Batgirl #10: [Sigh.] We can never seem to get past issue #10 in a "Batgirl" series before the wheels come off the bus. I feel like Larson just invents whatever event or tool she needs to get Babs from Point A to Point B. For example, I've been a fan of Babs' new "hyperfocus" ability, where she essentially turns her eidetic memory into a computer. But, Larson pushes us past the already fast-approaching point of believability here, as Babs is now suddenly able to see inside a woman's car before her auto-drive system crashes it. Is the car recording her? How is that even possible? Similarly, Babs is in this situation because someone randomly took a photo of her and Dick together that made Ethan jealous. Why did that guy take the photo? No idea. They're just a guy and a girl standing by a motorcycle at a gas station. How did Ethan know the photo was taken? Also no idea. Moreover, Ethan becomes a full-on super-villain here. He not only reveals his new costumed identity as the oddly named Blacksun, but he broke off his relationship with Babs by sending an intern to do the dirty work. It makes even less sense when you consider he got jealous over Babs talking to Dick after he ended it. I just don't know how much longer I can hang in here.
Detective Comics #955: This issue is weirdly bad. Tynion usually produces top-notch products, but this issue is well off the mark. He employs a tedious and unnecessary narrator to move us through the issue. To make it worse, the narrator is reading a children's story that mirrors every aspect of Cassandra's pretty unique life. It inspires her to take on the League of Shadows by herself, and she miraculously manages to defeat all of them. Yup. It's important because her allies are indisposed: Jean-Paul, Kate, and Luke are naked and chained in the same room as the nuclear bomb meant to detonate the fault line under Gotham City; Bruce is soon to join them, and Clayface's body is distributed over a dozen canisters. But, suddenly, they're all free and in costumes in time to face Shiva with Cass. Moreover, Tynion wastes a few pages on Ulysses' narrating to Jake his creation of new smart chemical weapons he wants to use on the League. In other words, we just lurch from one poorly explained plot point to another. As I said, it's a rare miss for Tynion, but a miss it is.
The Flash #21: We have a number of interesting developments here right at the start. First, the Justice Society is somehow tied to this story; a 90-year-old Johnny Thunder appears at the start of the issue, and Flash talks about seeing Jay Garrick's Mercury Helmet in a vision. Second, Barry discovers his own energy signature on Thawne's body, leading him to wonder if he kills Thawne. He notably withholds this information from Bruce (who's now conscious). Third, the Button is missing. The plot gets rolling as Barry and Bruce use the Cosmic Treadmill to travel through time to identify Thawne's killer, using the radiation Barry found on the Button to calibrate their search. Along the way, they see what they initially believe to be alternate universes showing the formation of various Justice Leagues, but then wonder if they're actually showing the period of time Dr. Manhattan stole. But something goes wrong: they're struck by a bolt of lightning and find themselves in the "Flashpoint" Batcave, face-to-face with Thomas Wayne. Williamson does a solid job of moving us through these numerous development without ignoring characterization. Barry is struggling to come to grips with his emotions (or lack of them) as he realizes his mother's killer has come to justice, and Bruce obviously has all the feels when confronted with his father. Maybe he'll even cry next issue!
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