DC's "Rebirth" seems to be starting off pretty strong so far, and many of the books people are most excited for are just now starting to come out. This was one of those, for me. The idea of Batman and Batwoman forming a team is great on many levels. It means that we'll get a book where Batman and Batwoman are on a team together in general. It means lower sidekick-type characters will get more attention. And it means there's a big threat out there that requires all of this, and hopefully that threat will provide us some great entertainment. Add on the fact that James Tynion IV, an experienced Batman writer, is on the helm and we've got ourselves the makings of something pretty good.
I should talk about the elephant in the room here, though, and that's the renumbering of Detective Comics. Those of you who hopped aboard DC during their run of the New 52 will know that it also ran from a #1-52 order, which went against what it was beforehand. DC, while keeping true to the meaning of "Rebirth" and thus retying themselves to legacy, has updated the numbering for both Detective Comics and Action Comics, two of the longest running superhero comic books of all time. They're now on the road to Issue 1,000 (which you better bet is gonna sell like mad in five years or so) and while the large numbering may be off-putting at first, I think that fans will get over it if the stories they tell are good enough.
Part of the reason that they did away with the long numbering for the New 52, and why both Marvel and DC tend to reboot their numbering every so often, is so that new readers can have "jumping on" points starting with a new #1 that's come out. From a business perspective you would think this makes sense. After all, how can one sell a book in its 900th issue over one in its "first" issue? Well, therein lies the problem.
For as many reboots as a book like Batman or Superman may get, the fact remains that there is history before that. The story isn't restarting here and it will continue on. The idea that someone can't get into a book because of numbering is silly from a creative standpoint and has seriously injured the comic book community. Just last year All-New Hawkeye was started, cancelled, and started back up again even though the story was still the same as before. Spider-Gwen suffered a similar fate, and her first appearance wasn't even in her own book, it was in Edge of Spider-Verse #2. Wanna know what book sold more? Yeah, the latter, a second issue.
Many people are going to point to Detective Comics and Action Comics for their renumbering, when they should be pointing at the stories. Respectively, they are about the birth of a new team led by Batman and Batwoman, a pretty awesome duo, as well as Lex freaking Luthor trying to commandeer the mantle of Superman from the pre-Flashpoint Superman all while a certain killer villain makes his big return. That's exciting stuff and you don't need a number to tell you that you should read either book. You make that judgment yourself.
But enough about numbering and comic book politics. Let's just get into the meat of the story here...with a little back-story!
In order to sort of understand where the characters are, you don't have to necessarily read the previous volume of Detective Comics, but rather books like Batman Eternal, Batman and Robin Eternal, Batwoman, and to an extent the main Batman book itself. I personally only read the two "Eternals" and the main Bat-book, so I can't speak for what Katherine Kane has been up to other than her help during the fight against Mother recently.
The characters brought aboard here have mostly gotten their fame through the first two books I mentioned. Stephanie Brown, the Spoiler, had her New 52 origin story there, as did Cassandra Cain hers in the second "Eternal" book. They're different from the originals and it's what DC is sticking with in another part of their "Rebirth" campaign to continue the stories of these characters while they figure out what's going on with the BIG mystery.
The girls have really only seen their fame there and maybe in the panels of some other books. I'm actually surprised to see Stephanie here rather than in another book, but let's just get into this one first!
The cover by Eddy Barrows is actually pretty sweet, featuring all of the members of the team standing atop a "Detective Comics" logo. There's something about the logo that stands out to me, too. It's big and bold, as if to mark the major return of the book and that it's proud to be here. Detective Comics during the New 52, from what I've heard having not read it, wasn't the worst book of all time but was certainly not the best Bat-book out there. This cover seems to be making a statement, though. Other than that, it's just cool and typical super-hero posing. Neat.
We open with Azrael, two days before the main events of the book, still rocking the red cloak and hood, in Gotham as he runs from a foe we are meant to assume is...Batman?!?!?
It'd be hard to believe that it isn't, from the Bat-signal hanging out in the background of the first panel to knowing Azrael's recent history against both Tim Drake and Dick Grayson to even the Frank Miller homage in the bottom panel. How could it not be the Batman?!
Well because as this early fight progresses it becomes very apparent that this Batman fights dirty and is out to kill Azrael. Not to mention that the caption that appears with him is one that usually goes with a drone, or a robot. Not the one true Batman, who decides that three pages is way too long for him to not be in this book!
You know with the amount of windows that Batman busts through for his cool entrances it's no wonder that windows haven't banded against him yet in some super-cult.
