Batman Incorporated #8 – Ed Brisson, Writer; John Timms, Artist; Rex Lokus, Colorist
Ray – 8/10
Ray: What’s the logical outcome of too many Batmen? Too many Jokers. With Batman Inc. having completed their first two missions under Ghost-Maker, they now come under attack by a mysterious group of clown-themed villains. One has already attempted to assassinate Chief Man-Of-Bats, leaving his son bent on revenge, while the French Batman Nightrunner comes under attack by a psychotic and theatrical Joker who has hijacked an entire circus. It’s not clear if this is the real Joker behind it—the one who appears near the end seems fake somehow, a little too slick—but the alternate Jokers are interesting. The one thing I’m enjoying most about this series is the little moments of bonding between various Bats, such as Knight surprising one Bat with a gift from his home country and the sitcom-esque interactions between Ranger and Wingman. Overall, still a solid read.
Batman: The Adventures Continue Season Three #5 – Alan Burnett/Paul Dini, Writers; Ty Templeton, Artist; Monica Kubina, Artist
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: The sad tale of Straightman comes to an end this issue, as the brainwashed super-soldier finds himself hunted by the Joker, the Suicide Squad, and Batman and co. for different reasons. Once a wounded soldier who underwent experiments with ties to Dr. Hugo Strange, Straightman is an alternately terrifying and sympathetic foe for Batman, one who he is trying to save and stop at the same time. The grim nature of his story clashes a little with some of the other narratives, particularly Joker’s over-the-top military gags as he pursues his lost henchmen. It’s a credit to the creative team that I can basically hear Mark Hamill’s voice coming out of this version of Joker. This series has done a good job of pulling in elements from across the DCU, giving this series a broader and sometimes more adult feel than the original animated series could pull off. Looking forward to how the creative team brings this season “home.”
The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #8 – Sholly Fisch, Writer; Erich Owen, Artist
Ray – 8/10
Ray: It’s a particularly strange day for the Mystery Machine crew in Gotham. Not only is Gotham under attack by a giant bat-spirit pulling off Bat-themed heists, but when they show up to help Batman, they’re rudely turned away—because they’ve been replaced by a near-identical band of doppelgangers! Their attempts to prove themselves to Batman only seem to get him angry, and as the heists escalate, Scooby and the gang race to solve the case before Batman so they won’t be displaced. Batman seems out-of-character throughout, but it shouldn’t surprise anyone to know that he always has a plan, and the reveal of the villain is a surprise—it’s a higher caliber of villain than this series usually has. Overall, this issue sort of has one joke and its replacement Mystery Machine crew don’t make much of an impression, but it has a more unique mystery than many of the recent issues.
Multiversity: Harley Screws Up The DCU #3 – Frank Tieri, Writer; Logan Faerber, Artist
Ray – 6/10
Ray: Harley has screwed up the origins of all the most popular heroes in the DCU—so now she and her older, edgier version will have to set it right. After two issues of setup, this issue goes fast and furious through how things went wrong and how these dueling idiots try to set it right. First comes Superman, where Harley accidentally got herself launched to Earth instead of Kal-el. To fix it, she has to concoct a bizarre story about space diarrhea to distract Lara and get her to launch the rocket faster. Then there’s the Flash, who Harley accidentally killed by screwing up the chemical reaction. So she has to recreate it—and winds up throwing some monkey urine into the mix. If this sounds juvenile, that’s because it really is. This comic is definitely indulging the worst instincts of Harley’s character, and the only other subplot involves the Starro-possessed heroes stalking her.
WildCATS #7 – Matthew Rosenberg, Writer; Danny Kim, Christian Duce, Artists; Elmer Santos, Tony Avina, Colorists
Ray – 7.5/10
Ray: This series has always been a bit of a jumble—that’s usually the case when you’re dealing with a massive cast of characters who, by and large, were last relevant in the 1990s. While Matt Rosenberg’s love for the crew does shine through, it’s pretty clear that many of them don’t have fleshed-out personalities. The present-day segments are all fairly dull, mostly dealing with characters arguing and interrogating each other. That being said, when the story pulls back to focus on one character—Cole Cash—it gets MUCH better. Cole is lost in the multiverse after being killed off, and his story ping-pongs him from one increasingly hostile world to another with some great visuals—until he winds up in one that not only provides him a possible new team, but a family connection that was long lost. Rosenberg wrote a Grifter solo series before this was launched, and he clearly has the best handle on that popular rogue.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
