Detective Comics #938

Written by James Tynion IV, Pencils by Alvaro Martniez, Inks by Raul Fernandez, Colors by Brad Anderson, Letters by Marilyn Patrizio, Editor Mark Doyle Pgs 1-4: Artist Al Barrionuevo with colors by Adriano Lucas

First off, sorry for not writing about Detective Comics #937, it was a mixture of lacking time and something to say. James Tynion IV is a structurally sound writer and an episode focusing on the big bad expositing his plan is necessary, if a bare bone. Those revelations however, get new deeper shades in issue #938.

In that same vein of structural necessity is the conceit of “Rise of the Batmen” part 5, the Big O’ll Fight issue. Teased last issue with the appearance of the Bat-Family on a mission to save their patriarch, #938 fulfills the promise of wall to wall action. Generally, I’m not a fan of Big O’ll Fight issues. With the physical limitations of comics ever present and the tendencies of writers and artists to go BIG for the sake of spectacle; it can often leave things feeling hollow and too fast a read. Like bad cotton candy. “Batmen” part 4 doesn’t give into pointless bombast for its own sake. The action sequence that makes up the majority of the issue is executed with purpose: to show that while Batman may not think they’re ready, the team can come together and act as a unit. With most of them getting a chance to shine.

This has been stated by myself and others, but the art team of Alvaro Martinez, Raul Fernandez, and Brad Anderson, have really spoiled me in terms of splash/spread page composition. They are densely packed and full of energy. Pages aren’t overly crowded with tiny panels showing every minute effect of a bunch or kick thrown. In the splash pages it all happens at once. When not in spread mode, the paneling is smart in showing us action leading into other actions not the damage being done. Cassandra Cain’s elevator moment uses this paneling to great effect. We know she’s going to beat the ever living crap out of those poor Batmen and don’t need to see it. This makes for easy to read sequences with great flow.

With the emphasis on actions, the book also manages to get around the whole “fighting” bits of it all. By that I mean, comics don’t do well showing every beat of a fight and all the damage being done. For that you need audio, it’s why the Jason Bourne style of action became so popular. At the same time that audio creates a brutality an excessiveness that pushes the bounds in directions this story isn’t interested in. This is about giving everyone on the team little glory moments; the kind of stuff you’d picture in a review or throw together in a photo post on Tumblr. In these moments characters are shown to be heroic and strong, not brutal and callus.

For as speedy and beautifully chaotic #938 is, it starts on a very slow and serious note. A flashback to years ago but only months after the death of Col. Kane and Kate’s Mom and Sister. It’s the beginning to Colonel Kane’s fall to the darkside. A different art team is brought in for this 4 page prologue, artist Al Barrionuevo and colorist by Adriano Lucas, that sells the separation in time. Adriano Lucas gives everything a desatured washed out pallet, everything is shades of grey except for the Kane’s hair. Those blazing red heads. With the lack of color, it’s like the nostalgia of memory is slowly giving way to melancholy. These four pages are an effective sympathy for the Devil beat for the Colonel. Much like their inspiration, Batman, the Kane’s make a promise that no more families will know this pain. For the father it’s led him down a dark path where he has given into fear and xenophobia. Believing in the myth of the League of Shadows, a shadow army of sleeper cells all around the world only waiting for Ra’s Al Ghul to give the order and turn everything upside down.

With the post-9/11 context America and the rest of the world exists in, it has become fashionable and understandable to envision supervillains through the lens of terrorists (this is more a common lens cinematically). The grand themed supervillain schemes of the Silver Age suddenly are forced through a darker prism of horror. And now we have a comic reacting to that reaction. Colonel Kane is revealed to be, if not just as bad as the shadowy terroristic Other he is fighting, then, worse yet a failure by giving in to the fear the terrorists weaponized for lack of hard powered resources. A fear that leaves him considering unleashing a swarm of weaponized drones on Gotham City in the name of “acceptable losses”.

With Colonel Kane established as his daughters dark mirror, it’s fitting another member of the Bat-Family get one as well. Tim Drake meet “TH3_G3N3R4L” Ulysses Hadrian Armstrong. Tim is the Bat-fan turned Robin. Ulysses has followed a similar path of fandom but instead of becoming a part of it, wishes to destroy it. This is classic arch-nemesis stuff, the kind of character that would be right at home in a Tim Drake Red Robin solo series (of if only).

We’ve got two more issues before this arc concludes and Detective gets caught up in a crossover for two issues. There is a functional speed too which Tynion is playing with that makes the double shipping business feel worth it. The shorter gap between releases has given this story a thrilling aspect that would not be there if it were a monthly title.