Whoever was attacking Azrael gets away and Batman notices that he was not alone, destroying a small bat-like drone that one would clearly guess is Batman's. I wonder if he destroyed it not because it was watching him but because he was jealous he didn't come up with it first. Using drones and other cameras isn't outside of his moral jurisdiction, after all. Isn't that right, The Dark Knight?
After some forced religious imagery we see that Azrael completely believed it was Batman behind the attacks, and that someone is watching this still unfold. Ooooh spooky. The shot of Batman looking down on Azrael with ya boy Jesus hanging out in the background is very pretty to look at, but man is it a pain. Is Batman some sort of angel of judgment upon the fallen angel Azrael? Why would Azrael be a fallen angel, anyway? He's the most religious person in Batman's active gallery right now, serving God, or at least a God, to bring judgment upon others are repentance for what he did in Batman and Robin Eternal. I think this would be a much easier image to swallow if Jesus wasn't in the background.
We jump ahead to current day to switch from forced imagery to something awesome: Batwoman!
I'll admit I'm not the most well-versed person when it comes to Batwoman, but every time I see her in something she's pretty freaking awesome. She's a tough character that doesn't take anyone's crap and dishes her own at will either to screw with someone or get her way to get some answers. It's a shame that her solo series usually don't pan out well in terms of sales but I believe her last series did pretty well critically. Her presence in this book is greatly appreciated, and is going to be one of the key elements for it.
She speaks with her father about her working alone and how she's always just late to the party, having to pick up after Batman but doing a great job of it. Her father, in some foreshadowing, requests that she find some sort of a crew to work with. He's implying that they work together since he has training just as she does, both from military backgrounds, and he can be her base while she goes out in the field to strut her stuff. Right now, though, she's basically a rogue.
Hey at least she isn't killing people. It's a start.
Batwoman begins to settle down when Batman shows up. She's ready to fight him when he shows her one of the drones and explains that it's been following Gotham's vigilantes, which can only be bad news. He tells her that he wants to gather them up--alluding to the events of Batman: Rebirth #1 while he's at it--and train them to fight this new foe. Kate is at first confused until Batman clarifies and says that they would lead together, and that in many ways she will be the definitive leader of the group with her training. How does he manage to get her trust, though?
I've gotta say I was surprised by this move at first, but it makes a ton of sense. If they're going to be leading a team together then there can be few secrets between them. It's a different dynamic from a hero and a sidekick. These people are going to have to rely on each other to make fast decisions and have the utmost faith in their partner with what they are doing. It's not a groundbreaking moment, but it is a step in the right direction for Batman's development. Batwoman's coy about the situation is great, too.
Her introduction here is great, too. If you weren't on board for her leading a team alongside Batman before, you'll probably by now. She shows some signs of being headstrong but not to the point where she can be persuaded to the right side. She's a tough person, too, as she instantly attacks someone hanging out by her window and wants Batman to know that she's just as capable as he is. The two play off of each other well in this scene.
And with Batwoman at his side, Batman sets off to gather the rest of the crew. First up, rather surprisingly, is Stephanie Brown, AKA Spoiler.
I only say I'm surprised to see her here because it really feels like she should be hanging out in either Batgirl or Batgirl and the Girls of Prey. She'd be a great fit for the book's style and played off of Batgirl well when she had a small stint there toward the end of the Batgirl book.
But while I am surprised at her presence here, I'm also glad for it. She's always been underplayed in the series she was supposed to "star" in. Even her big breakout book, Batman Eternal, saw her in the background for a ton of time until the end where she had this crazy awesome moment:
Next up is the main reason I'm excited for this book...YA BOY TIM DRAKE AS ROBIN!
Okay, he's still technically "Red" Robin but he's back in his old Robin suit and it's awesome! We see that he's a bit shaky on joining this team, implying that he's probably ready to start settling down from the super-hero life. It is a bit jarring for him to from leading the Teen Titans to now being a subordinate for Batman and Batwoman, but Batman does give him major props and points out that he basically has a leadership position. He has the least to gain from this operation but has the most to contribute, so a team without him would be at a major disadvantage.
Yeah. You're darn right, because Tim Drake rocks!
One thing that does bother me a little bit is how Batwoman refers to the two as "soldiers." There's a military feeling to most of what she does in this book and while it is in keeping with her character, it is a little much at times. It feels out of place with these two, who are probably the furthest things from soldiers you could get. Stephanie in particular is definitely not a soldier and is, by definition, a vigilante. Tim does have his time under Batman to serve as a "child-soldier" but Batman did his best to keep that from being the case.
