Batgirl #4: OK, this issue isn't perfect. For one thing, Simone has Barbara get a little too...chatty in her fight with Mirror, particularly given the fact that she should be concentrating on the fight since she keeps talking about how outclassed she is physically. For another thing, I had some trouble remembering the details of last issue. Barbara mentions that Mirror stole back the papers she stole from him, but I don't remember why those papers were so important in the first place and I didn't really see how whatever they revealed had anything to do with the plot of this issue. Moreover, I don't think we've gotten the story of how Mirror got to be as powerful as he is in the first place. Did he just train extensively like Batman? Simone seems to have implied that it's more than that, but I don't think she's ever really confirmed the source of his strength either way. Also, I'm still not really sure that we ever got an explanation on what Mirror's mirrors do (and how they do it). In previous issues, he seemed to have an almost super-natural ability to show people their worst fears through his mirrors, but Simone never really explained how he did that. If he doesn't have super-natural powers and he's just basically showing people their reflections, isn't that a little goofy? I mean, wouldn't Babs kind of laugh, like, "Oh, no, you're reminding me I forgot to use conditioner today. SCARY!"
But, despite these flaws, it's still a good issue. Of all the "New 52!" authors, Simone has done the best job of teasing the differences between the new Barbara and the previous one without crossing into annoying or frustrating territory. We learn here that she had some sort of experimental treatment in South Africa to regain the use of her legs, but Simone clearly isn't going to rush that story. But, we also get Barbara's mother appearing on her doorstep, promising a clarification of her relationship with Commissioner Gordon, who alternated between her father and her uncle in the DCU. Also, she mentions her brother here, and it took me a moment to realize that we don't know if James, Jr. is the psychopath he was in Scott Snyder's run on "Detective Comics." Beyond just exploring the differences between previous Barbara and new Barbara, Simone also underlines the differences between Batgirl and the various Batboys. In both this issue and issue #1, Barbara actually talks to the people she saves, showing interest in them beyond simply ensuring they don't become a crime statistic, something the boys aren't so great at doing. In other words, Simone continues to write a character about whom I want to learn more each month. Even if I feel like she could spend some more time focusing on the story at hand, her work on Barbara as a character is top notch and worth my $2.99 each month. (I can't wait to see Babs' appearance in "Nightwing!")
Batman #4: Just to warn you, this review is going to be another one where I rave about Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo.
Beginning now, I'm going to lobby Congress to pass a law to force Snyder and Capullo to work on "Batman" forever. It might involve risky life-extending procedures in a few decades, but I don't care.
First, Capullo. Amazing. I've mentioned before how magnetic Capullo makes Bruce look, something that goes a long way to explaining why people -- from hot girls to potential investors -- are drawn to him. But, Capullo doesn't just draw a good pin-up boy. He's also an incredibly gifted visual storyteller. Whether it's the quiet conversation in the Batcave between Bruce and Dick or Bats escaping the exploding apartment, Capullo has a great sense of movement, propelling you through the story at the pace he sets. It's seriously impressive.
Now, Snyder. One of the aspects of this run I've enjoyed the most is that Snyder has really spent time on Bruce and Dick's relationship. Dick has played an important role throughout this arc in trying to calm Bruce's obsessions. We see it more directly here, with Dick explicitly telling Bruce that everyone is concerned that he's too emotionally invested in the case. Part of what I like about Snyder's handling of their relationship is that he's made Bruce a little less distant and Dick a little less emotional. A lot of authors have played up the tension in their relationship too much, but Snyder strikes, to me, a much more reasonable balance. Dick clearly wants Bruce to listen to him, but he's not fighting for him to love and respect him (as other authors have often portrayed him as doing), because he knows Bruce does. We see him seek approval, but he still combined it with a keen insight into Bruce and a great sense of humor. (I loved him talking about the end of the world being nigh because Bruce is resting.) Conversely, Bruce doesn't totally blow off Dick here as an annoying apprentice (as so many authors typically have him do), but actually takes the time to explain his reasoning to Dick. It's just such a more enjoyable and realistic dynamic, the type I've always wanted to see and have been frustrated by not seeing, and I love that Snyder gives it to us.
