Writer: James Tynion IV
Pencils: Eddy Barrows
Inks: Eber Ferreira
Finishes pg. 14-16: Julio Ferreira
Colors: Adriano Lucas
Letters: Marilyn Patrizio
Detective Comics continues it’s strong run with “The Victim Syndicate” storyline. This issue opens with a flashback to three months ago, a time when Tim Drake is still alive. His vivid imagination of what Batman’s new team could be makes for a great, and somewhat painful, read. This issue easily finds ways to tug at your heartstrings.
James Tynion IV proves with this series that he can write a great Batman story. Even though there’s a huge focus on the team aspect, he’s able to do both well. His narrative with Bruce and Tim gives this issue one of the strongest starts out of the series so far. It’s a calm moment before we jump to the present, which is anything but calm. In an instant, he can go from one type of story to another, while keeping both relevant. It really is a fantastic read.
The art on this book isn’t quite as solid as the story, but that’s not a problem. And that’s not to say the art is bad by any means, the story is just a smudge better. This creative team can hold it’s own when it comes to Batman. There aren’t any crazy changes to the costume and they keep it fairly simple. The fight scenes, though, are anything but simple. The art makes you feel the urgency of the situation and that’s always a plus with a Batman story.
Sometimes when you really enjoy something, it’s hard to put it into words. That’s what this issue has done for me. It’s an impressive issue and the team aspect is a fun one to read, especially since we also have Batman and All-Star Batman as solo adventures. One of the best scenes in the present day portion of this issue comes when Spoiler talks to a fake Red Robin who is a limited response program. Talk about bringing out the emotion in the characters.
Verdict: Buy. If you haven’t been keeping up with Detective Comics, this issue just might make you change your mind on that. It truly is a solid issue and one of the best in the run so far.
