Batman #12 – Matt Fraction, Writer; Jorge Jimenez, Artist; Tomeu Morey, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: One of the most surprising things about comics today is that Alfred Pennyworth’s death has stuck for almost seven years now, ever since the end of Tom King’s run. There have been plenty of fake-outs, and the character is alive in almost every alternative universe, but it’s a surprisingly long run for a death to stick given that the original writer hadn’t even meant for it to happen. But now, Matt Fraction is taking a big step to actually replace Alfred – with his great-niece Verity Pennyworth, a representative from the society of battle butlers Alfred belonged to. Bruce has been taking to Alfred’s ghost over this entire run, and there are some really emotional moments as he reveals why he didn’t know about this until now, and Verity wastes no time bonding with Damian. But there’s no time for the new dynamic to establish itself firmly – as Gotham is coming under attack again.
One of the most intriguing additions to the Bat-mythos under Fraction has been the Minotaur, a new-age techno-criminal who wasted no time establishing himself as the alpha dog by targeting the families of Gotham’s criminal leadership. But now, he and his associates find themselves in the bulls-eye as well, as a group of assassins brutally target prominent citizens using highly creative murder methods. The issue jumps back and forth all over Gotham as one figure after another dies, and Batman winds up getting in between two different assassins as they battle over a target. Great action in a really fast-paced issue, and Verity proves herself to be more than capable – if a little more morally flexible than her great-uncle might have been. With Bad Seeds looming, it’s hard to say how the new dynamic of the Bat-family will play out, but this is a very promising start to a new chapter.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
Ray Goldfield
Ray Goldfield is a comics superfan going back almost thirty years. When he's not reading way too many comics a week, he is working on his own writing. The first installment in his young adult fantasy-adventure, "Alex Actonn, Son of Two Seas", is available in Amazon now.
