Future State: Gotham #8 – Dennis Culver, Writer; Nikola Cizmesija, Artist
Ray – 7/10
Ray: A new solo writer and a new artist on this second arc make this anthology feel like a whole new series in a way. Gone are the complex Bat-family dynamic focusing on Jason Todd, replaced with a guy who was never really much for family—Grifter. The freelance assassin has been playing a surprisingly big role in Gotham lately, and here he’s been hired to get the mysterious Operator (last seen in Robin: Eternal) to safety. She’s being targeted by multiple players, including a whole host of villains including Hush, Tobias Whale, the Court of Owls, and Wild Dog. The biggest threat, though, comes from a new Joker—very different from the last one. This hulking beast might not even be fully human and seems to be here to cause chaos—and he delivers, in a shocking cliffhanger that throws the concept of the arc for a loop. It’s fast-paced, but unlike the first arc it isn’t really providing much to invest in yet.
The Batman and Scooby-Doo Mysteries #9 – Sholly Fisch, Writer; Scott Jeralds, Artist; Carrie Strachan, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: I’m always amazed by just how clever Sholly Fisch gets when working with the Mystery Machine crew. This mystery may be the best of the series, a Riddler-centric pirate caper as the trickster villain sets out to claim the hidden treasure of a pirate captain. Scooby and the gang decide to work with him and keep an eye on him to make sure he’s not planning anything nefarious, but they repeatedly get waylaid by a pair of bumbling, less than ethical treasure hunters—oh, and the evil ghost of the pirate, or so it seems. It’s been a while since we’ve seen a Riddler story that treats him as the trickster genius he is instead of a mad supervillain. He’s nefarious, sure, but he also takes more pride in his smarts than in simply stealing or crime. He’s a genuinely funny character, the mystery here has many more twists than other issues, and it just legitimately works as a great Scooby-Doo story and Bat-story.
Pennyworth #5 – Scott Bryan Wilson, Writer; Juan Gedeon, Artist; John Rauch, Colorist
Ray – 7/10
Ray: As we head to the final act of this TV spinoff, Alfred’s strange timeline comes into focus a little more. The combat butler has had some wild adventures, and when we last saw him this series he was freezing to death in the arctic after being betrayed by his partner and lover Shirley. Much of this issue is a fever dream of flashbacks as Alfred’s mind tries to keep him alive long enough to be rescued. In the present day—so we know he survived—an aged Alfred encounters his captor face to face for the first time. The reveal doesn’t make much sense yet, but few things in this series did. It’s an odd hard-sci-fi take on Alfred, putting him in a plot that would make even Batman feel a little out of place. But aside from that, the characterization is actually pretty solid and it’s good to see Alfred take the starring role for a change. Let’s hope this leads to the man making a comeback in the main universe too.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
