Batman: Detective Comics #1109 – Tom Taylor, Writer; Mikel Janin, Artist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: The mystery of the legacy of the long-lost hero Prion continues to unfold, as in flashbacks we see the character being inducted into the ranks of Ted Grant’s superhero gym. Batman, of course, is suspicious, but the others see him as a well-meaning young man who has earned a chance. Of course, we all know that chance eventually led to him finding himself in an early grave. And now, his legacy has come back to haunt the heroes in the form of a mysterious young girl who has been stalking them and tried to kill Green Arrow at the end of the last issue. Ollie survives, of course, using his strength as an archer to catch himself. The narration in this segment is great, giving some insight into how Ollie manages to compete with far more powerful heroes and how Batman truly views him. But when Bruce helps Ollie out and the two return to confront the target…she has a very different story.
At first, the girl claims to have been trying to save Ollie from falling, playing innocent, but when it’s clear no one believes her, she shows her true face and leads the heroes on a chase around the city. There are some comparisons to Damian in the way this mysterious girl operates, and it’s clear that if she’s not evil, she’s on a mission of vengeance that she truly believes in. After an intense battle that shows just how far she’s willing to go – and how little she values her own safety – she makes a move that takes her into the heart of the heroes’ sanctum. This is the most fast-paced issue of the series yet, with little time to catch your breath and a very intriguing mystery, but it also does an excellent job of setting up a fascinating mystery about the heroes’ early days. After the first year of Tom Taylor’s run had a huge, globe-trotting scale, this arc dials things back with a fascinating focus on the characters.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
