Batman: Detective Comics #1058 – Mariko Tamaki, Matthew Rosenberg, Writers; Amancay Nahuelpan, Fernando Blanco, Artists; Jordie Bellaire, Colorist
Ray – 8/10
Ray: Twelve issues is a long time to carry a single story through, and the final issue of Shadows of the Bat shows that it’s possible to succeed with that—and it’s also possible to trip at the last lap. The main story jumps forward slightly in time, showing us what happened after the fall of Arkham Tower. The last we saw, Koyuki Nanako had taken the Psycho-Pirate mask for herself in a shocking twist—but no one knew her intentions. It seems it turned out okay, though, because everyone made it out alive and now Gotham is picking up the pieces. Part of that falls to Deb Donovan, who has picked up much of the information from her contacts in the Bat-family and is trying to piece the rest together on her own.
More than your average Bat-story, this tale has largely been about redemption and healing. That plays a big role in this issue. While we never find out exactly what happened right after last issue’s cliffhanger, it’s clear some things turned out for the better. Koyuki seems to be healing, Psycho-Pirate is on the run but everyone knows he wasn’t the true villain here, and people even seem to have some sympathy for the devil in Dr. Wear. Nanako has kind of been a disaster as Mayor so far, but he makes a bold decision here that keeps Dr. Meridian in the loop for future stories. And then there’s the cliffhanger, which brings a major new villain back for another engagement. Overall, a solid finish to the arc.
Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for the “House of Wayne” backup, which was shaping up to be very promising. The tale of a young man let down by Gotham’s systems turning into a major threat has been played out with great tension, and this issue he finally confronts the source of his pain by capturing both Batman and Joker. It sets up something fascinating as Batman is forced to face his own failures and seems to swear to do better—and then it undercuts it with a bleak ending that makes the entire story seem pointless. I feel like it was commenting on just how hopeless Gotham is, in which case… mission accomplished.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