Now, let's talk about the Court of Owls. Love it. First, Bruce's extended reminiscence addresses something anyone reading this series since the reboot has to have been thinking, that the Court of Owls might have been behind Bruce's parents' death. Snyder is setting up this story in such a way that, if it turns out it was (which I don't think he's going to do), I'd still buy it and not feel like it was ret-con-y. Talk about impressive. Snyder has just done great work in showing how the Court spreads through all aspects of Bruce's life, creating an organization that might actually be equal to Bruce. Moreover, Snyder explains what, to this point, had been the one plot hole, to my mind: Bruce's dismissal of the idea that the Court of Owls existed. Now, we know he dismisses it not just because he thinks it's a fairy tale but because, in typical Bruce fashion, he's already extensively researched it. As such, Snyder raises the question: if it exists, how has the Court of Owls managed to escape Bruce's attention, or, if it doesn't exist, why has someone gone to a lot of trouble to make it look like it does? Snyder still hasn't answered that question, and he's such an amazing writer that I'm glad he hasn't. Whereas I'd probably want to through a chair through a window in frustration at this point if Tony Daniel were writing this story, Snyder leaves these questions unanswered in a way that strikes to the heart of who Bruce is. I'm pretty sure Bruce is going to be right about the Court of Owls, but Snyder leaves open the door that it could be possible that he's wrong. If the Court does exist, what has it been doing and how has it avoided Bruce's attention? Did it target Bruce's parents? Why did it decided now that it wanted Bruce dead? If it doesn't exist, who's going through all the trouble to make it look like it does? Plus, if the Court of Owls does or doesn't exist, we still don't know who the people in the masks are. Lincoln March?
Needless to say, I can't wait for next issue.
Batman and Robin #4: Tomasi really delivers a great issue here. First, he really sells the "Oh, no, Batman and Robin are trapped!" scenario. I think I rolled my eyes when we ended last issue with Bruce and Damian held captive in the drive-in movie theater. But, Tomasi uses the device as a way to have Nobody remind Bruce of the consequences of his "no-kill" policy, showing images of the various super-villains he's faced over the years and the death and destruction they've caused. The scenario is believable (in terms of Nobody just not killing Batman and Robin) because Nobody isn't simply a villain. Tomasi is doing a great job of slowly revealing Nobody's motives in a way that really adds some tension to the book. Second, Tomasi also, finally, gives us a more nuanced view of the Bruce/Damian relationship here. Alfred, as usual, serves as the vehicle for reminding Bruce that he owes Damian something, particularly given the fact that Damian is scared after realizing that Bruce isn't immortal after seeing Nobody defeat him. The last few issues have been pretty heavy handed in terms of Bruce as grim father and Damian as misunderstood child, going almost into Frank Miller territory. Here, Tomasi takes down part of that wall. Bruce questions whether he's taking the right approach with Damian (mostly thanks to Gleason's talent at conveying emotions) and Damian wonders whether Bruce is the right fit for him. I really liked Tomasi's work on the original title, and I've been a bit disappointed with the first three issues of the rebooted one. This one, though, rights a lot of the wrongs I worried Tomasi was committing, and I'm now excited to see where he goes with Nobody.
Batwoman #4: Every time I pick up this series to read the latest issue, I think, "Maybe I'll drop this one." Then, I read it, and I forget how damn good of a series is it. Williams and Blackman do a lot of interesting stuff in this issue. First, the contrast between Flamebird fighting the clawed freak and Kate getting busy with Detective Sawyer was really well done. At some point, when Kate discovers what happened to Flamebird, she's going to realize it happened while she was with Sawyer. As such, Williams and Blackman are setting up a serious crisis of conscience, the same sort that eventually led Bruce Wayne to abandon the idea of having a normal life, because he felt the need to contanstly be fighting the good fight. It'll be interesting to see where Kate stands on that idea when she emerges on the other side of the crisis. Williams and Blackman also do some sork to distinguish Kate from Bruce, showing her working with the DCnU's version of Marvel's Night Nurse, one, however, who only works with super-villians. They use it to show how Kate is willing to be more morally compromised than Bruce in her pursuit of getting the job done.
I've been mostly annoyed by the D.E.O. sub-plot that we've seen over the last few issues, but the authors do some good work with it here. Having Agent Chase pretend to be a nurse to get a dying Flamebird to give her Kate's name shows just how sleazy she really is. Williams and Blackman are making it clear that we're not dealing with the good guys in terms of the D.E.O., a conclusion you could've probably drawn given the fact that it's director is a guy with a skull for a head. In fact, the only downside of this issue is that I'm not entirely sure where we are with the case Kate is following, the Weeping Woman. Are we supposed to believe that the mom of the kids who died in the boathouse is the ghost? If I have my timeline right, the Weeping Woman appeared before those kids died, and she committed suicide after the kids died, so I don't see how that could be the case. But, I'll guess we'll see. At any rate, it's a pretty minor complaint, given how well the authors handle the rest of the issue.
