Detective Comics [The Black Mirror] by Scott Synder issue #876

The Black Mirror series has to be Scott Snyder's first attempt to set the tone for the way he would be writing Batman in the New 52 continuity, and I really appreciate how consistent he had been when it came to crafting Gotham City as a character of its own. I would also like to commend him for writing Dick Grayson as a very convincing Batman. He put life and personality into the character that I often forget how much I should miss Bruce Wayne. Still, it'd be great to recognize and discuss the contrast between Bruce's Batman and Dick's because there are stand-out monologues and scenes that often remind me that this was the first Robin underneath that cowl.

In addition, I noticed that Jock is the artist for the Dick-centered issues while Francavilla is the artist for the Jim Gordon ones. This is important because both styles complement their respective stories beautifully. Jock's dynamic and long-angled illustrations of action sequences are vibrant, comprised of a large scope of motions and colors. This is attuned with Batman's fast-paced narrative, and when it came to Dick's contemplative monologues, Jock would often draw him suspended in the air or about to take a plunge, recalling to mind the images of acrobatic Dick Grayson as Robin. Meanwhile, Francavilla's Jim Gordon issues use minimal colors as possible, utilizing only three to four shades that capture the grimness and despair of the narrative. The characters are often drawn with shadows around their faces or in the background, giving each illustration a haunting look which suits its overall atmosphere. In that sense, the visual appeal for The Black Mirror is pleasantly varied, alternating between the action-oriented and fast-paced Batman issues and the more intimate and chilling stories about Jim Gordon and his psychopath son James Jr.

Now moving on to this issue. This is the first installment of the Hungry City story arc, a Batman-centered narrative. Two new characters were introduced; Sonia Birch, a self-made businesswoman whose dark connections from her mob boss father Anthony Zucco still have a long reach, and Bixby Rhodes, a.k.a Roadrunner, an arms dealer who had been harassing Birch. The story itself starts quite whimsically: a corpse of a killer whale was found inside the Gotham Bank. While Dick and Jim were examining the large wound on the stomach of the carcass, a dead woman slides out of it. It was quite horrific but still a bit amusing. The dead woman is Evelyn, Sonia's personal assistant. Dick goes on to investigate the case, uncovering some vital clues along the way. He was sent to a wild goose chase and encounters Roadrunner who, along with his goons, entraps him in a junkyard. 

The entire thing played out with some humor to it, I gotta admit. I'm actually glad that the somberness was dialed back a notch. The only indication of any dark angle was when Jim talked about James Jr. with Dick, asking him for an honest opinion whether or not he thinks James Jr. has changed. But since this is a Batman-centered issue, we leave that development for later on, and focus on Dick's investigation. It's worth mentioning that Anthony Zucco, Sonia's father, is also the mob boss who had Dick's parents killed during the circus act. Dick's feelings about this are evasive but he does seem to sympathize with Sonia, understanding that she is nothing like her father. I like that this is also a complementary parallel to Jim and James Jr. which is an unhappy and unsettling story I can't wait to start reading again soon. But overall, part I of Hunger City is rather promising.

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

Detective Comics [The Black Mirror] by Scott Synder issue #875

This next installment for The Black Mirror series is entitled LOST BOYS and it's a harrowing revelation of one father's greatest fear which is parenting a child capable of the very evil and darkness he battles with every day; and the cold, hard truth that there is no way he could ever hope to save him. This is so far the most personal of Commissioner Jim Gordon's issues for the series (issue #874, The Skeleton Cases marks the return of his son, James Jr.). This issue starts with a misleading yet poetic monologue sequence from Harvey Bullock that once again serves to highlight what a dangerous place Gotham City is and that it's important to have certain anchors--the things we hold onto--in order to survive the ever-changing landscapes of this foul city. We then get Gordon back with his own monologues and they're haunting pieces that speak about the city's climate with the use of symbolic narrative: 

["I've never liked winter in Gotham. The snow always makes me restless--the way it buries everything. All I can think about is the footprint in the alley filling with white. The cotton thread on the windowsill loosening with every icy drip. Clues lost."]

In Lost Boys, the story comes two-fold. We have interwoven flashbacks and current events impressively tangled together for this issue and what I have enjoyed a lot about it is that it's Jim Gordon's a back-to-back story about hunting down a killer from an unsolved case known as the Peter Pan killer (who comes into bedrooms, steals the children and leaves their corpses around the city) and his gradual discovery of his son's psychopathy. I could compare the tone and vibe of this story with that book/movie We Need To Talk About Kevin. 

It's a parent confronting the most heartbreaking thing about his/her own child. As parents, they do everything to make sure that the child is protected from the world. But what if it's the world that needs protection from the child itself? This is exactly what Jim Gordon, a model police officer and an inherently noble man, has to face about his son James Jr. And the truth is devastating.

