Story: Steve Orlando and James Tynion IV (@JamesTheFourth)
Script: Steve Orlando (@thesteveorlando)
Artist: Andy MacDonald (@andymacdeez)
Colors: John Rauch (@john_rauch)
Letters: Marilyn Patrizio
Reviewed by: Deanna Chapman (@deeechap)
Detective Comics #941 contributes to the “Night of the Monster Men” storyline with part three. Steve Orlando continues to write the crossover, and the story picks up right where it left off in Nightwing. In this issue, we see more of Gotham Girl, who hasn’t been out in the field in a little while. With her current state of mind, she disobeys Batman’s order to stand down, and in the end things take an interesting turn for her and Nightwing.
This crossover has easily lived up to it’s title. There are plenty of monsters to go around. One downside in this issue was the fact that we didn’t get any scenes with Hugo Strange, even though we know he is behind this. While there are three more issues left in the crossover, even one scene of him would have been nice to see.
Between the massive amount of people and the massive monsters in this issue, Andy MacDonald does a great job with the art. It works well in each of the situations we see. When it’s paired with John Rauch’s colors, it really brings the monsters to life. The final page is a beautiful thing to look at and leaves you wondering where the story will go from here.
Marilyn Patrizio deserves a mention considering there are different lettering styles for the monsters, the sound effects, Clayface, and then the rest of the dialogue. She even bends the letters when Nightwing is struggling at Blackgate and has no clue what is happening to him. It’s a nice little touch that allows readers to appreciate all aspects of the comic.
Overall, this issue felt like the best of the crossover so far. We get not only monsters, but an ending that brings about a new problem for the team. It’s a story that isn’t just about fighting monsters, but working together in groups to find the best solution to various problems. The story will continue with part four in Batman #8.
Verdict: Check it out. If you read the first two issues of the crossover, definitely check this one out. Steve Orlando keeps the writing consistent across all titles. The monsters make for a good story and this issue gives the second half of the crossover a new challenge. It’s a story that focuses on teamwork, and we all know Batman isn’t the best with that.