Nightwing #4: Yay, Babs! As Dick himself mentions, I wasn't super thrilled with the way he and Babs left matters at the end of "Batgirl" #3 (despite how well scripted it was by Simone), so it's nice to see them come to an understanding in this issue. Moroever, with Raya clarifying that she and Dick just have a temporary thing going, it's pretty clear that Higgins wants us to know that Barbara isn't going to fade quietly into the background, though that he and Simone aren't exactly going to rush them into bed together. Given their playful discussions about Raya, it's pretty clear that the two of them aren't really as firmly in the "friend" category as they're pretending to be. Raya's introduction into Dick's life felt kind of arbitrary to me, like Higgins was trying to ignore Dick's past with Barbara, while, at the same time, Simone was addressing it more directly in "Batgirl." This issue goes a long way to correcting that impression, and I'm happier for it. I'm intrigued by Raya's decision not to knock on Dick's door after Barbara tells Raya that Dick cares for her. It could be Higgins' way of stressing that Raya isn't really looking for something long term (or she was spooked that Dick "likes" her), or it could be something else entirely. (Guilt? Is she involved in the conspiracy? Or, did she realize she's not going to compete with Babs?) Speaking of the conspiracy, we don't really get any more details on it here. Dick finds a journal with his name in it, but we still don't know what his connection is to the other targets or why Saiko's employers think he's the "fiercest killer in Gotham." It's probably time for Higgins to address the issue more directly. But, I enjoyed this issue more than I have previous ones, so hopefully it means Higgins is starting to hit his stride.
Red Hood and the Outlaws #4: OK, this issue is a little more straightforward than the last one. First, we finally learn a little more about the whole Untitled plot. Given that the Untitled/Hot-Cop didn't know that one of the Untitled invaded the All-Caste citadel, it's pretty clear that whichever Untitled did so is working on his/her own, for reasons we still don't know. I'm not entirely sure why s/he would have left a clue sending Jason et al. to Colorado, particularly given that one of his/her kind was located there, but I'm assuming Lobdell will address that at some point. At the very least, we're starting to get somewhere with this plot. (Though, I don't buy that Jason would've made such a rookie mistake as narrating his purpose for being in Colorado to Hot Cop, since it was him telling her that he was looking for the Untitled that got him into trouble.) Second, we get a new plot, which I might like even more. Although the extended expository narration we got from Crux was annoying, I kind of like his schtick, the guy so hell-bent on getting revenge on the aliens who murdered his parents that he transformed himself into a "living weapon." I like that Lobdell distracts us with his powerful bulk, but then has him use his smarts, rather than brawn, to take down Starfire. (Given that Starfire uttered Dick's name when she was injured, I'm wondering how long it's going to be before we see him in this title.) At any rate, I feel like Lobdell righted the ship here a bit, after we got all drifty last issue. Rocafort's art (particularly his dreamy Jason) pretty much makes this book for me, but it would be nice if Lobdell started giving us some more consistently enjoyable stories like we saw in issue #1. This one came close to it.
Batman #4: Just to warn you, this review is going to be another one where I rave about Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo.
Beginning now, I'm going to lobby Congress to pass a law to force Snyder and Capullo to work on "Batman" forever. It might involve risky life-extending procedures in a few decades, but I don't care.
First, Capullo. Amazing. I've mentioned before how magnetic Capullo makes Bruce look, something that goes a long way to explaining why people -- from hot girls to potential investors -- are drawn to him. But, Capullo doesn't just draw a good pin-up boy. He's also an incredibly gifted visual storyteller. Whether it's the quiet conversation in the Batcave between Bruce and Dick or Bats escaping the exploding apartment, Capullo has a great sense of movement, propelling you through the story at the pace he sets. It's seriously impressive.