Francavilla effectively evokes a despondent, murky atmosphere with the best choice of colors and illustrations known to man. It's uncomfortable to look at his drawings especially with Snyder's equally disconcerting narrative to back it up, but the impact was straightforward and damn compelling because of this. Hues of orange, blue and purple were once again utilized, and I definitely loved that two-paged layout of Jim at the centerpiece. On his right were certain events about James Jr. that point out that there is something dysfunctional about him. On the left was a seemingly idyllic family getaway to a cabin where James Jr. is invited by his stepmother Sarah to join them. He gets introduced to his stepsister Barbara's friend Besse who owns this bat key chain that opens a science toolkit. While Jim recalls this memory, we get him in real time tracking down the Peter Pan killer. He ended up throwing the man out the window. As he struggles to get him back up, the flashback sequence continues again.

This time we see Besse walking alone the woods. She turns around with surprise in her face but we don't get to see what was it that spooked her. And then Jim, Barbara and Sarah looks for her several hours later when she didn't come home. We cut back again to Jim Gordon and the Peter Pan killer. He talks about knowing Jim and actually planning on kidnapping his son. However, he claims that just as he was about to kidnap James Jr. during that vacation in the cabin, the boy turns to look at him, smiles, and said: "I know who you are." The fully-grown adult man nicknamed the Peter Pan killer got spooked and didn't touch the boy at all.

Batman swoops in just in time to prevent the Peter Pan killer from falling to his death but by now Gordon is far too shaken to care. He had just uncovered a memory from a distant past. He would like to believe that it was the Peter Pan killer himself who abducted and killed Besse but his instincts as a cop for decades say otherwise. In the beginning of the story, Gordon talked about how it comes easy for him to pick up the dark spark underneath a man's disguise. It was truly awful then that there were horrors in his own child that he once refused to see out of love and denial; out of the stubborn belief that he could be wrong. But not this time. Jim Gordon knows better: the boy he raised is now a man capable of cruelty, and yet there is that faint part of him that wishes otherwise. 

RECOMMENDED: 10/10

* This story was just outstanding and thought-provoking in scope and delivery.

Detective Comics [The Black Mirror] by Scott Synder issue #874

This has got to be the creepiest and most disturbing Batman issue I have read in a while. For this next installment, Scott Snyder now collaborates with artist Francesco Francavilla and the color palette he uses is remarkably darker than usual. The minimal use of bright colors (or even a lack thereof) captures the underlying tone of this story as well. Entitled The Skeleton Cases, the central character this time is Commissioner Jim Gordon who goes about his nocturnal duties as usual until one phone call shakes up things. This isn't going to be a spoiler-free review because there are some things that I want to discuss that would really expound on the story too much. So if you have any plans to read the issue yourself, don't read further. If not, then let's get on with it.

First, as always, I want to address the illustrations and visual feel of this issue. Francavilla only uses dark colors all throughout, and prominently shades of purple, orange, black and gray (with a few blues here and there). The effect is something quite gorgeous because the art is able to highlight the terror and suspense that surround the pages in the story. I'm liking it a lot even if most of the time we have to look at the characters with shadows around their faces since such a color palette provides little illumination, which only makes the expressions in their faces more striking (if not almost evasive as well). The Skeleton Cases has three parts in symphony for this issue and they increase the level of suspense and dread as the narrative unfolds.

As for the story, it starts rather simple enough. Someone has released the birds from the aviary and when they looked at the surveillance footage, a familiar face in the crowd immediately jumps out--and it's no other than James Jr., the Commissioner's prodigal son. The turning point for this issue is his unexpected return to Gotham, and Barbara definitely has more to say about that and she doesn't care to sugarcoat it in front of her father. What has gotten them so shaken up like this? Well, James Jr. is not exactly an epitome of goodness unlike the two members of the Gordon family, and his appearance in Gotham is already a bad sign. Anyone who has read Year One knows that Gordon's baby whom Batman rescues from the mob as it falls down a bridge was no other than James Jr. No one could have possibly known how he would turn out.

Basically, James Jr. explains it himself as he sits down in the cafe to have an earnest conversation with his father during the second arc: he's a psychopath. It's ironic and poignant all the same, considering this is Jim Gordon's offspring (one whom Batman even rescues as a helpless infant) and who would have thought he would stray so far from the tree in such a horrendous way? It's really heartbreaking for a man like Gordon to have a son who is everything he is supposed to be fighting against. However, it seems like there is a silver lining. James Jr. is taking some experimental medication that aims to affect his amygdala positively so he will develop empathy. It sounds like a hopeful scenario but I am very mistrustful of James Jr. already at this point. But a part of me, of course, wants to believe otherwise for Jimbo's sake. To be the parent of a monster is something that I wouldn't wish on someone of Jim Gordon's integrity and character.

