Ray: When a random one-shot comes out, I’m usually not expecting much—it’s often an inventory story. So I was pleasantly surprised by this issue by long-MIA DC writer Andy Diggle, which not only takes place in current continuity but feels like a really good pitch for a new Outsiders series. Batman is off the grid (potentially due to Dark Crisis or recent events in Batman) and that, naturally, is the perfect time for the files he took from Leviathan to wind up in the wrong hands and up for auction in a foreign country. Jason Todd is on the case—but so are long-time Outsiders Black Lightning and Katana, both of which Batman has trusted with his affairs in his absence.
The chip containing the data has been taken to Gamorra, which has just been through a revolution in Superman: Son of Kal-El—and has now become a haven for digital crime. Only villains are welcome at the auction, so Jason is chosen to head in through the door—and he’ll have to get through a particularly angry Killer Croc to do so. But complicating things is that Bane is bidding for the chip as well—and Jason has a long-standing vendetta against Bane due to Alfred’s murder. There are some great flashbacks to things Alfred said to Jason in the past that nicely emphasize just how big an impact the man had over the entire Bat-family—and the tension is palpable when Jason and Bane are in the same room.
In the last act, things get a little ridiculous as the action shifts to space. This is a double-sized issue, and it packs a lot of story and some fun social satire into forty pages or so. But what’s surprising is that it does a great job with all its characters—Jason in particular. This is probably the most nuanced take on Red Hood I’ve seen in a while, with a brilliant flashback and a great twist concerning what’s going on with him and Killer Croc. This picks up on a lot of themes from the last few runs featuring these characters, while also having a lot of dangling plot threads that could easily be followed up on in the future. I’m hoping that this is just the start of Andy Diggle working with these characters again.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
This post was last modified on January 28, 2023 2:47 pm
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