Now, Snyder. One of the aspects of this run I've enjoyed the most is that Snyder has really spent time on Bruce and Dick's relationship. Dick has played an important role throughout this arc in trying to calm Bruce's obsessions. We see it more directly here, with Dick explicitly telling Bruce that everyone is concerned that he's too emotionally invested in the case. Part of what I like about Snyder's handling of their relationship is that he's made Bruce a little less distant and Dick a little less emotional. A lot of authors have played up the tension in their relationship too much, but Snyder strikes, to me, a much more reasonable balance. Dick clearly wants Bruce to listen to him, but he's not fighting for him to love and respect him (as other authors have often portrayed him as doing), because he knows Bruce does. We see him seek approval, but he still combined it with a keen insight into Bruce and a great sense of humor. (I loved him talking about the end of the world being nigh because Bruce is resting.) Conversely, Bruce doesn't totally blow off Dick here as an annoying apprentice (as so many authors typically have him do), but actually takes the time to explain his reasoning to Dick. It's just such a more enjoyable and realistic dynamic, the type I've always wanted to see and have been frustrated by not seeing, and I love that Snyder gives it to us.
Now, let's talk about the Court of Owls. Love it. First, Bruce's extended reminiscence addresses something anyone reading this series since the reboot has to have been thinking, that the Court of Owls might have been behind Bruce's parents' death. Snyder is setting up this story in such a way that, if it turns out it was (which I don't think he's going to do), I'd still buy it and not feel like it was ret-con-y. Talk about impressive. Snyder has just done great work in showing how the Court spreads through all aspects of Bruce's life, creating an organization that might actually be equal to Bruce. Moreover, Snyder explains what, to this point, had been the one plot hole, to my mind: Bruce's dismissal of the idea that the Court of Owls existed. Now, we know he dismisses it not just because he thinks it's a fairy tale but because, in typical Bruce fashion, he's already extensively researched it. As such, Snyder raises the question: if it exists, how has the Court of Owls managed to escape Bruce's attention, or, if it doesn't exist, why has someone gone to a lot of trouble to make it look like it does? Snyder still hasn't answered that question, and he's such an amazing writer that I'm glad he hasn't. Whereas I'd probably want to through a chair through a window in frustration at this point if Tony Daniel were writing this story, Snyder leaves these questions unanswered in a way that strikes to the heart of who Bruce is. I'm pretty sure Bruce is going to be right about the Court of Owls, but Snyder leaves open the door that it could be possible that he's wrong. If the Court does exist, what has it been doing and how has it avoided Bruce's attention? Did it target Bruce's parents? Why did it decided now that it wanted Bruce dead? If it doesn't exist, who's going through all the trouble to make it look like it does? Plus, if the Court of Owls does or doesn't exist, we still don't know who the people in the masks are. Lincoln March?
Needless to say, I can't wait for next issue.
Batman and Robin #4: Tomasi really delivers a great issue here. First, he really sells the "Oh, no, Batman and Robin are trapped!" scenario. I think I rolled my eyes when we ended last issue with Bruce and Damian held captive in the drive-in movie theater. But, Tomasi uses the device as a way to have Nobody remind Bruce of the consequences of his "no-kill" policy, showing images of the various super-villains he's faced over the years and the death and destruction they've caused. The scenario is believable (in terms of Nobody just not killing Batman and Robin) because Nobody isn't simply a villain. Tomasi is doing a great job of slowly revealing Nobody's motives in a way that really adds some tension to the book. Second, Tomasi also, finally, gives us a more nuanced view of the Bruce/Damian relationship here. Alfred, as usual, serves as the vehicle for reminding Bruce that he owes Damian something, particularly given the fact that Damian is scared after realizing that Bruce isn't immortal after seeing Nobody defeat him. The last few issues have been pretty heavy handed in terms of Bruce as grim father and Damian as misunderstood child, going almost into Frank Miller territory. Here, Tomasi takes down part of that wall. Bruce questions whether he's taking the right approach with Damian (mostly thanks to Gleason's talent at conveying emotions) and Damian wonders whether Bruce is the right fit for him. I really liked Tomasi's work on the original title, and I've been a bit disappointed with the first three issues of the rebooted one. This one, though, rights a lot of the wrongs I worried Tomasi was committing, and I'm now excited to see where he goes with Nobody.