The third arc of The Skeleton Cases takes us back to Dick Grayson as Batman as he is accompanied by Red Robin (Tim Drake) while they bust a group of criminals who turned out to be selling and trading off endangered species of animals. I already feel that there's a connection about this with the aviary with the lose birds from the earlier pages--and I think James Jr. is at the heart of it all. The issue ends with a very foreboding tone, leaving readers with a sense of bewilderment and overpowering curiosity as how this will personally change Jim Gordon if his son has something to do with the storm that's about to come. Barbara Gordon will be equally important for any further developments, considering her outright and quite justifiable distaste for her brother is something I'm interested to see play out in the next issues.

RECOMMENDED: 10/10

* Slick, engrossing and as dark as it gets, The Black Mirror saga promises something thrilling and game-changing to happen from here on out. With Scott Snyder's trademark writing seal, this will prove to be quite explosive!

Detective Comics [The Black Mirror] by Scott Synder issue #873

The general somberness of Scott Snyder's writing is unmistakable. It's becoming really hard not to call attention to it, especially for this final installment for The Black Mirror. Picking up from the cliffhanger last issue, this one guarantees a very well-executed action sequence that showcases Dick Grayson's acrobatic skills. After his disguise was discovered, Dick literally has to fight his way out the demented place as the barely recognizable hungry creatures of Gotham are on his heels, determined to feast on him. Additionally, he's been drugged so he needs to exert more efforts to get out of there. I was genuinely scared about everything now. Dick is delirious, hallucinating the ordinary people in gas masks as ghouls with sharp teeth and claws, closing in on him, dying to tore off a piece. If I was in that kind of fucked-up situation, I would be really, really scared shitless and will keep moving lest they devour me.

There's a true darkness in the way Snyder is unraveling this story and I think it's as prominent as it has to be because our Batman for this storyline is the former first Robin. Bruce has been so used to the dark that it's become a part of his nature; something that defines him because he fights it with a familiarity. The forces of evil and devastation in Gotham is something he welcomes and breathes. Meanwhile, Dick is fighting the dark differently. He tries to slip through its dangerous grip as quickly as he could manage instead of finding a way to thrive inside it as Bruce had. 

I can't blame him; Dick should be resisting because he doesn't have the kind of willpower Bruce has to endure it. And he knows that weakness which is why he is determined to get the fuck out of there before things go worse. It almost looked like it could but luckily he was able to leap out of trouble in the end. 

Or has he? I truly liked how Snyder wrote the inner dialogues in parallel with the action at hand. Dick has all these escape routes in mind that have to be thrown out of the window to make room for raw self-preservation instinct. But just when we thought he's safe, he gets a truly revealing nightmare that reflects what he fears the most is going to happen if Gotham gets a hold of him permanently. I like the symbolic meaning of that dream. I'm not going to describe it in detail but it has something to do with Barbara Gordon (and losing a physical part of him that has something to do with motion). I think it's very significant and gives us an insightful glimpse inside Dick's psyche through it all. It's also quite understandable for him to fear those things, given the weight of their importance in his life.

As we near the end, a necessary confrontation between Dick as Batman and the Dealer ensues but it wasn't as final as we are led to believe. The issue then closes in a very open-ended way where Dick hangs a mirror across the large windows behind him, reflecting not only his worn-down expression but also the city in the background. It was a foreboding imagery. It gives you the sense of dread that you didn't ask for but it's there nonetheless. Dick knows he's not equipped enough to deal with the madness that is Gotham City, not as  the new Batman, at least for the time being. He is frightened of the reflection staring back at him, and he has every right to be. This time, for the first time, he can't leave. He doesn't have that choice in the cards. He ends with this realization:

"You expect that kind of viciousness from the Arkham crowd but those people at the mirror house--they're just plains citizens. Mothers and fathers...Lately it just feels like the city is getting meaner, wilder. Something is changing. Some nights I feel like I barely recognize it anymore."

RECOMMENDED: 9/10

Detective Comics [The Black Mirror] by Scott Synder issue #872

I claimed in my review of the previous issue that it doesn't bother me that Dick Grayson, former first Robin, has now taken the mantle of Batman in Scott Snyder's The Black Mirror series. I still don't. But there is that small part of me that does care and perhaps only slightly perturbed about it. However, underneath that cowl, you sometimes tend to forget that it isn't Bruce Wayne because it is indeed true that Batman is Batman regardless of the man underneath.

Still, Dick Grayson slips through from the mask every now and then, especially with his inner monologues. What I could enjoy about this is the fact that Dick doesn't try too hard to be the Batman Bruce Wayne was; and yet there is also something lonely about filling the shoes of a former mentor and trusted friend, knowing that you have to carry on bearing the weight of a world you don't feel a part of. With Bruce, being Gotham's Dark Knight was his calling. But with Dick, you get the sense that he doesn't feel like he belongs in this city, and therefore does not have the same kind of emotional investment for that heroic role. He's almost like a caged bird peeking through the bars, knowing what freedom before was like, but has now learned to accept his lack of access to fly.

