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Hey folks! I have got a nice batch of DC books for you this week.

Minor spoilers ahead!

Batman and Robin #17
Writer: Paul Cornell
Artist(s): Scott McDaniel and Rob Hunter
Cover Artist(s): Guillem March and Gene Ha
Publisher: DC

With the menace Dr. Hurt out of the way, Gotham is left in the capable hands of Dick and Damian. The issue begins with the duo disrupting a wedding, a very strange wedding. We flash back a couple days to news of one of Bruce’s ex-girlfriend’s death. The rest of the issue plays out as Batman and Robin struggle to make heads or tails of the woman’s death, without informing Bruce of her demise.

Though this was meant to be the start of Tomasi and Gleason’s run, a delay obviously prevented that from occurring. This issue felt like a blast from the past. The blocky artwork seemed inconsistent more often than not and it felt like I was in the wrong decade. The story is an interesting one, in a very strange sort of way. However, coming off of a great run by Morrison and in a month of some excellent Bat-books, this issue felt just short of being great. 3/5

Batman Beyond #6
Writer: Adam Beechen
Artist(s): Ryan Benjamin and John Stanisci
Cover Artist: Dustin Nguyen
Publisher: DC

It was recently revealed that the villain Hush was in fact the clone of Dick Grayson. With the help of the new Catwoman, the injured Terry and aged Dick are able to subdue and defeat the clone, who threatened to blow up Gotham. Though they did work together one more time, Dick and Bruce remained far from reconciling the mistakes of the past. The final pages revealed a  plot twist that will more than likely play a pivotal role in the upcoming series.
I thought that this was a decent ending to what started off as a strong mini-series. The series did a good job of bringing Dick Grayson into the Batman Beyond universe, where he had been previously missing. However, beyond that the series felt a little flat. The characters were well written, but the plot seemed less than imaginative. The art has been fairly consistent throughout the series and remains well done in this issue  as well. Overall, I think that the mini-series started off strong but seemed to falter halfway through. Whether or not that is indicative of the new series will remain to be seen. 2.5/5

Detective Comics #871
Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Jock and Francesco Francavilla
Cover Artist: Jock
Publisher: DC

This issue marks the beginning of Scott Snyder and Jock’s run and it starts off fantastic. The issue hits the ground running with a look into Dick Grayson’s life outside of the cowl, where it very quickly becomes clear he has not yet established a sense of self and stability outside of the cowl at this stage of his life. The underlying plot is that of an evil villain whose roots run deep into Gotham, and in this issue Dick is forced to put the detective aspect of his job to good use. He tracks down a crooked cop after a 12-year-old boy gets mixed up with a hormonal mutagen. The cop gives Batman a name before he is killed using a villainous item “The Dealer” has procured. The final portion of the issue, presented as a second feature, focuses on Commissioner Gordon. In it, Gordon is called to the scene of a crime where he is shocked when he witnesses the criminal on camera.

I thought this issue was fantastic; by far the best of the week, in my opinion. If you’ve read or seen any of the interviews  Snyder has done, you know what his run is going to be about. (If you don’t, you should go ahead and read his interview with ComicAttack.net: right here!) In this issue, Snyder does a great job showcasing the two different sides to Grayson, the Batman side and his out-of-the-costume side. His day to day life since taking up the Bat-cowl hasn’t really been addressed and we’re finally getting to see some of that in this issue, which is great. Dick’s interactions with Gordon are some of the best parts in the issue. They’ve got a rich history as well as a sense of camaraderie with one another, which makes Dick’s interaction with him, both as Richard Grayson, heir to the Wayne fortune, and as Batman, thoroughly enjoyable. Overall I felt that the artwork worked well with the nature of the story and the location of the story. On a personal level, I didn’t love the art. The sketchy, gritty feel to the art works well with the ambiance, however when applied to up close portrayals of humans I feel it is more distracting than anything else. 4/5

Gotham City Sirens #17
Writer: Peter Calloway
Artist(s): Andres Guinaldoa and Bit
Cover Artist: Guillem March
Publisher: DC

For years now, Selina Kyle has been keeping the world’s most important secret, the identity of Batman. Now she has been kidnapped for this information and Talia, Zatanna, Ivy, and Harley are working together to save her. As expected, considering the four women aren’t friends, the rescue party involves just as much bickering as it does constructive communication. Unfortunately, their combined efforts prove unsuccessful as Selina is coaxed into revealing Batman’s identity.

With the return of Bruce Wayne reverberating throughout all of the Batman titles, it seems only natural to have this title affected as well. This issue feels as if it may have looked great as an idea, but in actuality was mediocre. The issue itself felt drawn out; the entire issue was a set up just to have Selina reveal Batman’s identity and it almost felt as if the rest of the issue was unnecessary. That being said, the cliffhanger we are left with is an interesting one. It isn’t a leap in logic to assume that Zatanna and Talia would believe it was their decision whether or not Selina should know Batman’s identity. However, both Selina and Bruce’s reaction to this should be intriguing.  2.5/5

Green Arrow #6
Writer: J.T. Krul
Artist(s): Diogenes Neves and Vicent Cifuentes
Cover Artist: Mauro Cascioli
Publisher: DC

For months now, Star City has been dealing with one mess after another. The current threat to the city is now the CEO of Queen Industries. Green Arrow decides to go after the Queen at Queen Industries, though it is uncertain what his intentions are. When he arrives at the building he encounters the assassin Nix, who has secretly been getting rid of the competition.
Overall this issue was decent. The interaction between Oliver and his father’s mistress is interesting, because it lays the groundwork for their relationship. The fight scene between Nix and Green Arrow plays out well enough. However, as a whole, the issue feels like it is missing something. While the issue does have some interesting moments, there is not much plot progression. While the mystery of the forest remains interesting, I feel that it is becoming more of a hindrance to the story than a benefit. 3/5

Teen Titans #89
Writer: J.T. Krul
Artist(s): Nicola Scott and Doug Hazlewood
Cover Artist(s): Nicola Scott, Doug Hazlewood, Jason Wright, and Adam Hughes
Publisher: DC

What kind of Teen Titans would it be without a Robin? The previous issue ended with Batman bringing Damian to Titans Tower, looking to get him on the team. Though the team is visibly displeased by the decision, Wonder Girl allows Damian to join the team. Batman’s intentions were to get Damian to not only get better acquainted working with others, but to also get him to be more of a kid in general. However, when disaster struck, Damian’s propensity for acting on his own ended up allowing the super powered kid to escape, after he had surrendered.

This issue was great. Just two issues in and it feels like J.T. Krul has a great handle on these characters. While not all of them played major parts in the issue, that is to be expected when there is such a large cast. That being said, we can clearly see the direction this story is headed, with respect to the growth of the team. The team’s interaction with one another, minus Damian, is executed very naturally. Adding in Damian brings in an exciting factor to the group, especially because of the contrast between his ego and his actual role in the group. 4/5

Be sure to check out previous editions of Crisis of Infinite Reviews by clicking here!

Arnab Pradhan
arnab@comicattack.net