Batwoman #4: Every time I pick up this series to read the latest issue, I think, "Maybe I'll drop this one." Then, I read it, and I forget how damn good of a series is it. Williams and Blackman do a lot of interesting stuff in this issue. First, the contrast between Flamebird fighting the clawed freak and Kate getting busy with Detective Sawyer was really well done. At some point, when Kate discovers what happened to Flamebird, she's going to realize it happened while she was with Sawyer. As such, Williams and Blackman are setting up a serious crisis of conscience, the same sort that eventually led Bruce Wayne to abandon the idea of having a normal life, because he felt the need to contanstly be fighting the good fight. It'll be interesting to see where Kate stands on that idea when she emerges on the other side of the crisis. Williams and Blackman also do some sork to distinguish Kate from Bruce, showing her working with the DCnU's version of Marvel's Night Nurse, one, however, who only works with super-villians. They use it to show how Kate is willing to be more morally compromised than Bruce in her pursuit of getting the job done.
I've been mostly annoyed by the D.E.O. sub-plot that we've seen over the last few issues, but the authors do some good work with it here. Having Agent Chase pretend to be a nurse to get a dying Flamebird to give her Kate's name shows just how sleazy she really is. Williams and Blackman are making it clear that we're not dealing with the good guys in terms of the D.E.O., a conclusion you could've probably drawn given the fact that it's director is a guy with a skull for a head. In fact, the only downside of this issue is that I'm not entirely sure where we are with the case Kate is following, the Weeping Woman. Are we supposed to believe that the mom of the kids who died in the boathouse is the ghost? If I have my timeline right, the Weeping Woman appeared before those kids died, and she committed suicide after the kids died, so I don't see how that could be the case. But, I'll guess we'll see. At any rate, it's a pretty minor complaint, given how well the authors handle the rest of the issue.
Nightwing #4: Yay, Babs! As Dick himself mentions, I wasn't super thrilled with the way he and Babs left matters at the end of "Batgirl" #3 (despite how well scripted it was by Simone), so it's nice to see them come to an understanding in this issue. Moroever, with Raya clarifying that she and Dick just have a temporary thing going, it's pretty clear that Higgins wants us to know that Barbara isn't going to fade quietly into the background, though that he and Simone aren't exactly going to rush them into bed together. Given their playful discussions about Raya, it's pretty clear that the two of them aren't really as firmly in the "friend" category as they're pretending to be. Raya's introduction into Dick's life felt kind of arbitrary to me, like Higgins was trying to ignore Dick's past with Barbara, while, at the same time, Simone was addressing it more directly in "Batgirl." This issue goes a long way to correcting that impression, and I'm happier for it. I'm intrigued by Raya's decision not to knock on Dick's door after Barbara tells Raya that Dick cares for her. It could be Higgins' way of stressing that Raya isn't really looking for something long term (or she was spooked that Dick "likes" her), or it could be something else entirely. (Guilt? Is she involved in the conspiracy? Or, did she realize she's not going to compete with Babs?) Speaking of the conspiracy, we don't really get any more details on it here. Dick finds a journal with his name in it, but we still don't know what his connection is to the other targets or why Saiko's employers think he's the "fiercest killer in Gotham." It's probably time for Higgins to address the issue more directly. But, I enjoyed this issue more than I have previous ones, so hopefully it means Higgins is starting to hit his stride.
Red Hood and the Outlaws #4: OK, this issue is a little more straightforward than the last one. First, we finally learn a little more about the whole Untitled plot. Given that the Untitled/Hot-Cop didn't know that one of the Untitled invaded the All-Caste citadel, it's pretty clear that whichever Untitled did so is working on his/her own, for reasons we still don't know. I'm not entirely sure why s/he would have left a clue sending Jason et al. to Colorado, particularly given that one of his/her kind was located there, but I'm assuming Lobdell will address that at some point. At the very least, we're starting to get somewhere with this plot. (Though, I don't buy that Jason would've made such a rookie mistake as narrating his purpose for being in Colorado to Hot Cop, since it was him telling her that he was looking for the Untitled that got him into trouble.) Second, we get a new plot, which I might like even more. Although the extended expository narration we got from Crux was annoying, I kind of like his schtick, the guy so hell-bent on getting revenge on the aliens who murdered his parents that he transformed himself into a "living weapon." I like that Lobdell distracts us with his powerful bulk, but then has him use his smarts, rather than brawn, to take down Starfire. (Given that Starfire uttered Dick's name when she was injured, I'm wondering how long it's going to be before we see him in this title.) At any rate, I feel like Lobdell righted the ship here a bit, after we got all drifty last issue. Rocafort's art (particularly his dreamy Jason) pretty much makes this book for me, but it would be nice if Lobdell started giving us some more consistently enjoyable stories like we saw in issue #1. This one came close to it.