In this second installment of The Black Mirror, the stakes just got more complicated and dangerous as Dick infiltrates the black-market society club where Gotham's richest buy off macabre and gruesome collectibles from a frail-looking old man who is the Dealer. The people in the event wore specially-designed gas masks that bring to mind those horrific nuclear warfare scenes from the past where the height of possible annihilation is tremendously panic-inducing. I felt a bit scared while I read this issue, most especially when Dick was discovered and these people start trying to feast on him. I was genuinely afraid for Dick's safety.

The issue ends with that tantalizing cliffhanger. I really love the pacing and dialogue on this one. We get the appearances of Tim Drake, third Robin, and Barbara Gordon, who is the Oracle (this timeline in the continuity is right after the event when the Joker shot her and broke her spine). I like the subtlety in the relationship between Dick and Babs. They used to be children both lost in the storm and have come together to seek solace in one another, fighting for the same cause and under the same ideals. Now they are adults, hardened by awful truths and the darkness they produced.

This may be my favorite issue yet because of the near-perfect build-up for the cliffhanger later on. The suspense is just a killer! And, as always, I enjoy the noir elements of this story. Dick Grayson also continues to impress me as Batman even if his presence also makes me miss Bruce Wayne every once in a while as I read the pages. Dick is carrying on as Batman but I don't think he has fully embraced the burdens of it yet. He's resisting, given his circus blood, to truly give himself to Gotham; not when this city is filled with creatures that make it impossible to ever believe daylight will come after this much darkness.

On an additional note: I can't help but draw comparisons from The Black Mirror and Snyder's New 52 Batman storyline The Court of Owls. I really do think that his work for this one has inspired him to apply the same kind of atmospheric style and exposition to that of the Owls saga. There's a certain feeling that The Black Mirror evokes that is eerily similar with the Owls. It could be that thematic narrative where Gotham City is alive and trying to break down its hero. It could be the metaphorical ominous shadows lurking in each landscape that leave me with a nasty feeling of dread at the pit of my stomach; or it could be just the overall delivery of the plot itself. But the effect and impact is almost the same.

RECOMMENDED: 10/10

Detective Comics [The Black Mirror] by Scott Synder issue #871

It is with deep pleasure and honor that I write this review for the first installment of the three-issued story arc The Black Mirror by none other than the current Batman writer for New 52, Scott Snyder. Being able to start reading the first of the collected editions from my list of five also means that I have arrived to a certain milestone with my Batman readings since I began this on late April. Did you know that I have diligently read and reviewed eighty-six Batman issues, mostly New 52 material, in just a span of two months? I'm quite proud of this because it took a lot of discipline and a keen sense of momentum and dedication to have come along this far, given that there are still plenty more to read from the old continuity Batman as well. The Black Mirror storyline is one of them and one of the finest at that.

I have made a decision to review the issues that comprised The Black Mirror (issues #871-881) individually and then provide the overall review for the collected edition itself. Does that seem tedious? Perhaps, but not for this Batman geek. Before I begin this review, let's have a short backstory to explain the content of this volume.

The Black Mirror follows the events in Final Crisis in which Batman was presumed dead for a year which meant he had left Gotham City with a gaping hole ever since. Of course, he eventually does return but was more focused on a larger mission: the recruitment of allies for the foundation-building of Batman Incorporated (which has its own volume written by Grant Morrison and is also a part of the four other GNs I'll be reading for this month). So the first Robin Dick Grayson had to take the mantle of the Dark Knight in the absence of his former mentor and friend. That in itself sounds strange already; to read a Detective Comics issue and not have Bruce Wayne as Batman as its major centerpiece. It frankly did not bother me at all. Batman is Batman, regardless of who is underneath the cowl. Besides, here in The Black Mirror is where I discovered Snyder's penchant for turning Gotham City into its own living and breathing character, and not just play the part of a setting. It's notable because it's something that would inspire his The Court of Owls storyline years later for New 52.

This first installment of The Black Mirror was absolutely and remarkably gorgeously illustrated by artist Jock which also strongly complemented Snyder's deft writing. I really like how this story opened. It started with a dashing monologue sequence from Dick Grayson himself which already has a dark atmospheric appeal:

"When I was a boy, my parents kept a big map of the country tacked to the wall of our dressing room. The map had pins stuck in all the places our troupe was going to stop that season. Different towns and cities were marked with different color pins. Blue pins meant small towns... which meant small shows, less dangerous tricks. Red pins meant big cities. So, big shows and more dangerous tricks. All the stops were marked red or blue... except for one -- Gotham City, which was marked by a black pin. According to my father, the black pin meant no holds barred. Pull out all the stops. Bring down the house. It meant put on the biggest, riskiest show of the season. No catch wires. No safety nets. Everyone pushing themselves to the limit. I remember one time I asked my father why. What made Gotham so special? And my father, he looked down at me, and he said... "...some places just have a hunger about them, son. And you either feed them what they want... or you stay far, far away."

