Seeley does a solid job here showing the strain that Dick is feeling in his new role as super-spy. But, he also reminds us why Dick has to stay in Spyral, regardless of the cost.
When Seeley revealed that Agent 8 knew Bruce's identity, I wondered where he was going with her and how many other agents knew. After all, the list of people that know Batman's identity isn't a long one, and it doesn't really have a lot of people on it that aren't there because Batman wants them to be. It immediately raised her standing in the DC Universe, making it clear that she wasn't just a throw-away character. Or, at least, she wouldn't have been, had she survived the issue. Seeley answers my first question with a bullet to Agent 8's head, though the second one is left unresolved. In fact, Seeley reminds us that it's the entire reason that Dick's in Spyral in the first place, to get an answer to this question.
However, regardless of the importance and urgency of the mission, Seeley makes it clear that it's not easy on Dick. He's surrounding by guns, a weapon that he eschewed as Batman's partner, and he's definitely around people who aren't trying to save people. Spyral foils his attempt to save its target in this issue. In fact, his attempt ends so disastrously that it's clear that Dick made matters worse for the target, not better. Dick knows that, as he also seems to know that the road ahead of him isn't going to get any less grim.
*** (three of five stars)
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