The third entry to the team, though, is more in keeping with the role of "soldier." Let's meet up with Cassandra Cain as the Orphan!
And gosh dang it they didn't change her costume from the end of "Eternal." It's not a "bad" costume but it just seems ineffective. She doesn't appear to have slits for her eyes so she can even see and that makes her look like more of a villain than an actual hero. Sure she acts like it to the kids but if her deal is going to be saving kids then I'm just curious how the kids don't get scared of them when they see her. The rest of the outfit isn't that bad, in keeping with the ninja-style outfit she wore throughout "Eternal" that I liked.
The final addition to the roster is a bit of a surprise, but it also leads to the best moment of the book and one that's actually pretty darn emotional, too.
Batman and Batwoman find Clayface at an empty theater where he's watching an old film...starring himself. Yes, here we get to see that Clayface was actually a handsome young actor before an accident morphed him into what we see now. This scene is so great for it.
It's a one night only showing, so this is his only chance he gets to see the movie and his reaction to when Batman shows up is great. He just wants to watch his movie in peace, to, as he says, "let [him] be that person for a bit longer." I don't know what it is, but when he describes what the movie is like in some bit of detail it really adds another layer to him. The movie is essentially a mirror for him, a relic that he can't touch but that he can only remember. It's clear in this scene that Clayface is far from the monster he appears to be. He was a serious actor up for an Oscar before his accident morphed him and ultimately broke him.
I also love what Batman tells Clayface to try and win him over. He tells him that it's just one accident that divide a man from a path of righteousness and of evil. It's clear that happened to Clayface, but it's also an obvious allusion to The Killing Joke, where the big point of it is that it just took one night for the Joker to go from a regular guy into what he is now. The same even happened for Batman. What would have happened if he and his parents never wound up in Crime Alley? It was just one night, one moment that changed everything.
I hope we get to see a lot of Clayface in this book going down a redemption story, because this beautiful scene sold me on it. I especially love Batman throughout it. He's smiling becauase he wants to help Clayface, someone that's tried to kill him before. Yet it's not pity, it's reassurance that he can help him. This is one of the big changes that "Rebirth" has brought, I feel. There's hope in this scene, and it's all the better for it. We believe that Clayface can return to being that handsome young actor Basil Karlo after he is done with his work with Batman and Batwoman. Batman doesn't just believe that, he knows that, and it's so wonderfully evident here.
Later on, the group gathers near the Bat-signal where Batwoman informs them that while they have Batman's trust and respect, they have yet to gain hers. Basically, she's like a boot camp instructor, which is somewhat annoying but is still within her character so I'll let it slide. I just love that everyone except for Tim Drake looks worried, as if he's done this before. Guy's pretty awesome.
My biggest issue with these final few pages of the team is that they feel cluttered. Eddy Barrows's artwork throughout the book was really good, but it's something about there being falling snow and a lot of small panels across the page that make it feel like it's all being jammed and it's unclear where things are. Even in the big panel where Batwoman is introduced it's easy to follow, but toward the end it sort of falls apart as he tries to do a bit too much.
As the group swings off toward their new adventure, we see a small drone following them around and our book closes out with a man in shadows standing before an army of armored, and armed, soldiers.
I'm not a huge fan of the arc's title, "Rise of the Batmen" but it's whatever. It just feels out of place given who is on the team.
It should also be fairly obvious that these were the men that attacked Azrael in the opening action sequence of the book. I do hope that Azrael comes back in some capacity. After all, he does have some recent history with Tim Drake (actually I think it was Tim that ultimately convinced them to join their side against Mother), and it'd be great to see someone wielding a sword of fire. Because that's always cool.
I'm also fully expecting this to end up being Thomas Wayne Jr. based on his obsession with making things similar to Batman and always trying to outdo his brother, Bruce. It's been a couple years since we saw him, too, so it's not like his presence would be completely out of place.
This book was great. It had great introductions to all of our characters while also giving them a good sense of where they are in relation to Batman for new readers. I also thought it was clever how Batman would point out that Stephanie's father, Cluemaster, was a "super genius," after the events of Batman Eternal.
The artwork by Eddy Barrows was also very good, though it got cluttered by the end. Everyone was expressive but stood out when they needed to and nobody ever looked strange. There's even someone wearing a Punisher shirt on the page where Batman and Batwoman arrive to get Cassandra. Neat.
So far, Detective Comics is off a very promising start with this first return-issue and I hope that Tynion IV and Barrows are able to keep up their impressive work. "Rebirth" as a whole has been very well-received by DC, so let's also hope that this in general keeps up as well.
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