From this point on, I already have high expectations for Snyder's direction of the story. There are so many well-known detective elements to this story that should always embody Detective Comics all the time. We get the brooding opening monologue, the gruesome murder, the investigation and uncovering of certain important clues, and the surprising twist that builds up the mystery and action for the next chapters of the story. It's everything I ever loved in a detective story since my first Sherlock Holmes volume, and Batman is written here in a way that reminds me of his roots. He was, after all, based on the shadowy figures of cut-and-dry whodunits, and The Black Mirror is certainly quick to make that distinction.

I know I said that it doesn't matter who is underneath the Batman cowl but it is worth mentioning that Dick Grayson is a different animal all on his own. Commissioner Jim Gordon makes this observation offhandedly which makes me wonder if he could feel that it's not the same man he is working with. It was a simple remark regarding the fact that Dick as Batman actually lingers even as the conversation is about to end with Gordon (and we all know Bruce likes to sneak off while Gordon is still speaking mid-sentence). Small differences like this seem important. It also feels like Dick himself is distancing himself from Gotham. He has circus blood in him after all so he's always mobile without any kind of an attachment to a particular home. Alfred pointed out that though he had been living for almost a year in the Wayne Manor, Dick still hasn't made it his own; that he doesn't "leave traces" that he had been there at all. Perhaps it's also his way of saying he's not ready to let go of Bruce just yet.

Another thing I would like to point out is that I really enjoyed the contrast between him and Bruce as characters. The latter is a child of Gotham, privy to its crime alleys and villains like no other. Meanwhile, Dick seems to still see Gotham as a location he just happened to stop by. He has a sense of obligation to it since he became Batman but he knows it's nothing permanent. And it haunts him; I could see his struggle to care deeply enough but not so much that the city has a grip on him. He knows it firsthand too because he saw how much Gotham changed and influenced Bruce for years. Dick doesn't want that kind of attachment, especially not to a place like Gotham--and yet it still reels him.

Issue #871 starts with the discovery of an underground black-market society club of some sort led by a man who calls himself the Dealer. He auctions priceless items such as certain weapons or creations from Gotham's most heinous monsters. Dick is understandably not pleased, not when people are dying horrendously through the use of the same items. No holds barred indeed, and Dick knows this. It's time to bring down the house on top of this man called the Dealer, sooner rather than later.

RECOMMENDED: 9/10

* A terrific start. The writing and art are both prestige and captivating.

Batman and Ra's Al Ghul by Peter J. Tomasi issue #32 [The Hunt for Robin]

It has been both a thrilling and frustrating ride for Peter J. Tomasi's Batman and Robin run. We had thirty-two issues so far which were then composed of seven story arcs (Born to Kill, Terminus, zombies, Death of the Family, Stages of Grief, Two-Face and McKinell, The Hunt for Robin). 

Some have lived up to expectations and even became so much more while others were forgettable pieces that were better left not mentioning at all. Still, Tomasi has impressed us with his sheer insight on characterization and character interplay and his strongest stories to date are often those that I call 'emotionally resonant'. He was also responsible for the creation of the villains NoBody and Erin McKinell who truly come to their own; and, of course, the re-imagining of Harvey Dent's origin story as Two-Face which had more to offer than what was presented, and whose incomplete tale will probably be picked up soon enough.

In this final issue for The Hunt for Robin, we get the last confrontation between Batman and Ra's as they fight over Damian's corpse. Batman just wants to bury his son in peace but Ra's still has his eyes set on world domination and he needs Damian and his daughter Talia by his side to accomplish that goal. Frankenstein had accompanied Batman in the last issue and here we saw him being a very efficient and supportive partner (which actually makes me hope that he can appear in other stories after this because I really enjoy the compassion and understanding that he and Batman share in just a short span of pages last time). This was a great issue thought not something I would consider Tomasi's finest. The illustrations were beguiling, showcasing one of the most exciting fight sequence between Batman and Ra's, in my opinion, as they take turns brutally smashing each other on ice while Frankie and the league of assassins (and man-bats) look on, not daring to interrupt this epic battle. 

While I was reading this, I wondered if Ra's is as selfish and calculating as he claims to be. For some reason, I feel like he is grieving in his own twisted way and that there is still that human part of him that misses his daughter and grandson and so reviving them is also his way of perhaps making up for the times he was less than admirable as a father and grandfather. But I could probably be just reading into it; but it would be great if there's that sympathetic aspect to Ra's, not that I mind him simply being just a relentless immortal with a one-track mind for world conquest. Unfortunately enough, the combat gets interrupted in the most timely fashion. Some jackass villain Apokolips (from the Supervillains storyline following the events of Forever Evil, I believe) appeared and it was really annoying because the story is said to be continuing on two separate issues: Red Dawn and Robin Rises Omega, the latter whose release on July 16 is something I look forward to.

