Batman #123 – Joshua Williamson, Writer; Howard Porter, Trevor Hairsine, Artists; Tomeu Morey, Rain Beredo, Colorists
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Joshua Williamson has managed to escalate the threat level with each successive level of Shadow War, and this is one of the smoothest events I’ve read in a while—the product of one writer handling the whole thing, no doubt. After last issue’s showdown, the two main characters are finally on the same side and are seeking out the truth behind Ra’s Al Ghul’s assassination—all the while Talia’s assassins target them both. Bruce and Damian are reunited for the first time in a while, interrogating some other fake Deathstrokes and getting a vital clue. They also have the opportunity for some key father-son bonding time, which leads to some really funny dialogue and reminds us of why Robin is one of DC’s best books.
Then there’s the Deathstroke part of the book, which delves into the twisted family dynamic between Slade, Rose, and Respawn as they try to stay one step ahead of the assassins. Batman Inc lurks in the background, along with Ghost-maker and Clownhunter snarking at each other. I would definitely be down for a spin-off featuring these guys. This issue is surprisingly funny at times, but by the end of the main story it pulls back and reminds us of just how high the stakes are here and just how fast things can go horribly wrong. I’m not sure if the cliffhanger will stick—it seems rather abrupt—but any hopes of de-escalating things are likely out the window as we rocket to the back half.
Josh Williamson continues to be a great Deathstroke writer in the backup drawn by Trevor Hairsine, as Deathstroke’s job to kill Robin turns out to have a killer side-effect—Joker Poison. The evil clown hired him for the assassination and then planned to kill him to ensure no loose ends, but he didn’t account for Slade’s healing factor. Now a vaguely insane assassin is on the trail of Batman’s deadliest enemy for revenge, and the second half of the story is mostly a non-stop chaotic battle with a hilarious last page. Great stuff.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
