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Review: Detective Comics #983

By Philip Schweier
June 27, 2018 - 10:03

The Signal – I’m not sure who he is, but he seems to be part of the Bat-Crowd. I guess Batman, Robin, Nightwing, Red Robin, Red Hood, Batgirl, Batwoman, Batwing, Spoiler and Azrael just aren’t enough of a cast to all wear the bat emblem. And apparently I’m not the only one who feels this way, because someone in Gotham seems intent on whittling away Batman’s allies.

Honestly, I don’t have a problem with this.

I liked it when Batman was part of a team (the JLA), or formed his own team of heroes (the Outsiders). But what I’ve seen in recent issues of Detective Comics is a growing army of bat-themed characters who serve no purpose other than to swell the ranks of the army. As if slapping a bat emblem on them somehow legitimizes their existence. But if they don’t serve the overall franchise, then no, they have no legitimacy.

Adding to this growing roster is Black Lightning, currently riding a new wave of popularity thanks his TV show (which I don’t enjoy). And the fact that he used to be one of Batman’s Outsiders certainly doesn’t hurt matters any. But it’s too much like the Arrow TV show, in which a lone vigilante has decided he suddenly needs a team. But does he, really?

In my opinion, no, he does not. It was the solitary sacrifice of one man’s dedicating his life to a war on crime that appeals to me. When heroes begin to form their own armies, I see it as little more than street gangs, with a clear cut definition as to who to root for.

Rating: 8/10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12