This issue had great action and a serviceable conclusion (with a surprise cliffhanger).

RECOMMENDED: 7/10

Batman and Frankenstein by Peter J. Tomasi issue #31 [The Hunt for Robin]

Now this I like. If there was one character I would like to see again, it would be Frankenstein. I actually enjoyed his appearance in Batman and Red Robin issue #19 where he said one of my favorite lines in the Tomasi run ("I am watching a man racked with pain look for light in a world gone dark") which summarizes Batman any other given day, really. Understandably, when he crossed paths with Batman again for this story, he was not that pleased. After all, Batman did chop him into pieces in a failed attempt at resurrecting his son Damian. So clearly, no lost love between these two whatsoever. But I did find it quite endearing that all that Frankie (yup, calling him that in this review from now on) requires from Batman at this point is a simple apology which Batman was more than willing enough to provide. 

So the team-up commences and it was so goddamn fun to see them interact, help each other and kick ass together.

There was something organic to this team-up too and definitely my absolute favorite (though I also liked Batman's association with Aquaman in the first installment). This second team-up should prove once and for all that the Dark Knight does and can play well with others especially if there is a common, personal goal shared. Frankie's own problem was very moving and his choice of isolation from people is something I know Batman can relate to very well especially the burden that comes along with that decision. There is enough compassion between these two that allowed them to work successfully together and that's the only thing that should matter in any superhero team-ups. 

Though The Hunt for Robin is a pretty standard storyline, it does give readers an opportunity to see Batman work with other people and actually be a human being for once and share his feelings every now and then without Tomasi overdoing it. The confrontation with Ra's Al Ghul in the end is a cliffhanger, seeing as we have one issue left and that could only mean Ra's will not have a chance to escape at last and there needs to be a goddamn showdown between him and Bats. Yeah, you're a formidable badass who is also an immortal with a searing vision for what the world should be, but you don't just take a man's son like that and expect no serious repercussions coming your way.

The artist for this issue is Doug Mahnke and his action panels were quite entertaining. I like the definition and detail in his illustrations. I hardly even notice Gleason's absence because Mahnke was able to get comfortable in taking that mantle quite well. Overall, great issue and I can't wait for the conclusion!

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

Batman and Wonder Woman by Peter J. Tomasi issue #30 [The Hunt for Robin]

Our caped crusader continues his pursuit of Ra's Al Ghul in the second installment of The Hunt for Robin and this time he was accompanied by no other than the princess of the Amazons, Wonder Woman, as they travel to Paradise Island. The other amazons were not very warm and hospitable on their reception--especially Aleka. Batman was not welcome because he is a man but Wonder Woman was quick to stand up for him, beseeching her sisters to allow him to navigate the island since he believes that Ra's himself has acquired the means to discover the secret location of the Amazons, and will use the island's well-kept secret for his nefarious plans.

This issue was almost like an echo of what happened in the previous story with Aquaman although this had the tendency of being self-advertising. Wonder Woman would go into some sort of expository dialogue every now and then in case the one who's reading this comic book will be interested in picking up her title. It didn't bother me because I was presently not enticed because I haven't heard that many great things about Brian Azzarello's run, especially the way he changed WW's origin story. But then again, Tomasi might be, er, "auditioning" since Azzarello is leaving the WW title soon. It's only slightly jarring to the story being told and I would've preferred Bruce and Diana being friendlier at least. I've always enjoyed their relationship in the cartoon version. I was hoping for something akin to that, but everything is very business-like with these two.

The more I think about it, the more I realize this is almost just like what went down on the Aquaman issue and it's a repetitive sequence of Batman pursuing Ra's with the help of a JLA member, they find him, fight scenes commence, but Ra's escape, so onto the next venture. I wished that kind of formulaic storytelling should be a one-time thing only so it didn't work the second time around for this issue which is disappointing. I did like the brief shared moment between Bruce and Diana at the end when they were discussing about shadows and light. That was really the only part of this comic book I connected with in an emotional level. Too bad. 

With Aquaman, I got a glimpse of a possible team-up again in the future with Batman because they worked quite efficiently together--there could be a friendship and camaraderie between them (without the drama that Batman has with Superman sometimes) if given enough time someday. With Wonder Woman, it felt stiff and sort of one-note as if they had no relationship with each other whatsover (they had tension and arguments between them in the past so I don't know why they act in this issue as if they have only met the first time. These two have worked more than once together and it hasn't always been that pleasant but it didn't show here with the way Tomasi wrote them. It's really just like they shared a cab). However, perhaps Diana is walking on eggshells in respect to Bruce's loss of his son? We'll never really know.

