, is that it's jarring when you're confronted with a familiar figure from the DCU who isn't familiar now. In this issue, we encounter that problem with Kirk Langstrom, a.k.a., Man-Bat. Although this lack of familiarity allows Layman to create a compelling new origin story for Langstrom, it also distracts you as you spend a few panels wondering why Batman has no idea who he is.
In this version of events, Langstrom is a scientist using experiments on bats to try to help cure deafness, a problem that runs in his family. But, his cure was apparently stolen by Talia al Ghul before he could resolve the unfortunate side effect that the cure's recipients experienced, namely, they tended to turn into Man-Bats. Talia actually wanted the serum for its side effects, though, using it to create an army of Man-Bat soldiers in "Batman Incorporated." Emperor Penguin at some point gets his hands on the serum (though I'm not sure if we learn how that happened) and uses Zsasz to turn it into an airborne virus, unleashing an army of Man-Bat Gothamites onto the city while his agents take advantage of the chaos to make some big scores. Langstrom is forced to use his own DNA to create a cure, turning himself into Man-Bat while everyone else returns to normal. It's a clever twist to Langstrom's origin, though, as I said, I was distracted for a while when Batman didn't know who Langstrom was. Moreover, I got somewhat lost in the science. I'm not sure why Langstrom had to use his DNA to overwrite the virus, though his sacrifice in doing so certainly makes for a great story.
Beyond this issue itself, Layman actually does the best job of any Bat-family author at this point in pulling together all the disparate stories that have happened in recent months. As I mentioned, the Man-Bat soldiers are apparently straight from "Batman Incorporated" and both Barbara and Dick ignore Bruce's calls for help as a result of the events of "Death of the Family." The back-up story even manages to connect Bane with the "Night of the Owls." It leaves you with the impression of an overwhelmed Bruce forced to lean even more than usual on Alfred. Given that "Batman Incorporated" suddenly burst into continuity, it's an admirable effort to bring together all those plot points, given that everyone else seems to be too busy to try to do so. Moreover, Layman still keeps his eye on his own ball, using the events of this issue to show how Emperor Penguin continues to make his presence felt. Showing how integrated this issue was (making it almost worth the $7.99 price tag), the Mr. Combustible back-up story does a great job of fleshing out Emperor Penguin's story, showing how Oglivy used the chaos to have his men steal $85 million worth of cash and prizes. Plus, I believe that it's the first time that Bruce learns of Emperor Penguin. I'm just impressed by how Layman isn't rushing this story, showing Oglivy becoming more and more of a threat as he gets comfortable with his position and building up the tension as we head to an inevitable confrontation between him and Bruce (and him and Penguin).
I think that I've gotten to the point where this book is my favorite in the Bat-family. Layman manages to stay above the drama of the other series (even while still incorporating it into his own stories) and focusing on Batman's investigative skills, as "Detective Comics" is supposed to do. Although it wasn't perfect, this story still flowed a lot more logically than a lot of stories have lately in the Bat-family. Moreover, Layman has an ear for dialogue; both Batman and Alfred having strong voices in this issue. Finally, Jason Fabok has a great eye for detail, really immersing you in Gotham itself in a way that other artists often struggle to do.
All in all, this series continues to do what I want the other Bat-family books to do but don't, tell tales that really showcase Batman as a crime fighter and not as megalomaniacal asshole. It should be getting a lot more attention that it is.
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