RECOMMENDED: 6/10

Batman and Aquaman by Peter J. Tomasi #29 [The Hunt for Robin]

In just a span of 32 issues plus an annual special, Batman and Robin New 52 writer Peter J. Tomasi has done it all. Some of his stories were quite excellent, some were fairly average while others could have and should have been better. 

Now we have come to the last four issues of his run for now, a story arc entitled The Hunt for Robin. Since the loss of Damian Wayne, said Robin and the one and only son of Bruce himself, Batman has teamed up with other titular characters in the B&R run which became more of Batman And _______. This story arc is no exception. In the first installment of the Hunt, fellow Justice League-er Aquaman shares the pages with our Dark Knight. I quite enjoyed this issue because these two actually make a good team, who would've thought? Tomasi also wastes no time diving straight into the action. Batman is underwater with the dog Titus, having a conversation with Alfred which is also expository for the readers' benefit. He came across Aquaman who explained to him that there was also trouble in the ocean so the two decided to go together to see if there is a connection with what they were both after.

It's worth noting that this picked up after the events in Batman and Two-Face story arc so there was a mention of Two-Face's disappearance at the very first page but Batman was quick to say that his attention has now zeroed-in on Ra's Al Ghul who had desecrated Damian's grave and took the boy's corpse alongside his daughter Talia so he can find a way to resurrect both. It sounds like a solid plan but then again, this is Ra's and he not only wants to bring his relatives back to life; he also plans to get them under his complete control so they can all reinforce the Al Ghul legacy. Of course, Batman is not going to let this happen so he pursues Ra's with the expected relentlessness of a father who just wants his son to rest in peace now that he had finally grieved him properly.

Aquaman and Batman really got things done in this issue. They were very comfortable and supportive of each other every step of the way and it makes me wonder why they can't be better friends in the JLA run for New 52. Now I just want to see more of them together because there's a level of respect here that I have not encountered before. 

This is a great issue. Nothing momentous but the story was evenly paced and the hunt to get Damian's body back for burial seems to be more than just that. Maybe it has something to do with the announcement pertaining to the possibility of bringing back Damian. As a fan of the boy, I wouldn't want anything else to happen but just that. And this is comics after all. Anyone can come back as long as the writing can make room for it. However, I think it's too soon. I think we should give it another year because his death did have an impact on the Batverse and the readers and they should live with that death for two more years before we get Damian back in what I hoped would be a legendary comeback story. 

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

Batman by Scott Snyder issue #32, ZERO YEAR

"Maybe that's what Batman is about. Not winning, but failing and getting back up. Knowing he'll fail, fail a thousand times, but still won't give up." ~Bruce Wayne leaving a message to Alfred

Just, wow. This is the second to the last installment of Savage City and we only have one issue left to go before the grand finale of Zero Year as a whole. I just looked through the DC website for the release date and it will be on July 23. Once again, it'll be a double-sized issue which means extra pages as oppose to the standard count of 32. Speaking of which, how come this one is only composed of 22 pages? 

The last ten pages were a preview for a Grayson comic book I was not made aware of until now. I think the fact that the pages were shortened has some sort of effect to the overall quality of this issue's story. I'm not saying this issue failed to captivate me unlike the last one because, at this point in the game, Snyder and co. are definitely bringing their A-game consistently. But there is so much room for more in this issue that could have used those last ten pages to establish a stronger narrative. I don't know. This is supposed to be the second to the last issue and yet the level of intrigue and suspense when you reach the final page fell a little bit flat for me--which is weird because those last pages and the middle ones (arguably or so, I still couldn't get over the fact that the Riddler has robots; has he ever been into gadgetry?) are probably the most enticing parts of the comic book. But I digress.

Let's talk about the cover first. Batman is celebrating its 75 years of existence and I believe this cover is specifically in tribute to that. The stylistic approach to the art may be contemporary now but the meaning and message behind it is reminiscent of the old covers where villains entrap Batman using some elaborate weapon of some kind.  But unlike the old covers, this one has more definitive sleekness and tamer colors to it. I love the angling of the question mark (and, ehem, those purple gloves that Batman wears are sexy to me somehow) and that the Riddler was comfortably positioned below, looking up at Batman with an expression that I assume is a very smug one.

So back to the story. I was okay with the pacing but the great reveal in the middle (which I feel like I shouldn't discuss because it's a really major spoiler) somehow undoes whatever suspense was built up in the earlier pages. I feel a bit cheated with it even thought it proves once and for all that the Riddler plays mind games with a sheer audacity and scale that makes me want to kick him repeatedly in the crotch. I never considered him a favorite but I do enjoy his presence in Zero Year because he manages to be both vile and charming. But yeah, I still want to kick him.

My personal favorite part of the issue comes from this page:

I've been so lost in the story and action in the past issues that I overlooked Bruce Wayne's character development in all of this. This page alone I believe indicates just how far he has come from the early issues where he is angry and vindictive because finally, he understands that being Batman is not some sort of mission to avenge his parents alone. It's not just about striking fear in the hearts of criminals. It's a true act of altruism foremost where he has to stop being just a man with a haunted past but become more of an unkillable ideal that lives on for hope's sake. Bruce has acknowledged that he wants to be a hero, one who is flawed yet determined to stand back up again in every failure. He has acknowledged that this isn't a self-serving mission he is carrying out; being Batman also means championing the citizens of Gotham; showing them that there is always going to be a fighting chance in hell as long as you keep holding on to the belief that the darkest of times will always be followed by the brightest.

It's really hard to believe the journey in Zero Year is coming to an end soon, and that it managed to stay strong this long. I'm very honored and happy that Snyder and co. have a level of dedication and understanding about Batman and his representation to fans like me, and that they are writing and illustrating those things with poetic grace the way they have in this marvelous saga. 

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

Batman by Scott Snyder issue #31, ZERO YEAR

The comic book medium is a rich tapestry that combines the elements of storytelling narrative and visual artistry so in reading, reviewing and appreciating the content of a comic book issue, one must never neglect to take the aesthetic appeal that complements the written passages within. Scott Snyder's Zero Year issues have been widely acclaimed not only for its scope of story but also the splendid collaboration among Greg Capullo (penciler), Danny Miki (inker) and FCO (colorist) to produce some of the most engaging and stunning artwork and illustrations that truly capture the essence of Snyder's stories as they come to life in the pages.

Another thing to commend for this saga are the covers which range from minimalist depictions of objects to beautifully detailed portraits that have symbolic meanings. The cover for this issue, the second installment for Savage City, falls on the latter category. One of the most iconic images of Batman is whenever he's standing on a skyscraper somewhere, his figure but a shadow across the ominous dark sky. However, in this cover, we see Batman crouching almost in defeat on top of a gargoyle that is covered in shrubbery while the sun sets on his side. Batman has a bow but no arrow which could indicate his aimlessness as well. It evokes an emotion of hopelessness as if Batman himself has been weighed down by something so heavy he can't stand anymore. And yet hope is on the horizon as signified by the sun rising. It's really a moving illustration and one that paints the events inside this comic book issue so accurately.

This has got to be the most exciting issue since #24 of the Zero Year line-up. Batman is on a roll here, using only his resourcefulness and physical durability to outsmart and outplay the Riddler. The issue almost feels cinematic in delivery; with each scene focusing on building up suspense before the full-scale action that comes next. Lucius Fox, Jim Gordon and Batman assemble together to take down the Riddler which means they need to play their cards right. First on the agenda is to locate him so they can confront him--and boy it ain't an easy task, not when Batman has to perform a riddle in front of Nygma and stretch the conversation for NINETEEN FUCKING MINUTES until Fox finds the exact location of the Riddler's lair while Gordon climbs a tower to boost the tracker. And those nineteen minutes consisted of really witty dialogue and a what-the-fuck-ery moment when Batman ends up getting ejected below to face TWO LIONS. And yes, you are not mistaken. I did write that sentence in all seriousness.

I mean, I mentioned before in my review of the last issue that there's something very fairy-tale-like about the Savage City arc, and now we get something medieval when Batman has to fucking wrestle lions while still waiting for Fox to locate that goddamn signal. My only issue has to be that moment when Gordon jumps down from the tower to help Batman out. HOW HE SURVIVED THAT FALL WITHOUT ANY BROKEN BONES is beyond me but I can overlook that, er, defying act of physics, because I just enjoy the mental sparring occurring between Edward and Bruce as they try to psychoanalyze each other. Batman hits the mark but the Riddler doesn't which is understandable. Who would've guessed that Batman is no other than the orphaned and prodigal Wayne heir who came back after being presumed dead? I wouldn't be able to make that connection but I did expect the Riddler to be smarter which only goes to show that when it comes to human beings, he treats them as games not puzzles which is why he might not ever figure out who Batman is. It's absurdity at its finest, managing to be over-the-top yet very entertaining anyway. Let's look at some of the illustrations, shall we? Like Batman wearing a tight shirt over his body while riding a motorcycle (because hot damn, am I right?):

Batman drinking gasoline and using a lighter to spray fire on a lion's face:

And Batman wrestling the burned lion (poor baby):

If you did not enjoy any of that, then you have no soul.

There really is nothing more to say. This issue has great suspense, pacing and visual style that once and for all prove that Scott Snyder and co. know their material well, and how much more they can tweak and add a little spice of their own that will be satisfying and engaging for Batman fans. I can't believe we only have two more issues of this left!

RECOMMENDED: 9/10